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Halloween Gambit -Let's Sack a Knight on Move 4
Compiled by takopenings
--*--

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5? or 4.Nxe5! depending on your point of view. Sound? Unsound ? Whatever 8) It leads to interesting play.

It can be arrived by the Vienna game move order as well or played with a delay 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4. a3 g6 5.Nxe5! . Black can also play a reverse Halloween 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 Nxe4 5. Nxe4 d5. (see Carlsen and Friedel games within)

When the Knight on e5 is confronted with the d4 push, Black normally response is Nc6 (Exit Stage Right) or Ng6 (Exit Stage Left). However, the gambit can also be declined, normally played with Bb4 or Qe7. These moves are played in many of the lines.

My rule of thumb while playing white. Always push the pawn to attack Black's Knight nearest the Queenside. So with the NC6 line play d5 and upon this knight moving to Ne5 play f4 and then e5 hitting the Knight on f6. (a goal of this line is to get a supported pawn to d6 and stunts regarding the c7 square, pawn of h7,and g6)

In the Nf6 line start with d4 followed by e5. These lines put pressure on the f7 squares ...Bc4,Qf3,0-0.

Like many gambit lines, the themes is to continually build pressure, open lines, gain tempos,prevent the opponents development,keep Blacks king in the center and hunt for combinations. It's been noted that in the early stages the Halloween Gambit/Halloween Attack practically plays itself.

Tim Krause's nice article about HG history, Brause and practical play. https://timkr.home.xs4all.nl/tour/b...

An elaborate Tabita on the Halloween Gambit by Paul Keiser http://www.zimbeckchess.com/UON13Ha...

Steffan Jacobs Brause 2 page Tabita
http://www.jakob.at/steffen/hallowe...

Deep Rybka analysis with board viewer
http://www.zimbeckchess.com/hallowe...

Best Play is often found in the games of the Mysterious Mr Michev. Grigor Minchev . Many which are found in this collection.

I created this collection as I learn to play this fun opening. (borrowed heavily from other collections.thanks Kraco).... Game Collection: Halloween attack .

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Exit Stage Right ML A *
G Minchev vs Y Stoynov, 1991 
(C46) Three Knights, 67 moves, 1-0

ESR. Main line A *
G Minchev vs S Simeonov, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 37 moves, 1-0

ESR -MLA 12....a6?!opens up a Bb6 combination windmill *
L Passmoor vs L Warstad, 1999 
(C46) Three Knights, 16 moves, 1-0

ESR ML Strong black play (investigate white Nc7) 12... Nh6! *
D Godden vs P Petters, 2000 
(C46) Three Knights, 25 moves, 0-1

ESR MLA-
F Harms vs J L Moeckel, 1998 
(C46) Three Knights, 24 moves, 1-0

ESR. Main line 10... Qh4+ 11.g3 Qf6 *
G Minchev vs E Ivanov, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 86 moves, 1-0

ESR- Mla 10... Qh4+ 11.g3 Qf6 *
G Minchev vs D Veselinov, 1991 
(C46) Three Knights, 65 moves, 1-0

ESR ml 10... Qh4+ 11.g3 Qf6 *
G Minchev vs P Stoyanov, 1994
(C46) Three Knights, 32 moves, 1-0

ESR -ML-Exit Stage Right Q e file *
G Minchev vs Z Golubovic, 1990 
(C46) Three Knights, 45 moves, 1-0

ESR-Queen Pin before Knight move *
A Kristoffersen vs H E Hansen, 2003
(C46) Three Knights, 70 moves, 1-0

ESR- Rapid queen to !Queenside *
T Klepaczka vs K Bulski, 2012 
(C46) Three Knights, 27 moves, 1-0

ESR-qcheck plasma style Minchev draw game. *
G Minchev vs P Popovic, 1995 
(C46) Three Knights, 54 moves, 1/2-1/2

ESR plasma variarion.rb8 *
G Minchev vs A Petrov, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 25 moves, 1-0

ESR RapidQ QSide 11. qe2 ? Klepaczka 11. Ng6 is better ! *
L Passmoor vs L Arnold, 1999 
(C46) Three Knights, 33 moves, 0-1

