Beat White's e4 with the Traxler (1. ...e5) or the Portuguese (1. ...d5)

Dominate the Queen's Gambit with 2 powerful counterattacks

Embarrass opponents who try to play a lazy London system

Crush your opponents with these thrilling and aggressive weapons against all of White's popular first moves.

In the first chapter of the course on gambits for Black, we’ll learn about the Traxler gambit.

Many players learn the Italian as their first opening when starting chess, and know that the f7-square is weak for Black. Hence, they go for an attack known as the Fried Liver Attack.

The Traxler is an antidote for such attacks, that lets your opponent capture on f7, but promises a sharp and tactical position, often making it easy for you to attack and win quickly.

Video 1

Study 1: Traxler with White not Capturing the Bishop (6. Kf1)

Drill 1: The Traxler (with 6. Kf1, 7. Nxh8, 8. exd5)

Drill 2: The Traxler (with 6. Kf1, 7. Nxh8 8. exd5 9. c3)

Drill 3: The Traxler (with 6. Kf1, 7. Nxh8 8. exd5 9. d3)

Drill 4: The Traxler (with 6. Kf1, 7. Nxh8, 8. exd5, 9. Kxf2)

Drill 5: The Traxler (with 6. Kf1, 7. Nxh8 8. exd5 9. d6)

Drill 6: The Traxler (with 6. Kf1, 7. Nxh8 8. Bxd5)

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

Quiz 3

Quiz 4

Quiz 5

Quiz 6

Quiz 7

Quiz 8

Strategy Quiz 1

Strategy Quiz 2

Video 2

Study 2: Traxler Counterattack - White Captures on f2 (6. Kxf2)

Drill 7: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Kg1 and 8. Qe2)

Drill 8: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Kg1, 8. g3 and 9. hxg3)

Drill 9: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Kg1, 8. g3 and 9. Nxh8)

Drill 10: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Kg1, 8. Qf3)

Drill 11: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Ke3 and 8. g3)

Drill 12: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Ke3 and 8. Qf3)

Drill 13: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Ke3 and 8. Nxh8)

Drill 14: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Ke3 and 8. Rf1)

Drill 15: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Ke1 8. g3)

Drill 16: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Ke1 and 8. Ke2)

Drill 17: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Kf3)

Drill 18: The Traxler (with 6. Kxf2, 7. Kf1 8. Qe1)

Quiz 9

Quiz 10

Quiz 11

Quiz 12

Quiz 13

Quiz 14

Quiz 15

Quiz 16

Quiz 17

Quiz 18

Strategy Quiz 3

Video 3

Study 3: Traxler Counterattack - (5. Bxf7+)

Drill 19: The Traxler (5. Bxf7+) with 6. Bd5

Drill 20: The Traxler (5. Bxf7+) with 6. Bb3

Drill 21 The Traxler (5. Bxf7+) with 6. Bc4

Quiz 19

Quiz 20

Quiz 21

Quiz 22

Quiz 23

Strategy Quiz 4

Strategy Quiz 5

Video 4

Study 4: Traxler Sidelines (5. 0-0/d4/d3/Nc3)

Drill 22: The Traxler Sideline with 5. d4 and 6. exd5

Drill 23: The Traxler Sideline (5. 0-0)

Drill 24: The Traxler Sideline (5. d3)

Drill 25: The Traxler Sideline (5. Nc3)

Quiz 24

Quiz 25

Quiz 26

Quiz 27

Strategy Quiz 6

Strategy Quiz 7

Chapter 1: Traxler Counterattack

In this chapter, we showed that the Traxler is a powerful weapon to surprise and counter attack your opponents who think they can get an easy win early in the opening.

It has a good tactical layer behind it, if White is greedy and goes for the f7-fork, but can also work positionally if White plays in a more conservative way.

Overall, it’s an extremely useful opening for your repertoire.

In Chapter 2, you’ll learn how to fight against those players who want to avoid playing the main lines everyone knows and try to take the positions into unknown waters by playing the sidelines of the Italian.

Specifically, we’ll cover White playing slower with d3 and how we can launch a quick kingside attack against it in Study 1, White playing more actively with d4 and how to approach the pawn play in the center in Study 2, and you’ll even be more prepared for the completely offbeat and inferior lines White might try to surprise you with in Study 3.

