The Stafford Gambit is a chess opening that’s a variation of the Petrov’s Defense and occurs after the following moves:
1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♞f6 3. ♘xe5 ♞c6 4. ♘xc6 dxc6
Black sacrifices a pawn and gives up all center pawns. In return, Black hopes to get the initiative and an attack on the kingside. The Stafford Gambit is undeniably not a strategically strong opening choice. Nevertheless, its deceptive nature makes it a compelling option, particularly in fast-paced blitz games, where it can lead to entertaining victories. Let’s take a look at one of them:
In fact, White can fall into another trap if they choose a different fifth move. It is worth analyzing as well: