Random Guy Invents An Aggressive Gambit With 89% Win Rate! 😱

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♛ Find the Halasz Gambit variations shown in the video in this blog-post - chess-teacher.com/halasz-gambit/
In this video lesson, you will learn about an unusual and aggressive chess opening gambit for White: the Halasz Gambit. It is believed to be named after Gyorgy Halasz, who played this opening in correspondence chess during the 1980s. Surprisingly, he won almost all the games he played with this opening.
The Halasz Gambit, also known as the Halasz-McDonnell Gambit, is a variation of the Center Game, which arises after the following moves: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.f4.
Watch the full video lesson as GM Igor Smirnov explains the key ideas for White in this opening, the mainline, sidelines, and other variations, as well as middlegame attacking plans.
▬▬▬▬▬▬
► Chapters
00:00 Unusual & Aggressive chess opening for White after 1.e4
00:31 1) Halasz Gambit Main Line (Center Game)
01:51 2) If Black plays 4...Bb4+
03:51 Can you find the winning move?
05:46 Dealing with the Bg4 pin
06:48 3) If Black plays 3...c5 to protect the pawn
10:00 4) If Black plays Bg4 when your bishop is on d3
12:42 5) If Black delays castling
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#IgorNation #ChessGambit #ChessOpenings #ChessTraps #OpeningTraps

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

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[@fantasygames2104]

What if in the Bb4+ line black plays Bc5 and not Bxc3 cuz now the bishop on c5 makes it imposible to castle

[@brianbennett2397]

I taught myself chess at the age of 8 and 9; I'm now 70. Your videos have taught me more about chess strategy than my lifetime of playing. Thank you, Igor!

[@worsethanjoerogan8061]

2024 is a great time to be a chess player. The Internet gives us access to high quality chess lessons from GMs and an endless supply of opponents of all skill levels

[@VOID-eg2uh]

we should play chess sometime i rlly wanna learn from you

[@RyxCh]

I want to learn

[@AyushTH]

Naw its all stockfish carrying​@@worsethanjoerogan8061

[@rockerkunal]

Thanks Igor, now delete this video 🤣

[@galkondric5364]

why

[@ledo11148]

@@galkondric5364 so no one knows how to handles this opening lol

[@lightworker2956]

@@galkondric5364 Because Rockerkunal wants to abuse this knowledge without others knowing it. (It's a joke.)

[@bernard9823]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@harshkatiyar8884]

Yes please!! I am Benefited now and desire no one else know it to increase the competition.

[@IgnatiusReilly36]

I´ve been playing chess for 35 years and never heard of Georgy Halasz, this lesson is absolutely brilliant, thank you very much!! 👏👏👏

[@ilmariilonen7257]

Hungarian master, rating around 2350

[@newyorkslim2001]

Your enthusiasm and rapid pace continue to delight us all.

[@grantjohnson4810]

Igor, I cannot understate how much I've been learning and improving from your instruction! You're my go-to guy for Chess mastery. In particular, I've gotten much better at looking for counterattacking opportunities (rather than retreating or defending). That said, the application of that same concept may present an issue with your strategy for variation 4, at around 11:20. You assume that black will continue dropping back as you advance the h and g pawns. But what if he plays ...Nxg4. White recaptures with the h pawn, but then Bxg4 restores the pin on the f3 knight. The next move, black can play h5 and that bishop is practically untouchable. Meanwhile, black sacked a knight for 2 pawns (so a slight loss of material) but now has a passed and very well-defended h pawn that you'll need to contend with the rest of the game. I haven't seen used that particular counterattack in this exact situation, but I have used it before, as both colors - usually with a win in the end. Is there a solid refutation of that counterattack in this situation, or in general? Also, in this instance and some others, black could sack the bishop first, then recapture with the knight instead, preparing for Ne3, which would fork White's queen and rook (or at the very least, have itself a lovely outpost). Or again, follow the recapture with h5 to create an outpost for the knight at g4. Any suggestions for repelling these threats, as well?

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

📲 Follow RCA on TikTok for short and engaging chess content (tips, traps, and more) - www.tiktok.com/@gmigorsmirnov

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters 00:00 Unusual & Aggressive chess opening for White after 1.e4 00:31 1) Halasz Gambit Main Line (Center Game) 01:51 2) If Black plays 4...Bb4+ 03:51 Can you find the winning move? 05:46 Dealing with the Bg4 pin 06:48 3) If Black plays 3...c5 to protect the pawn 10:00 4) If Black plays Bg4 when your bishop is on d3 12:42 5) If Black delays castling

[@babubbbb1]

explain if black plays a6 before castle

[@robmo6505]

The random guy gambit!...... I like it.