Study 1: Italian Game - White Defends e4 with a Pawn (4. d3)

Drill 1: The Italian Game (With 4. d3 5. 0-0 6. c3 7. Re1)

Drill 2: The Italian Game (with 4. d3 5. 0-0 6. c3 7. Nbd2)

Drill 3: The Italian Game (with  4. d3 5. c3)

Study 2: Italian Game - White Strikes in the Center Early! (4. d4)

Drill 4: The Italian game (with 4. d4 5. 0-0 6. Re1)

Drill 5: The Italian Game (with 4. d4 5. 0-0 6. Nc3)

Drill 6: The Italian Game (with 4. d4 5. e5 6. Bb5)

Drill 7: The Italian Game (with 4. d4 5. e5 6. exf6)

Study 3: Italian Game - Move 4 Sidelines  (4. 0-0/c3/Nc3)

Drill 8: The Italian Game (with 4. 0-0 5. Re1)

Drill 9: The Italian Game (with 4. c3 5. d4)

Drill 10: The Italian Game (with 4. Nc3)

Chapter 2: Italian Game Sidelines

Having covered all the main and the sidelines of the Italian, I hope you have not only a better understanding of the opening itself, but also an idea of how and when you can implement a more aggressive playstyle or a gambit, and when it’s okay to play more of positional chess.

Let’s move on to Spain and learn a new gambit against the Ruy Lopez in Chapter 3.

The Ruy Lopez is one of the most theoretically challenging openings, and the main lines are usually studied in depth, which is why it’s even stronger to have a gambit in your repertoire against the Ruy!

Contrary to many other gambits, the Jaenisch gambit doesn’t always have to result in a quick and a deadly attack. Actually, it’s often more of a positional battle, where you can get a comfortable position easily.

Of course, there are going to be many opportunities for aggression, as you will see.

Study 1: Jaenisch Gambit- White Defends e4 with Another Pawn (4. d3)

Drill 1: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d3, 5. dxe4, 6. 0-0)

Drill 2: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d3, 5. dxe4, 6. Nc3)

Drill 3: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d3, 5. dxe4, 6. Bg5)

Drill 4: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d3, 5. dxe4, 6. Qd3, 7. c3)

Study 2: Jaenisch Gambit- White Takes on c6! (4. Bxc6)

Drill 5: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. Bxc6, 5. Nc3)

Drill 6: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. Bxc6, 5. Nxe5)

Study 3: Jaenisch Gambit- White Accepts the Gambit! (4. exf5)

Drill 7: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. exf5, 5. Qe2)

Drill 8: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. exf5, 5. Bxc6)

Chapter 3: Jaenisch Gambit Main Lines

In this chapter we covered the three most popular approaches by White against our Jaenisch Gambit; defending the center with another pawn, capturing on c6 or accepting the gambit.

If White defends the center with another pawn, we learned how the opening of the f- or g-files can work in our favor and help us get an edge in the position.

On the other hand, capturing on c6 leads to less confrontational positions. 

And, finally, accepting the gambit is better for us directly. In the next chapter, we’ll look at the sidelines in the Jaenisch.

The sidelines of the Jaenisch offer less popular, but often tricky and crazy variations that White can take us in.

We’ll take a look at White defending the central pawn with a piece  (the knight or the queen), as well as a counter punch in the center by White.

You might not face these lines as often as the more popular ones, but they are important as they will help you understand the Jaenisch gambit fully.

Study 1: Jaenisch Gambit - White Defends e4 with the Knight! (4. Nc3)

Drill 1: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. Nc3, 5. Nxe4, 6. Nxf6, 7. Qe2, 8. Bxc6)

Drill 2: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. Nc3, 5. Nxe4, 6. Qe2)

Study 2: Jaenisch Gambit - A Counter-Attack in the Center! (4. d4)

Drill 3: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d4, 5. Bxc6)

Drill 4: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d4, 5. Nxe5, 6. dxe5, 7. Bc4)

Drill 5: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. d4, 5. Nxe5, 6. dxe5, 7. Nc3)

Study 3: Jaenisch Gambit - White Defends e4 with the Queen! (4. Qe2)

Drill 6: The Jaenisch Gambit (with 4. Qe2)

Chapter 4: Jaenisch Gambit Sidelines

As we’ve shown, White protecting the central pawn is counterintuitive and easily results in an advantage for us, as our pieces suddenly get rapid development.

Concerning the 4.d4 approach by White, I really doubt you will see the crazy counter sacrifice by White all too often, but it comes in handy to be prepared, and to know that sometimes lines as crazy as that one are actually theory!

