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► Chapters 00:00 Tricky Chess Opening Gambit For Black Against 1.e4 00:32 Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit 02:02 Trap-1: Exploiting the pin on the e-file 03:17 Trap-2: If White defends the pawn with 8.f4 05:49 Trap-3: If White gives up the e5-pawn 07:56 Trap-4: If White plays 6.Qa4+ 08:31 Trap-5: If White plays Qxe5 instead of dxe5 10:16 Beware of this checkmate trap 11:23 If White doesn't play 3.Nxe5
This is one crazy gambit! I’ve played it once or twice and blew my opponents away! It’s even more surprising that it is engine reccomended to temporarily sacrifice the knight!
I've learned so much from your videos, Igor. I almost feel guilty crushing my opponent using your openings. Almost :-D It almost seems unfair, but hey, it's their fault for not watching your videos :-D This will be my next black opening once I finish crushing them using your last video's opening. What kind of rating should you have if you want to apply for working with you?
Since the issues in this line revolve around the undefended queen, the simplest for white is 8. Nc3. Now black has nothing better than 8...Qxe5; 9. Qxe5+ Nxe5; 10. Nb5 Bb4+; 11. c3 Ba5; 12 Bf4 f6, after which has white has secured a long-lasting advantage. Gata Kamsky and Eric Hansen have some games in this line that I would regard as compulsory viewing if you plan to play it for either side. It is noteworthy that the video studiously avoids giving any early Nc3 lines. It is the best scoring move in almost every position in the first half of the video!
Omg this is amazing! Thanks for sharing! Just tried it a couple of times and won both times xD (after 10 skips due to opponent not going Nf3 as second move xD) Very fun, good and recommended :3
A played a lot of games of this variation. In variation which starts around 8:30 I can tell that after queen trade a better move for black is Bf5. I won many games with this variation. Thanks for spoiling kholmov gambit lol :D
I allways like to play the Damiano Variation with the socalled Kholmov Gambit, but white can deviate in many ways and its not so easy to play without Queens on the board. the great benefit is, that you learn to attack without the queen and with a pawn down.
Maybe I need to add this to my repertoire. I have been playing d6 Nf6 c6 as you recommended with fine results, but this is a bit more ambitious and certainly one more thing for opponents to worry about. Also, there's no Cochrane Gambit after Nxe4 :D
It is a pity that in 6:13 white does not castle, but plays Nc3, and after black plays 0-0-0 white plays Bf4 and is practically winning. Igor knows this too, of course.
![Petrov's Defense Damiano Variation [Kholmov Gambit]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
