I am a cheapskate so "gambit" for me means Smith-Morra, Evans & those sorts of stuff. Of course later on bigger sacrifices can follow. But who knows... Halloween hm... Masquerade, Masquerade... 🎃 Let's C...
"Black is Knight, full of fright"
Halloween Gambit guide!!
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Cobra2721 schreef:
OK, so. The Halloween Gambit is an objectively losing Gambit for white.
Objectively losing ? I don't agree. Please give me a losing line !!
sansuk wrote:
Cobra2721 schreef:
OK, so. The Halloween Gambit is an objectively losing Gambit for white.
Objectively losing ? I don't agree. Please give me a losing line !!
He supposedly knows more than magnus & mvl.
And a 2200 plays a 2500....The 2200 wins..Halloween all the way OTB.
One member has been exclusively Halloween..rated 2100/2200.
Another was 2400 playing gambits. Coincidentally all those wins were on time, but losers always have excuses.
Jan 7, 2022
0
#5
sansuk wrote:
Cobra2721 schreef:
OK, so. The Halloween Gambit is an objectively losing Gambit for white.
Objectively losing ? I don't agree. Please give me a losing line !!
Punter99
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 c6
Yes, this position – already recommended bij Cordel around the year 1900 – is winning for Black but if you are not Stockfish then in practical play there are enormous chances for White.
8.Qf3 d5 9.exd6 Bxe6 10.d5 !
10. .. Ne5
The only good move, White is better after
10...Bxd5 11.Nxd5 .. cxd5 12.Bb5+
11. .. Bxd6 12.Qe2+ N8e7 13.Nxe7 Qxe7 14.Qxe7+ Bxe7 15.O-O
11. .. Qxd6 12.Qe2+ Be7 13.Nxe7 Qxe7 14.Bg5
11. Qe2 11...Nxc4
The only good move, the situation is equal after
11...cxd5 12.Qxe5 dxc4 13.Bf4 Nf6 14.Nb5 Qa5+ 15.Bd2 Qa4 16.b3 cxb3 17.axb3 Qe4+ 18.Qxe4 Nxe4 19.Nc7+ Kd7 20.Nxa8
12. dxe6 12...Nxd6
The only good move, White is better after
12...Qxd6 13.exf7+ Kxf7 14.Qxc4+
12...fxe6 13.Qxe6+ Be7 14.Qxc4
13. Bf4 13...Qf6
The only good move
After 13...Qe7 14.O-O-O White has full compensation, best line for Black is 14. .. Rd8 15.Rd2 fxe6 16.Rhd1 Nf7 17.Rxd8+ Nxd8 18.Ne4 Nf7 19.Bd6 Qh4 20.g3 Qh6+ 21.Bf4 with continuous pressure
14. Bxd6 Bxd6
The only good move
After 14. .. Qxe6 15.Qxe6+ fxe6 16.Bxf8 Kxf8 17.O-O-O White is better
15. Ne4 Qe7
The only good move. After 15. .. Qe5 or 15. .. Bb4+ the situation is equal
Right, after this move White has nothing anymore for the offered piece. But this analysis shows clearly how to handle the gambit : put continuous pressure until Black collapse. He is not a computer, he has to find the answer over the board in a limited time. Objectively White has more chances to win because Black has to find 6 times the right moves which is nearly impossible.
More interesting is the reverse Halloween Gambit:
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 g3 Nxe4.
The point is, that the knight cannot go to g3.
tygxc schreef:
More interesting is the reverse Halloween Gambit:
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 g3 Nxe4.
The point is, that the knight cannot go to g3.
Yes, but Black cannot restrain White to castle and so there are not as much attacking possibilities as in the normal gambit.