[@Zyrexia]

king's gambit but with the wrong pawn sacrifice

[@Caseyuptobat]

King's Bastard gambit

[@stbauch1]

@@Caseyuptobat You know nothing, Jon Snow

[@Truthinessization]

@@stbauch1 Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.

[@tensor131]

You are so thorough and yet you have the humility to admit that you can't cover every line .. this makes you the best on KZbin .. keep up the fantastic work - just love your expositions - learning so much, thank you.

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Glad to help!

[@shadowphoenix8962]

Love this, combines so many attacks from other lines!

[@michaelscottturner]

i (1510) just beat a 1528 player in 17 moves in 45 seconds off of my clock (15/10) using this opening! If I had the money I'd definitely give you some, Igor!!!! You are an EXCELLENT TEACHER! Thank you for all you do!

[@LLEwzy]

hello igor, i have been watching your videos since December (circa) and i would like to say that i got actual motivation to play chess since you have an easy way to explain and dont feel bothered at same time. i knew how to play but i never got into theory or advanced tactics. i like your channel and i wanted to express my gratitude, thank you, you are my inspiration

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

Igor not alone, but is prolly G.O.A.T. for Xplaining.

[@drorbazer7531]

What a fantastic video, great tutoring skills. Thanks!

[@mariomello5671]

I like this openning! Very good class! Thank you

[@qwksilver5150]

Love odd ball unknown gambits. Will definitely add this to the toll box. Thanks Igor!

[@eirikraude854]

Thanks! :) This was a really good one! :)👍👍👍

[@davidmarts7489]

I love that you described so many lines thank you

[@thundermustard]

I cannot get people to take that pawn to save my life.

[@rajhah]

at 2:55, please note the greek gift does not work in this position unless black takes on e5 before moving the knight. (This allows the rook to control the f5 square.) If black plays Ne8 immediately, they are still slightly worse, but if you respond with Bh7 as white, you will be completely lost.

[@ChrisDoesThings0]

At 13:55 , regardless if black captures the pawn, it seems he is completely fine after Ng4

[@BabzTheGenie]

This is the 2nd video I've watched of yours and I must say your an excellent teacher and I already feel more prepared for my next game....Thankyou Igor I've just subscribed

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Welcome aboard!

[@mschoenen]

Amazing, Igor - your videos always make me think and consider new approaches that on initial blush seem patently silly!

[@CainCAUS]

Excellent video! Fun interesting opening. Will have to share this with my friends.

[@NeRoStivoni]

It's a joy to watch your videos. I wish there is variation where instead of black bishop c4, black goes with pawn on d5

[@TruthProfit-vq4qg]

Well, your giving that move such a preface did help me find it, especially after recently seeing a similar idea from the "Magnus reacts" shorts series.

[@frozencloud17]

I like this a lot! It's like a better version of the King's Gambit. Thanks GM Smirnoff for showing us this great opening!

[@ChristianSoschner]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing

[@robertpease9834]

I can't believe that I found RF8!, I was looking at QB3, but found that it can be blocked, but when I see the QXR leads to a brilliant combo.

[@bakersmileyface]

I saw it but when I saw it I slightly dismissed it just because of the number of things that get in the way of the queen. Serves me right for not calculating it all the way through.

[@mingolam]

I try using this concept against Sicilian and seems working, do you have more games on this topic from Halasz?

[@hervechampagne195]

I don't know if there is a link but an "Halasz gambit" exists in the Caro Kann by Blacks. After 1) e4,c6, 2) d4 d5 3 Nc3 Black plays ...b5, intending to attack the knight.

[@mazyzazie4048]

Brilliant teaching, as usual.

[@silaskulkarni1639]

I love gambits and this looks like the most fun (and unexpected) one yet

[@HatosukeWataridori]

This looks fun, thank you for sharing

[@nielsSavantKing]

@Igor Smirnov. You are such great teacher in explaining chess concepts. So why you don't paly anymore in OTB chess tournaments?

[@asdf9C]

one of the most interesting gambits i'm still studying and using.

[@eclecticexplorer7828]

In the second line, I can't imagine playing 6... Bxc3 (capturing the knight), but I see it is indeed black's most common move at that point, barely edging out the more principled 6... d6. My preference would be 6... Nf6, attacking the pawn on e5. Getting to e5 would also mean adding pressure to c3, and I would rather make the capture with the knight. If black's knight captures at c3 and white recaptures with the b pawn, then Bxc3 wins the rook (unless white has positioned his queen or dark-squared bishop to defend c3 or has castled). Of course, white could respond (and does 40% of the time) with 7. Bd3, but then black has d5.