ESR- white pushes wrong pawn. E5 ?
D O'Dwyer vs J Feagin, 1995 
(C46) Three Knights, 29 moves, 0-1

ESR -Computers play.. HG 9....c6 is not book. interesting move
Brause vs Wchess, 1997 
(C46) Three Knights, 53 moves, 1-0

ESR- black plays a traxler like f2 attack
D Godden vs W Howard, 2000 
(C46) Three Knights, 28 moves, 1-0

ESR- pushes pushes wrong pawn. weird white play
W Pettigrew vs B A Smith, 2002 
(C46) Three Knights, 18 moves, 1/2-1/2

ESR- strange play
A D Goldsmith vs T Tao, 2002 
(C46) Three Knights, 18 moves, 1-0

ESR- Qa5 to King March *
G Minchev vs V Velev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 31 moves, 1-0

ESR-decline and pin best play by black
B Gaillard vs A Platel, 2003 
(C46) Three Knights, 30 moves, 0-1

Exit Stage Right- Fast Queen Variaton*
G Minchev vs A Konev, 1994
(C46) Three Knights, 55 moves, 1-0

exit Stage Left -immediate bishop trade *
G Minchev vs I Donev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 93 moves, 1-0

ESL-*
G Minchev vs K Nikov, 1990 
(C46) Three Knights, 44 moves, 1-0

ESL-*
G Minchev vs N Dobrev, 1990 
(C46) Three Knights, 59 moves, 1-0

ESL-*
G Minchev vs T Taylor, 1992 
(C46) Three Knights, 79 moves, 1-0

ESL- *
G Minchev vs S Genchev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 55 moves, 1-0

ESL- Bishop Pin *
G Minchev vs Z Georgiev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 42 moves, 1-0

ESL-Bishop Pin *
G Minchev vs M Jorquera, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 38 moves, 1-0

ESL-bishop pin and f5 push =old timers *
G Minchev vs H Vasilev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 27 moves, 1-0

ESL-bishop pin and f5 push = old timers *
G Minchev vs C Vasilev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 43 moves, 1-0

ESL-Quick give back with pin ( I think from ESR pin is better)
D Frank vs M Remstedt, 1996 
(C46) Three Knights, 23 moves, 1-0

ESL- d5 + agressive play
J Stevenson vs M Ferguson, 2001 
(C46) Three Knights, 29 moves, 0-1

ESL Bishop Pin *
G Minchev vs V Georgiev, 1994
(C46) Three Knights, 51 moves, 1-0

ESL bishop pin *
G Minchev vs Z Georgiev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 48 moves, 1-0

ESL - Queen to e file.
G Minchev vs Nejad, 1996 
(C46) Three Knights, 24 moves, 1-0

ESL d6
G Minchev vs P Lambev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 60 moves, 1-0

ESL to immediate pin
G Minchev vs E Mitev, 1994 
(C46) Three Knights, 67 moves, 1-0

ESL -
G Minchev vs A Turzo, 2004 
(C46) Three Knights, 21 moves, 1-0

ESL-
D Frank vs N Meyberg, 1992 
(C46) Three Knights, 37 moves, 0-1

ESL-
D Frank vs E Drutjons, 1992 
(C46) Three Knights, 16 moves, 1-0

ESL-
A Mes vs C P Spoel, 1992 
(C46) Three Knights, 22 moves, 0-1

ESL -
J Owens vs D Sakellarakis, 1998 
(C46) Three Knights, 27 moves, 1-0

ESL with bishop trade offer defense more interesting *
L Nemeth vs J Corallo, 2003 
(C46) Three Knights, 38 moves, 1-0

ESL
D Falcon vs D Hogan, 1999 
(C46) Three Knights, 17 moves, 1-0

ESL
J L Moeckel vs D Sakellarakis, 1998
(C46) Three Knights, 54 moves, 0-1

ESL immediate Qe7
J L Moeckel vs F Harms, 1998 
(C46) Three Knights, 24 moves, 0-1

esl standard pin black win
L Passmoor vs H Bunyan, 1999
(C46) Three Knights, 42 moves, 0-1

