Christer Sundqvist: Complete analysis of the Halloween Gambit
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I have a lot of free stuff on my page. As a matter of fact you are able to download the complete chess analysis of the Halloween Gambit here: PGN-file (160 kB)
I have used these resources:
- Chess Cloud Database Query Mode (https://www.chessdb.cn/queryc_en/) = CCD
- Chessbase softwareI
- CCF Games Archive (https://www.iccf.com/message?message=454 ) 1961–2026
- Nikolaos Ntirlis. Playing 1.e4 e5. Quality Chess, 2016
- Opening Master Chess Database (https://www.openingmaster.com/)
- Personal chess database (approx. 90 million games)
- Stockfish 17 chess engine
- Sundqvist, Christer. The Halloween Gambit variation played by a strong correspondence chess player 2019-2026
- Christer Sundqvist, Kristo S. Miettinen, Panu Laine. Halloween-gambiittia ei pidä aliarvioida. Kirjeshakki 60 (3) : 167–171, 2021
- The Week in Chess (https://theweekinchess.com/twic ) 1994–2026..]..]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 [A Finnish chess analysis team has taken on the task of researching the Halloween Gambit, which starts like this. This intricate strategy of the Four Knights Variation ought to be regarded as a type of fashion variation. The most daring have even attempted it in correspondence chess games. It is frequently played on different chess portals, occasionally even at a high level. The variation is a relatively new chess opening, and the extremely bizarre move sequences that show up in the games indicate that it is continuously evolving. If one excludes a single game from a century ago (0–1 (30) Heemskerk, J-Loman, R Haag 1890), the earliest game experiments date back to 1991–1992. White might use the Halloween Gambit as a surprise weapon against Black.]
4...Nxe5 [White's quality offer appears to be a novice error, but the Halloween Gambit is not to be taken lightly. You can be certain that White has carefully examined the variations. White typically has the opportunity to pursue Black's officers, and Black quickly lags behind. What does it mean to play with fewer pieces after just four half-moves? In this analysis, we adhere to, implement, and enhance Nikolaos Ntirlis' recommendations in Quality Chess, 2016.]
[4...Nxe4? Not like this! The offered piece should be accepted by Black. This pawn move capture inevitably leads to a strong advantage for White.
5.Qh5!
5...Qf6 Perhaps the strongest defensive move. 6.Qxf7+ Qxf7 7.Nxf7 Nxc3 8.Nxh8 Nd4??
(8...Ne4 Slightly better) 9.bxc3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Bd3 g6 12.Re1+ Be7 13.Bxg6+ hxg6 14.Nxg6 d6 15.Rxe7+ Kd8 16.Rh7 Bd7 17.Bb2 1–0 (17) Rohde,F (2117)-Denker,H (1316) GER email 2015;
4...Bc5 5.Nxc6 dxc6 6.Be2 h5 7.h3 Qd4 8.Rf1 Nxe4 9.Bf3 Nf6 10.d3 The position is equal
10...Be6
11.Be3 Qd6 1–0 (65) Petrovskiy,V (2428)-Rosen,E (2377) Chess.com INT 2025]
5.d4 [The Halloween Gambit's best strategy.]
[5.g3 Nc6 6.Nd5 Nxd5 7.exd5 Nd4 8.Bc4 Bc5
Black is clearly winning
9.c3 Nf5 0–1 (20) Merino Perez,D-Kusova,N (1339) lichess.org INT 2021]
5...Nc6! [This Nc6 move is not only the best in terms of objectivity, but it also provides Black with a logical route to advantage by paradoxically returning material. It is probably the strongest route to an outright refutation of the Halloween Gambit.]
[5...Ng6 Black finds itself in an unexpectedly difficult situation as a result of this move. 6.e5 Ng8 It's a dull retreat, but nothing more is suggested.
7.Bc4
The bishop puts pressure on Black's weak f7 square.
7...d5!? Probably the best move. 8.Bxd5 CCD
8...c6
Decades ago, Euwe examined this ancient variation. Although the position on the board is left disorganized, it is a healthy variation for Black.
9.Bc4 Bb4 10.0–0 Bxc3 11.bxc3 N8e7 12.f4 h5 13.a4 Qa5 14.Bb2 Bg4 15.Qd3 Bf5 16.Qg3 h4 17.Qf3 Bxc2 18.Ba3 Bf5 19.Bc5 Rc8 20.Rae1 Qxa4 21.Bd3 b6 22.Bxf5 Nxf5 23.Qd3 bxc5 24.Qxf5 Ne7 25.Qh3 Qc4 26.f5 Kd8 0–1 (26) Rohde,F (2117)-Vieth,M (1900) BdF-Schachserver 2015]
6.d5 Ne5 [6...Nb8? 7.e5 Ng8 8.d6!
White is clearly better. Puts Black in real danger.