[@user-ix6rz5lk6f]

Brilliant- thank you

[@dvorakgigachad1444]

Only problem is that I really like 2 pawn saccrifice danish gambit, so now I have to decide between danish gambit and this every time they accept center game :(

[@tominmo8865]

This is lots of fun! Can't wait to try it out. Thanks!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@yaouG1]

your video was suggested, ahahaha dude you are funny af, and easy you make it look

[@zelandakhniteblade5436]

15mins on the Halasz-McDonnell Gambit and not a single mention of the most common black response (3...d5)? This must surely be the lowest-quality video you have ever done Igor. :( In the chess database I see results for 3. f4 of +31 =12 -57, which is nowhere close to the claimed 89% win rate. The only higher-level game this side of The Great War is Zubritsky-Zarnicki (2024), which resulted in a black win in 24 moves. Pablo Zarnicki played 3...d5 in this game.

[@penknight8532]

lol... yeah this only works on maybe 300 to 600 rated players and or speed chess. This isn't a great video but I can see how it helps new players to start to think and use tactics.

[@KailamiMwiinga]

Actually, I played this 16 times at 1800 - 1950 level to see how effective it was on 10 minute blitz... It's not devastating but white has a positional advantage but black can defend the position

[@SuperB1971]

TBH, on my extremely low level, 99% of the time there's no way we can get anywhere close to getting set up in any of these wonderful gambits. The low level beginner opponents are so unpredictable. They rarely do what the videos say are expected.

[@jamesderoc6717]

dont just trust the computer evaluation . . .lets all remember that going forward

[@sijiephua7297]

Thanks a lot for the clear direction. But what happens if black castle king side?

[@Tietous]

I get a similar position with the vianna gambit sometimes

[@KurtvonLaven0]

8:56 Bxf7+ is playable, because Kxf7 can be met with Ng5+. When the king moves, White has Qxg4.

[@sacation6057]

One variation you don't talk about, but seems like a logical move for black, is to play Kn-c6 to b4, attacking your light bishop. the light bishop has then nowhere to go than leaving its diagonal, and additionally, it would enable a fork of the queen&rook at c2 in the next move. at about 10:23

[@derekeastman7771]

C2 then blunders the knight, without moving something up to protect the space white takes with queen

[@julianeroell]

OMG this is beautiful! *goes off to play and try all this*

[@jonahhenning9429]

I’ve been experimenting with this opening against the Chess app on the iOS, at level 12, with similar results

[@user-zk5yd9qi4s]

It looks like a more aggressive Scotch game, it's pretty funny

[@farouqbaiti4315]

I saw this when I was trying to find book moves of the Center Game.😎 By the way, can you show us how to play against the Wing Gambit?🙏🏻

[@monkerud2108]

pawn f4 to g5 check is such a reality smack with the back of the hand lol.

[@kiraishagaming]

I love to play Vienna Gambit, and this gambit line looks interesting to me haha 😂. Will try

[@dajepson]

3...Qh4+ seems like a tricky response from Black: 4 g3 Bb4+ 5 c3 dxc3 6 bxc3 Qf6, meeting 7 e5 with Qc6.

[@matthewalfaro7605]

even though d5 is inaccurate can you kindly show some good line against d5 after e take d pawn

[@bussyhaver]

grandmaster igor is such a wonderful teacher ❤

[@alexglebo]

before I used to have people play into that opening all the time, but now that I learned this, nobody wants to play against me this way ...

[@josephsalmonte4995]

I know that you make every opening look amazing but this one *does* look amazing lol. I'm going to try it out! ❤

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

❤

[@PatzersOpeningRulz]

I've tried this gambit, but black plays other moves that aren't even mentioned here..

[@08raghav6c7]

Make a full theory video on this pls

[@isaz2425]

at 5:37 , black can sacrifice the queen on f6 to prevent the mate. It's a very difficult position for black, but I can't find a forced mate.

[@ginomoujik8488]

exactly.. a knight and a rook and a pawn vs queen is not the end of the world..

[@AbipMahat]

What if queen h5 in the opening?

[@JimBobDewayne]

My opponents push the queen-side pawns first to protect their pawn on d4, instead of bringing out the knight and bishop, and c4 becomes the focal point. You have to fight for that square to be able to put your bishop on c3.

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

That inspires be to try to become a random guy someday.

[@ajoobakumar6535]

What if in some line black decides to do long castle with Bd6 and Ne7 , Qd2 ?

[@GMGC]

White can always play e5 gaining space

[@RayT70]

What to do about an early d5. For example: 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. f4 Nc6 4. Nf3 d5

[@Amar0K86]

just simply push e5, the purpose of the Halasz gambit is to block the d column and play around it, then block the d4 pawn with Bd3

[@penknight8532]

I capture it and just play a wild open game where you usually castle Kingside and pray you don't F it up because Black is going to have a very slight edge.