9. .. Nf6 was recommended by Brownson ( 1875) as "the best defense against the Halloween" , who continues with 10. Qe2+ Kd7 “and Black’s development cannot be retarded”. But also here White has long time pressure :
11. d5
[ White can also go for the nice trap with 11.Nb5 !? 11...Bxd6
(The trap is that after 11...cxb5 ? White has a matt in four 12.Bxb5+ Kxd6 13.Bf4+ Kd5 14.c4+ Kxd4 15.Qe3#)
12.Nxd6 Kxd6 13.Bxf7 (13.Be3 !? ) 13...Qe7 14.Bxg6 Qxe2+ 15.Kxe2 hxg6 16.f3 (16.Bf4+ !? )
16...b5 17.Bf4+ Ke7 18.a4 b4 19.Kf2 Kf7 20.Bd6 a5 21.c4 And with the better pawn structure White can hold his own]
[ 11.Be3 !? is also playable 11...Bxd6 12.O-O-O a6 13.Bxf7 Nf4 White has two pawns for the piece and his King is more safely ]
11 . .. Bxd6
(or 11...c5 12.Bb5+ Kxd6 13.Bd3 a6 14.Bxg6 hxg6 15.Bf4+ Kd7 16.O-O-O The Black King is not yet safe )
12. dxc6+ bxc6 13.Be3 Kc7 14.O-O-O Re8 15.Qd2 a5 16.Rhe1 Bb4 17.Bd4 Bf5 18.a3 Rxe1 19.Qxe1 with continuous pressure
Jan 8, 2022
0
#10
I don't have a great memory, and this opening appears fewer than 1 in 1000 games so I'm fine with the lazy approach for black:
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And black has a small but permanent edge.
Knock, knock... I feel a bit misplaced here... Is this topic a trick or a treat? 
@little_guinea_pig, is this a trick or a treat, gambits or gimmicks of pandemic's? Who knows...
Halloween is catching on... masks & ghosts... catching on, ca'chinggg, on&on& onnn... oh boy!
llama47 schreef:
I don't have a great memory, and this opening appears fewer than 1 in 1000 games so I'm fine with the lazy approach for black:
And black has a small but permanent edge.
Yes, this way Black avoids the complications. After 8.fxe5 Bxe5 9.Bd3 d6 10.O-O O-O 11.h3 Qe7 12.Ne2 Stockfish evaluate the position at -0.40. But this is not enough to say it is a refutation.
Jan 8, 2022
0
#14
sansuk wrote:
llama47 schreef:
I don't have a great memory, and this opening appears fewer than 1 in 1000 games so I'm fine with the lazy approach for black:
And black has a small but permanent edge.
Yes, this way Black avoids the complications. After 8.fxe5 Bxe5 9.Bd3 d6 10.O-O O-O 11.h3 Qe7 12.Ne2 Stockfish evaluate the position at -0.40. But this is not enough to say it is a refutation.
If I wanted to refute it, I'd memorize stuff. This is enough for a good opening result, and the work is proportional to the frequency I'll see this opening 
little_guinea_pig
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Bb4 is not a refutation.
After 7.dxc6 Black has three replies at his disposal :
A) 7. .. Bxc3+
White can take the Knight and if Black exchange Bishop for Knight , White has the better game due to his bishop pair. 7. .. Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 dxc6 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 Brause-Axl,ICC,1997,1-0(30)
B) 7. .. Nxe4 !
This is better and now 8.Qd4 Qe7
(8. .. Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 0-0 10.Be3 Nf6 11.cxd7 = Wind)
B1) Polish IM Jan Pinski claimed that the Halloween Gambit is refuted by these moves. He analyzed 9.Qxg7 Nxc3 10.Be3 Nd5+ 11.c3 Rf8 12.cxb4 Nxe3 13.fxe3 Qxb4+, concluding “Black is very close to winning”.
This is nonsense beacuse with 9.Be3 White has a stronger move than 9.Qxg7 !
B2) : 9.Be3!