8...cxd6 9.exd6 Qa5 10.Bf4 Nf6 11.Bc4 Qb4 12.Qe2+ Kd8 13.0–0–0 Nc6 14.Rhe1 a6 15.Nd5 1–0 (15) Velikanov,A (2387)-Agmanov,Z (2275) chess.com INT 2024;
6...Ne7 7.e5 Nfxd5 8.Nxd5 Nxd5 9.Qxd5 Qe7 The position is equal 10.Bd2 Qe6 11.Qxe6+ fxe6 12.0–0–0 Bc5 ½–½ (62) Cardozo,C (2043)-Tokman,A (2399) chess.com INT 2024]
7.f4 Ng6 8.e5 [
We have reached a critical position – this is the moment where Black must choose between aiming for an outright refutation or settling for a smaller but safe advantage.]
8...Bb4 [8...Ng8!? This is the ambitious choice. If you want a simpler solution, the following alternatives both work well:
8...Bc5 9.exf6 0–0! left White struggling to contain Black’s lead in development in Kopylov – Biriukov, Tiumen 2013. 9.d6 This is the only serious attempt to justify White’s gambit. 9...cxd6 10.exd6 Qf6 11.Nb5 White is on his way to c7. The idea of penetrating to c7 is something of a trademark for the Halloween Gambit, but Black’s powerful reply kills the whole idea. 11...Nxf4! Black turns into the aggressor and allows White to indulge in materialism. 12.Nc7+ Kd8! 13.Nxa8 Qe5+! White is the exchange up for the moment, but that’s the end of the good news for him. The white king is forced to move, and will soon come under a fierce attack. Black is poised to win the d6–pawn, and will reclaim a material advantage after picking up the trapped knight on a8. 14.Be2 Black launches a counterattack, forcing White into a defensive stance. 14...Nxg2+ 15.Kf1 Nf4 16.Qd2 Nxe2
Black has a decisive advantage 17.Qg5+ Qxg5 18.Bxg5+ f6 19.Be3 b6 20.Nc7 Bb7 21.Kxe2 Bxh1 22.Rxh1 Bxd6 23.Nb5 Bb8 24.h4 Ne7 25.Kf3 Re8 26.h5 Nc6 27.Rg1 g5 28.hxg6 hxg6 29.Rh1 g5 0–1 (29) Obukhov,G (2026)-Schubert,S (1967) Lechenicher SchachServer 2009; 8...Bc5 Completely playable 9.exf6 0–0 10.Qd3 Re8+ 11.Be2 d6
Black is clearly better12.Bd2 Qxf6 0–1 (59) Kopylov,A-Biriukov,N Tiumen 2013]
9.exf6 Qxf6 [level material, possibly slightly better for Black]
[9...0–0 10.fxg7 Re8+ 11.Be2 Bc5 12.g3 d6 The position is equal, but Black has better prospects. 13.Qd3 0–1 (25) Martins,V (2212)-Adury,A (2106) chess.com INT 2023]
10.Qe2+ Kd8 [10...Qe7 11.f5 Qxe2+ 12.Bxe2 Ne7 13.f6 Nxd5 14.fxg7 Rg8 15.0–0 Nxc3 16.Bh5 Ne2+ 17.Kh1 Rxg7 18.Bh6 Rg6 19.Bxg6 hxg6 20.c3 Be7 21.Rf2 Nxc3 22.bxc3 d6 23.Re1 Be6 24.Bf4 Kd7 25.h3 Rh8 0–1 (41) Klepaczka,T (2092)-Kaim,P (2285) Polanica Zdroj 2011]
11.Qc4 [11.Qf3 Re8+ 12.Kd1 Nh4 13.Qg3 d6 14.Bd3 h5 15.h3 Bf5 16.Qg5 Bxd3 17.cxd3 Qxg5 18.fxg5 Nxg2
Black is better19.Rf1 Re7 20.Ne4 Bc5 21.Bd2 Ne3+ 22.Bxe3 Bxe3 23.Kc2 Bd4 24.a4 Kd7 25.Rf5 c6 ½–½ (43) Obukhov,G (1909)-Sundqvist,C (2229) LSS 2023 [turpa]]
11...Re8+ 12.Be2 Bxc3+ 13.Qxc3 Qe7 [
Black is slightly better]
14.Qf3 Nh4 15.Qf2 b6 16.b3 [16.0–0 Qxe2 17.Qxh4+ f6 18.f5 Bb7 19.Bf4 Bxd5 20.Rf2 Qe7 21.Qg3 Rc8 22.c4 Bc6 23.h3 Qf7 24.Rc1 Re7 25.Rd2 d6 ½–½ (40) Jacewicz,G (2164)-Sundqvist,C (2229) LSS 2023]
16...Ba6 17.c4 Nf5 18.Kd2 Qb4+ 19.Kd1 Qc3 20.Rb1 c6 21.Bd2 Qd4 22.Qxd4 Nxd4 23.Bh5 g6 24.Bc3 gxh5 25.Bxd4 cxd5 26.Bf6+ Kc7 27.cxd5 Bb7 28.Rc1+ Kd6 29.Be5+ Kxd5 30.Rc2 Ke4 31.Rd2 Bc6 32.h3 h4 33.Bf6 Kf5 34.Bxh4 Re3 35.Bf2 Bxg2 36.Bxe3 Bxh1 37.Rxd7 Ke6 [½–½ (37) Baltar,A (2242)-Sundqvist,C (2229) LSS 2023]
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