[@EnderBoy9217]

I have used openings with 100% win rate (I played random moves once and sheer luck led me to victory)

[@leeball4585]

Interesting, but surprised that you didn't consider the move d5 for black at several points in your analysis - it's the old standard idea in e4 e5 openings for a reason.

[@thetransferaccount4586]

jerome would be proud

[@williamclayton3164]

A lesson in lateral queen moves

[@kimberlykim4047]

At first when he said "it doesn't do anything, it looks like a tall pole" I thought he said, "It doesn't do anything, just like Tom Holland"

[@xmenesesx]

what happens if after greek gift, instead of KxBh7, just Kh8?

[@onlimi616]

Those are some very interesting moves. However, I've found that in my games, as soon as I advance that king's pawn to f4, my opponent immediately responds with Qf4, check. So you block with pawn g3, but then after you castle, your king is wide open. If your immediate attack doesn't go as planned, there are all kinds of ways your king can be attacked.

[@ems3832]

...Qh4+, you mean.

[@onlimi616]

@@ems3832 Yes, that is what I meant to say, thank you.

[@penknight8532]

lul you better figure out how to long castle when that happens!

[@KA54the]

4:24 THE ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@KurtvonLaven0]

3:55 Rf8+, because Qxf8 loses to Qb3+, and Kxf8 loses to Qf1+. In both cases, Black has only useless interpositions. In the latter case, the king can run, but all of its flight squares are covered by Qf7#.

[@PhilippAulen]

after i watched this video i tried out this gambit in blitz and rapid, after 8 games with it i collected 7 wins and 1 draw. works very well for me :)

[@dilmenor]

Very beautiful gambit. I loved it.

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@soffmusic9655]

What happens if the bishop first goes to e6 or f5? I got screwed with that response

[@drithligh]

"It looks like a tall pole."

[@spodule6000]

I think this is also known as the Vampire Gambit. I used to play it years ago.

[@KumarBendrake]

Every time I play this the opponent castles queen side and my attack fizzles out. Can we get a video that shows an attacking plan to stop this from happening?

[@yuriys5642]

This guy has awesome stuff

[@Noaxsette]

It's funny to see "my" 800 elo gambit get featured. Of course it's not my gambit nor something I invented because it was just some random moves to me without much thought or complexity behind but I wonder if it's possible some low elo players' randomness can sometimes generate real strategies used by the masters.

[@ihabreaper7667]

Hi igor what if black pawn doesn't take pawn E5 to D4?

[@brandon7540]

I had a game where they castled, I move pawn up, and they moved their knight to g4.

[@rogerbruce2896]

before you tell us what the hard move is, I would probably sack the rook for a check. But if you did not say there was a better move I would have probably taking with a queen. Once you gave me that hint I got it instantly. That is my problem, I don't think deep enough.

[@hektik2074]

Poison pawn from move 1

[@iwersonsch5131]

Against this e4 f4 center I want to play Ne7 and d5

[@andrewsears16]

Weirdly enough I just played a guy who played this a few minutes ago lol. I was black but my natural response after pawn to f4 was bishop to b4 and I ended up in a great position after applying constant pressure...and then my phone died, plugged it in a came here and this video pops up lol

[@ttjciluk]

Georgy [ pronounced Jorj but more accurately written in Hungarian as Gyéorgy the gy sound is like J in English] - a Hungarian English way to write George (Gerge) is in Hungarian Halász (Fisher). Just a fun fact.

[@Atilolzz]

Okay I think I found the move at 4:10 It's Rf8+. if King takes then Qf1+ ends the game quickly If Queen takes Rook, its Qb3+ which cant be defended properly

[@ronaldocallanta8088]

Good job!😊❤

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

❤

[@ede2225]

This thing falls apart if they play king's indian, which all my opponents seem to be doing :(

[@penknight8532]

Yeah... it's good to mess with but you probably want something more sound to focus on.

[@nathan2891]

What if knight goes to G4 when you push pawn instead? Still protected by white bishop

[@theUroshman]

When I know that there's a winning move, I am pretty good at finding them, so it took me about 15 seconds to find that Rc8 (at 4:33), after checking some other possibilities in the position, that weren't as good. I don't know if I would see it in the actual game without knowing that there IS a winning move, especially in the heat of the moment, and God forbid, run into zeitnot (time trouble).

[@zada4a]

I just tried it in my bullet game, and won with checkmate, i didnt get the greek gift, but I still sacked my bishop for a lethal bullet aggressive attack, he stood no chance

[@sashaxvyy217]

thats crazy. speechless

[@TechnoTal]

6:05 u can nf6 to d7 and both knights protecting each other

[@TroySmith-wx2mq]

This may be a stupid question but what if black wants to castle queenside?