Scotch Gambit | LETHAL 8-move checkmate! ⚡ Quick Wins #80
#scotch #scotchgambit #quickwins
chess noob Quick Wins! is a series of short videos, to demonstrate very quick wins! As a beginner, you become aware of the Scholar's Mate and the Fool's Mate, but neither of these show up in real games. However, there are tricky quick checkmates and wins that occur, even at the intermediate level of chess.
This was a game submitted by Team Australia clubmate @Daja_K that demonstrates how dangerous the Scotch Gambit can be! The Scotch Game and the Scotch Gambit are potentially excellent openings for the beginner-intermediate player looking to play something aggressive and fun!
In the Scotch Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4), White forgoes recapturing the pawn in the centre and uses the step of tempo to develop their bishop. This accelerated development creates the possibility for a massive opening attack. Although Black is slightly better according to Stockfish with an evaluation of [-0.1], the Lichess community database demonstrates that White has an overwhelming win ratio advantage of White (54%) vs Black (42%)!
In this game, Black played an interesting move (4... Be7). If this were an Italian, this would be the Hungarian Defense. This is not a mistake, but perhaps a little suboptimal and unusual.
White now challenges Black's advanced d4-pawn with (5. c3), coaxing it to capture down the chain and in effect, deflect it to the c-file. Black takes the bait (5... dxc3?!), a tactical mistake! Black gains material but opens the d-file for White's queen (6. Qd5!?). White now has a major advantage in development and a powerful attack in the form of the queen-bishop battery staring down the light square diagonal at Black's weak f7-pawn.
Now, this queen move by White is very direct and somewhat speculative, as Black can defend against the attack with the relatively ugly (6... Nh6), developing the king's knight to the edge of the board which defends the f7-square. However, this is Black's ONLY move that isn't immediately losing. Although evaluation-wise, Black is "fine", they were left with no margin of error. Unfortunately for Black, they don't find the move and instead played (6... d6??) which blundered [+M2].
White's queen takes the f-pawn and then the bishop gives the follow up blow along the same diagonal (7. Qxf7+ Kd7 8. Be6#). GG!