ESL-
D Godden vs D Lorenti, 2000
(C46) Three Knights, 18 moves, 1-0

ESL-
L Linnanen vs J Aguera Naredo, 2015
(C46) Three Knights, 35 moves, 0-1

Similar mates found in the Halloween gambit.
G Minchev vs D Miraschiev, 1986 
(C46) Three Knights, 11 moves, 1-0

ESL -Decline with immediate pin, white not book responses
B Go vs S Ernst, 2012 
(C46) Three Knights, 30 moves, 0-1

Magnus plays the Halloween Gambit with an a3 prep
Carlsen vs S Nyysti, 2002 
(C46) Three Knights, 42 moves, 1-0

Halloweenlike
Tarrasch vs Duras, 1906
(C46) Three Knights, 50 moves, 1/2-1/2

ESL- - = blunder a knight
T Roosink vs M Bergkamp, 2004 
(C46) Three Knights, 31 moves, 1-0

halloween prepared with a3.
R Hendriks vs H Jonkman, 2001 
(C46) Three Knights, 66 moves, 0-1

halloween prepared with a3
R Polzin vs F Levin, 2005 
(C46) Three Knights, 27 moves, 1/2-1/2

Halloween attack Declined: Pin
C Formby vs E Rainieri, 1996 
(C46) Three Knights, 16 moves, 1-0

halloween prepared with a3
D Brandenburg vs V Neverov, 2011
(C46) Three Knights, 44 moves, 1/2-1/2

halloween Gambit declined
D Sakellarakis vs F Harms, 1998 
(C46) Three Knights, 20 moves, 1-0

10 Qf3 instead?
Paul Andersson vs G R McDonald, 2003 
(C46) Three Knights, 18 moves, 0-1

endgame
M de Mooy vs E Kahn, 2003 
(C46) Three Knights, 57 moves, 1-0

once again is 10 Qf3 better?
A Muniz Pardino vs V Grazinys, 2003 
(C46) Three Knights, 18 moves, 0-1

look for white errors here
A Muniz Pardino vs H Daurelle, 2003
(C46) Three Knights, 13 moves, 0-1

why is this a white win
B Denton vs A Soto, 2004 
(C46) Three Knights, 26 moves, 1-0

pin out of the box.
P Schoupal vs J Spalek, 2004 
(C46) Three Knights, 15 moves, 1-0

wierd knight move
K Morrissey vs V Odhavji, 2004 
(C46) Three Knights, 30 moves, 1-0

study this excessive aggressive pins by white
D Mustafina vs A Damia, 2005 
(C46) Three Knights, 19 moves, 1-0

agressive play leadintg to queentrap
H Bennett vs P R Green, 2005 
(C46) Three Knights, 37 moves, 1-0

After 4 g3 Black can played a reversed Halloween Attack
R Panjwani vs J Friedel, 2005
(C46) Three Knights, 40 moves, 0-1

reversed halloween attack. right pawn push (i think0
H Nordahl vs D Hersvik, 2001
(C46) Three Knights, 41 moves, 1-0

Magnus loses his reverse Halloween - endgame
E Sedina vs Carlsen, 2003 
(C46) Three Knights, 47 moves, 1-0

Reverse Halloween Pins
B Dean-Kawamura vs I Nikolayev, 2004
(C46) Three Knights, 25 moves, 0-1

Reverse Halloween white gives back material
D Lima vs M Santos, 2005
(C46) Three Knights, 61 moves, 1-0

Reverse halloween with aggressive black play
J Chan vs D Smerdon, 2006 
(C46) Three Knights, 25 moves, 0-1

Reverse Halloween Book Moves
E Ghaem Maghami vs D Frolyanov, 2013
(C46) Three Knights, 36 moves, 0-1

postion shared in halloween gambits
F Eid vs Bakary Traore, 2010
(C47) Four Knights, 59 moves, 1-0

postion shared in halloween gambits
H Weenink vs M Censer, 1927 
(C47) Four Knights, 37 moves, 1-0

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