Petrov Defense, Stafford Gambit

     You're skating on thin ice if you venture the Stafford Gambit against the Petrov Defense. Or are you? 

     This is an aggressive line where black sacrifices a P to open up the center for both Bs; it begins with the moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 and if it's accepted play continues with 4.Nxc6 dxc6. 

     The gambit has a reputation as being unsound, but there are a number of lines in which natural looking moves by white will land him in trouble. The most logical continuation for white seems to be 5.e5 reaching the following position: 

 

 

     In almost all of the analysis and games I found black played 5...Ne4, an unsound move, but one that leads to tricky play. However, if black plays 5...Nd5 white can still claim the advantage, but it's minimal. Of course, the relatively best 5...Nd5 is not in the spirit of the gambit!

     In the following game the gambit didn't work out so well for black.

Mikola Nestorovic (2393) - Momcilo Nikolic (2280)

Result: 1-0

Site: Belgrade Premier League

Date: 2008

Petrov Defense, Stafford Gambit

[...] 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘f6 3.♘xe5 ♘c6 4.♘xc6 dxc6 5.e5 This makes sense.

5.f3 ♗e6 6.♕e2 ♗c5 7.c3 ♕e7 8.d4 ♗b6 9.♗e3 O-O-O 10.b4 White has a significant advantage. Blomqvist,E (2334)-Holving,R (2210)/Stockholm 2008

5.♘c3 This is a solid move that does not try to take advantage of black's position. It has the disadvantage of allowing black to play aggressively. 5...♗c5 6.h3 (6.♗c4 works out to black's advantage after 6...♘g4) 6...O-O 7.d3 ♗e6 8.♗e2 and white's advantage is minimal.

5...♘e4 Black already has a lost position and with this move he is playing caveman strategy hoping white will attack the N with 6.d3

5...♘d5 This is much better and it keeps white's advantage to a minimum, but my database has no games with this move! 6.c4

6.d4 Seems to be white's best move. 6...c5 7.♗e2 ♗f5 8.c3 cxd4 9.cxd4 ♘b4 10.♘a3 ♘c6 11.d5 ♘xe5 12.O-O ♗d6 13.♘b5 O-O 14.♗f4 ♖e8 15.♕d4 with an equal position.

6...♘b6 7.d4 ♗e6 8.c5 ♘d5 9.b3 b6 10.cxb6 axb6 11.♗b2 ♗b4+ 12.♘d2 O-O 13.a3 ♗e7 14.g3 c5 15.♘f3 ♕d7 16.dxc5 ♗xc5 17.♕d3 ♕e7 18.b4 ♗xb4+ 19.axb4 ♕xb4+ 20.♕d2 ♖xa1+ 21.♗xa1 ♕b1+ Draw agreed. Kukacka Ladislav-Korinek Jaroslav /Klatovy (Czech Republic) 2000

6.d4 Leaving the N precariously placed.

6.d3 ♗c5 White has no good move. 7.♗e3 (7.dxe4 ♗xf2+ 8.♔xf2 ♕xd1) 7...♗xe3 8.fxe3 ♕h4+ 9.g3 ♘xg3 10.hxg3 ♕xh1 and black should win.

6...♗e6

6...c5 7.♗e3

7.d5 c4 8.♗e3 ♕e7 9.♕d4 ♕b4+ 10.♘d2 c3 11.bxc3 ♘xc3 12.d6 White has a very strong attack Verduyn,F (2183)-Knol,G (2070)/Geraadsbergen BEL 2009. In the game he managed to lose though. 12...a5 13.a3 ♕b2 14.♘b3 ♗e6 15.♖c1 a4 16.♘c5 cxd6 17.exd6 ♖d8 18.♘e4 ♗xd6 19.♘xc3 O-O Even though he has not played optimal moves white has the better of it after 20.Rb1 20.♗d3 Allowing black to equalize. 20...♗xa3 21.♕h4 This gaffe loses at once. (21.♕e4 ♕xc3+ 22.♗d2 ♖xd3 23.♗xc3 ♖xc3 with unclear complications.) 21...♕xc3+ White resigned.

7...cxd4 8.♕xd4 ♗f5 9.♕a4+ ♕d7 10.♕xd7+ ♔xd7 11.f3 White is better. Diepeveen,V (2327)-Knol,G (2120)/Dieren NED 2006

7.c3 c5 The immediate 7...f5 was better. 8.♗d3

8.♕e2 was even stronger because after 8...♗d5 (8...f5 9.exf6) (8...♘g5 9.h4 Trapping the N.) 9.c4 black loses a piece.

8...f5 9.O-O cxd4 10.cxd4 c6 11.♗e3 ♕h4 A useless gesture, but there wasn't much else he could do. 12.f3 ♘g5 This meek retreat leaves black with nothing.

12...f4 This was his best try. 13.♗xe4 (13.♗f2 allows black to equalize 13...♘xf2 14.♖xf2) 13...fxe3 14.♕d3 ♕f4 15.g3 ♕f7 16.♕xe3 O-O-O White stands far better and should eventually be able to cash in.

13.♘c3 O-O-O 14.f4 ♘f7 15.♕a4 Going in for the kill. 15...♘h6 16.♗e2

16.♕xa7 This only makes things harder for white. 16...♘g4 17.h3 ♕g3 18.♕a8+ ♔d7

18...♔c7 19.♘b5+ cxb5 20.♕a5+ wins... 20...♔c8 21.♖ac1+ ♔b8 22.♕xd8+ ♔a7 23.♕a5+ ♔b8 24.hxg4

19.♕xb7+ ♔e8 20.hxg4 ♕xe3+ 21.♔h2 ♕xd3 22.♕xc6+ White should win.

16...a6

16...♘g4 doesn't amount to anything after 17.♗xg4 fxg4 18.♕xa7 g3 19.hxg3 ♕xg3 20.♖f3 followed by 21.Rc1

17.♗xa6 A nice finish.

17.d5 would have been absolutely crushing though. 17...♗xd5 18.♘xd5 ♖xd5 19.♗xa6 Anyway! 19...bxa6 20.♕xa6+ ♔c7 21.♖ac1 c5 22.♕a7+ ♔d8 23.♕a8+ ♔e7 24.♕xd5

17...bxa6 18.♕xc6+ ♔b8 19.♕b6+ ♔c8 20.♕xe6+

20.d5 ♕xh2+ 21.♔xh2 ♘g4+ 22.♔h3 ♘xe3 23.♖ac1 ♘c4 24.♘b5 axb5 25.♕c6+ ♔b8 26.♕xb5+ ♔a8 27.♖xc4 ♗c5 28.♖a4+ ♗a7 29.♕c6+ ♔b8 30.♖b4+ ♗b6 31.♕xb6+ ♔c8 32.♕c6#

20...♔b7 21.♕b3+ ♔a8 22.h3 Even better was 22.Nd5, not that it matters. 22...♘g4 Pointless. Resigns was better. 23.hxg4 fxg4 24.♘d5 Black resigned.

24.♘d5 ♖xd5 25.♕xd5+ ♔b8 26.♕b3+ ♗b4 27.♕xb4+ ♔a8 28.♖fc1 g3 29.♖c7 ♖b8 30.♕c5 ♕h2+ 31.♔f1 ♕h1+ 32.♗g1 ♕xg2+ 33.♔xg2 ♖xb2+ 34.♔xg3 ♖g2+ 35.♔xg2 a5 36.♕a7#

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