B21 : 9. .. O-O 10.Bd3 Nxc3 11.bxc3 (with a superior pawn structure for Black, but it is only temporary , Brause scored at 100 % by playing these moves) 11. .. Ba5 12.O-O Bb6 13.Qb4 Qxb4
(13...Re8 also possible, but this does not stop the exchange of Queens 14.Rae1 Qxb4 15.cxb4 Bxe3 16.Rxe3 Rxe3 17.cxb7 Bxb7 18.fxe3 )
14.cxb7 Bxb7 15.cxb4 ( the situation is equal )
B22 : 9...Nxc3!? may be a better alternative. We shall concentrate on 3 possibilities:
a) 10.bxc3 Bd6! 11.Qxg7 (11.cxb7?! Bxb7 12.Rb1 Be5 13.Qb4) 11...Be5- +;
b) 10.a3 Nd5+ 11.axb4 Nxe3 12.fxe3 dxc6 13.Qg7 Qxe3+ 14.Be2 Rf8 “ I don’t like White’s chances” Schiller ;
c) 10.Qxg7 ! Nd5+ 11.c3 Bxc3+ (11...Rf8!?) 12.bxc3 Rf8 =+ 13.cxd7+ Bxd7 14.Qg5 Qxg5 15.Bxg5 Nxc3 16.Bd3 Analysis Torrecillas-Schiller ]
B23 : Black can also play 9. .. f5 but this also leads to equality : 9...f5 10.Bd3
a) 10. .. Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 dxc6 12.O-O Be6 13.Rfe1 O-O 14.Bf4 Rfe8 15.Bxe4 fxe4 16.Rxe4)
b) 10. .. dxc6 11.Bxe4 fxe4 12.a3 Bd6 13.Qxe4 Be6 14.O-O-O O-O 15.Rhe1
c) 10. .. Bc5 ch leads to a draw in Torrecillas-Maciaga,HGT1, 2003,½-½(16) as well as in Wind- Torrecillas, HGT1, 2003,½-½(23). Both games continue 11.Qc4 Bxe3 12.Bxe4 Bxf2+ (12. ..Bb6? 13.0-0-0 fxe4 14.Rhe1 or 12. .. Bh6? 13.0-0 fxe4 14.Rfe1, both with strong attack) 13.Kxf2 fxe4
B13 : 9.Be2?! 0-0 10.cxb7 Bxb7 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bc5 =+
C) 7. .. Qe7!?
Looks like an amazing idea but Black was not able to cash his nice attack in Steenbekkers,F(2073)-Blokhuis,J(2334),HGT1, 2003,1-0(35), 8.cxd7+ Bxd7 9.f3 0-0-0 10.Qe2 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Rhe8
Now in all seriousness; almost all gambits (with the exception of "queen's gambit") will lose at the highest levels of chess. That is why we see the usual boring Spanish, aka Ruy Lopez, tiptoeing at the world-crown-finals! Very sordid affair, I would say.
But I love gambits, quick-roll in the sacs & sacrifices, insanely risky combinational attacking plays! & that is just my view on things! & if 1 loses a game or 2, so B it! 
pfren schreef:
Whatever thin chances white may have are after 8.Qe2, although after 8...Bb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qc4+ d5 11.exd6+ Be6 12.Qxb4 Qb6 13.Qc5 Nf6 Black should be able to pick the d6 pawn without much trouble, after which white's position collapses.
9.Bxf7+ is not necessary, White has also the option 0-0.
Torrecillas (2389) - Werksma (2196) , Correspondence 2003, went
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 c6 8.Qe2 Bb4 9.O-O ! Bxc3 10.bxc3 Qe7 11.Qf3! f6 12.Qg3 12...fxe5 13.dxe5 Qh4 14.Qd3 N8e7 15.f4 15...Rf8 16.g3 Qh3 17.a4 b6 18.Qe2 Bb7 19.a5 c5 20.Rd1 Bc6 21.Rd6 Rb8 22.axb6 axb6 23.Bb5 Nc8 24.Rxc6 dxc6 25.Bxc6+ Ke7 26.Be3 Rd8 27.Bf3 Qd7 28.e6 Qc7 29.f5 Ne5 30.Bf4 Nxf3+ 31.Qxf3 Rd6 32.Qg4 Kf8 33.f6 1-0
OK, so. The Halloween Gambit is an objectively losing Gambit for white. But, if you know the lines and are 1200 or lower, you have a surprisingly high chance of winning. It is extremely aggressive, and most under 1200s will quickly crack, especially in 3 minute blitz.
Here is the Halloween Gambit
U take the E5 pawn with the knight. Here is one of the most common lines:
White has complete central control, quick development and great attacking chances. Now, another common line:
And, a position from the first line:
Your pawn on D6 is EXTREMELY strong, and ideas of forming the room and king with the knight are on. I can't cover EVERYTHING here, but there are many You Tube videos on it. I just gave U the basics, but in general, play forcing and aggressive moves.