Chapter 5 does not include a gambit against the Scotch Opening from White. 

The Scotch happens after 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. There are more than 75 million games in the database like this, so having a weapon against it is important. 

This chapter will give you the necessary tools to counter this dynamic opening.

Study 1:  White Plays Sidelines in the Scotch! (5. Nxc6/c3/etc)

Drill 1: The Scotch (with 5. Nxc6, 6. Bd3, 7. 0-0)

Drill 2: The Scotch (with 5. Nxc6, 6. Bd3, 7. Qe2)

Drill 3: The Scotch (with 5. c3)

Drill 4: The Scotch (with 5. Nb3 6. c3)

Drill 5: The Scotch (with 5. Nb3, 6. Bd2)

Study 2: The Scotch - An Aggressive Idea that Fails (5.Be3 6. Nb5)

Drill 6: The Scotch (with 5. Be3, 6. Nb5, 7. fxe3)

Study 3:  A Solid Scotch (5. Be3/6. c3)

Drill 7: The Scotch (with 5. Be3, 6. c3)

Chapter 5: Anti-Scotch Weapon

Overall, I think this chapter is a great learning tool for how to navigate central tension in different positions that the Scotch opening demonstrates.

Sometimes, we’ll develop in such a way that we want to achieve a complicated positional battle, while in other cases we’ll use our central control to transpose the position into an attack!

This chapter will teach you how to fight gambits in gambit style! Many players think that when they play a gambit, the other side will have to succumb to their aggression and defend the whole game.

On the contrary! There are a lot of fun ways to fight against White’s gambits, and they follow similar setups, which is why I’ve placed these four gambits in the same chapter.

Sometimes, we’ll reject a gambit and look to calm things down, while other times we’ll use White’s aggression and turn it into an asset for our position.

Study 1: Rejecting the Danish Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. d4)

Drill 1 - The Danish Gambit Rejected (4. exd5)

Drill 2 - The Danish Gambit Rejected (4. Qxd4 5. exd5)

Drill 3 - The Danish Gambit Rejected (4. Qxd4 5. Nf3)

Study 2: A System Against the Vienna - White goes e4/Nc3

Drill 4: The Vienna with 3. Bc4 (5. Na4)

Drill 5: The Vienna with 3. Bc4 (5. f4)

Drill 6: The Vienna with 3. f4 (5. Bc4)

Drill 7: The Vienna with 3. f4 (5. Bb5)

Drill 8: The Vienna with 3. Nf3 (4. Bc4)

Study 3: An Antidote to the Ponziani - White Plays 2. Nf3 3. c3

Drill 9: The Ponziani (with 8. Qd5)

Study 4: A System Against the King's Gambit

Drill 10: The King's Gambit (4. c3)

Drill 11: The King's Gambit (4. Bc4)

Strategy Quiz 8

Strategy Quiz 9

Chapter 6: Vienna, King's Gambit, Ponziani, Danish Gambit

I hope that you get a better feeling on how to play against the Danish, the Vienna, the Ponziani or the King’s gambit after this chapter.

To be fair, these gambits aren’t all that common, especially at the beginner level, but I think they can be a great lesson on how to play in the center and develop your pieces in such a way that you reach optimal activity while neutralizing the opponent’s threats at the same time.

In this and the next chapter, we’ll take a look at the Portuguese gambit. This is a gambit we can play after 1.e4 d5 2. exd5 (The Scandinavian Defense). We will play 2…Nf6, not retaking the pawn! 

In Chapter 7, we’ll show some sidelines as well as the most popular moves against the Portuguese gambit.

It includes different ideas and motifs by White, including them both accepting and rejecting the gambit.

Study 1: The Scandinavian Defense with no Capture on d5 - Various Sidelines

Drill 1: The Scandinavian Defense (with 2. e5, 3. Nf3 - 6. Be2)

Drill 2: The Scandinavian Defense (with 2. e5, 3. f4)

Drill 3: Refuting the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (2. d4)

Drill 4: The Scandinavian Defense (with 2. d3)

Drill 5: The Tennison Gambit (2. Nf3, 3. Ng5, 4. Nc3, 5. Qe2, 6. Ngxe4)

Study 2: The Scandinavian Defense with no Capture on d5 (2. Nc3)

Drill 6: The Scandinavian Defense (with 2. Nc3, 4. Nxf6+, 5. d4)

Drill 7: The Scandinavian Defense (with 2. Nc3, 4. Nxf6+, 5. Nf3)

Drill 8: The Scandinavian Defense (with 2. Nc3, 4. Ng3)

Study 3: The Portuguese Gambit (with 3. Nc3)

Drill 9: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nc3 4. Nxd5 5. Qf3)

Drill 10: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nc3 4. Nxd5 5. d4)

Drill 11: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nc3 4. Nxd5 5. c4)

Drill 12: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nc3 4. Nxd5 5. Nf3)

Study 4: The Portuguese Gambit (with 3. Nf3)

Drill 13: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nf3, 4. c4)

Drill 14: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nf3, 4. Bb4+, 5. c4)

Drill 15: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Nf3, 4. Bb4+, 5. h6)

Video 5

Study 5: The Portuguese Gambit (with 3. Bb5+)

Drill 16: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Bc4, 4. Bxd5)

Drill 17: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Bc4, 4. Qf3)

Drill 18: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Bb5+, 4. Nc3)

Drill 19: The Portuguese Gambit (3. Bb5+, 4. c4)

Quiz 28

Quiz 29

Chapter 7: The Portuguese Gambit (Part 1)

The Portuguese gambit is particularly instructive as it can represent a combination of different openings, as we’ve learned in this chapter.

Sometimes, we got our queen to the center early (Scandinavian style), while other times we had to strike in the center and organize our pieces similar to Caro-Kann positions.

However, one of the most important lessons to learn here is that in the Portuguese, playing the most natural moves will usually lead you to a good position, even if you don’t know the lines in depth!

In Chapter 8, we’ll delve deep into the lines after 3.d4 or 3.c4 by White, namely defending the d5-pawn with a pawn.

One of the main reasons these variations are in a separate chapter is because they show the more aggressive side of the Portuguese.

As you’ll see, we will often be able to take advantage of White’s slow pawn play by activating pieces very quickly and achieving an advantage in activity early.

Study 1: The Portuguese Gambit (with 3. d4, 4. f3)

Drill 1: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. f3, 5. g4)

Drill 2: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. f3, 5. Bb5+, 6. c4)

Drill 3: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. f3, 5. Bb5+, 6. Nc3)

Drill 4: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. f3, 5. c4)

Study 2: The Portuguese Gambit (with 3. d4, 4. Nf3/Be2/Bb5+)

Drill 5: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. Nf3, 5. Nc3)

Drill 6: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. Nf3, 5. Be2)

Drill 7: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. Be2, 5. Qxe2)

Drill 8: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. Be2, 5. Nxe2)

Drill 9: The Portuguese Gambit (3. d4, 4. Bb5+)

Study 3: The Icelandic Gambit - White Defends d5 with the Pawn (3. c4)

Drill 10: The Icelandic Gambit (3. c4, 4. Nc3)

Drill 11: The Icelandic Gambit (3. c4, 4. d4)

Drill 12: The Icelandic Gambit (3. c4, 4. dxe6, 5. Be2)

Drill 13: The Icelandic Gambit (3. c4, 4. dxe6, 5. Nf3)

Drill 14: The Icelandic Gambit (3. c4, 4. dxe6, 5. d4, 6. Nc3)

Drill 15: The Icelandic Gambit (3. c4, 4. dxe6, 5. d4, 6. Bd2)

Chapter 8: The Portuguese Gambit (Part 2)

I’d say this chapter is a great display of the strength of not just the Portuguese gambit, but of the term ‘gambit’ as a whole.

In many of the lines we went through, we turned White’s slow-paced approach in the beginning into an asset for us, opening lines and developing pieces while maintaining a stable position, which is the point of any gambit.

Don’t be afraid to give a pawn or two more than intended to reach a big advantage in activity and an attack!

Let’s begin with the Albin countergambit, another scary and powerful tool to have in your repertoire. 

This is a gambit you can play versus White's Queen's Gambit! After 1.d4 d5 2.c4, which is played in close to 200 million games, we can respond with 2...e5, the Alapin Gambit! 

Obviously, we have to study what to do if White doesn't accept our gambit, but also what to do if they accept. Let's see!

Chapter 9: Albin Countergambit (Part 1)

Queen’s pawn positions can often be extremely theoretical and even boring. If you struggle against 1.d4 as Black, I hope this chapter brought some life to your repertoire.

As we saw, we can approach a lot of the Queen’s pawn positions in a rather tactical and combative way, grabbing space in the center and frequently going for advancements on a side of the board.