SHOP

SHOP

Robert Ris' Fast and Furious: Having fun with the Halloween Gambit

by Robert Ris

I like it! | 0 Comments

3/11/2021 – In this week's show, well-known Dutch trainer Robert Ris takes a look at at a wild but entertaining gambit: the Halloween Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5!?. Have fun and enjoy! | "Fast and Furious" is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can register a Premium account here.

Mastering Pattern Recognition in the Opening

Mastering Pattern Recognition in the Opening

Pattern recognition is an important tool in modern chess, as it helps you to understand better the characteristics of a position. Particularly when you have been confronted with a surprise opening system played by your opponent, it helps when you can just

Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > 8 million games online! Updated weekly, our definitive database has all the latest games. With Live Book and Let’s Check!
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > My Games – Access your games from everywhere. Store your games, training material and opening repertoire in the cloud. Annotate, analyze and share.
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Sac, sac, mate! Solve tactical positions of your playing strength. Boost your calculation skills. Enjoy adrenalin rush with tactic fights!
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Thousands of hours of high class video training. Openings, Middlegame, Endgame Lessons. Top authors like Daniel King, Lawrence Trent and Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Real Fun against a Chess Program! Play, analyze and train online against Fritz. Beginner, club and master levels. Assisted play and calculation training.
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > Learn openings the right way! Build and maintain your repertoire. Memorize it easily move by move by playing against the variation trainer.
Still no ChessBase Account? learn more > The ultimate chess experience every day, PlayChess.com welcomes 20,000 chess players from all around the world – from beginner to grandmaster.

Bold and daring: the Halloween Gambit!

Have you always thought that the Four Knights Opening is boring? Then you probably haven't heard of the Halloween Gambit! After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 White does not continue to develop but instead tries the rather shocking 4.Nxe5!?, a popular choice among club players.

White's main idea is to quickly seize the initiative by advancing pawns in the centre, harassing the black knights. Many Black players will be unfamiliar with this concept and will struggle to find a satisfying solution.

However, White still sacrifices a piece, and in quite a number of lines Black will be able to get an advantage, but that shouldn't discourage the daredevils! White's lead in development will certainly give you great attacking chances - so why not give it a try!?

But first a warm-up: White to play

You can move the pieces on the live diagram!

This week's show

Master Class Vol.10: Mikhail Botvinnik

Our experts show, using the games of Botvinnik, how to employ specific openings successfully, which model strategies are present in specific structures, how to find tactical solutions and rules for how to bring endings to a successful conclusion

Robert is on air every other Thursday at 18:00 UTC (19:00 CET / 16:00 EST)

Watch previous shows

Extreme Calculation Training

Special attention will be paid to Intermediate Moves, Quiet Moves, Sacrifices on Empty Squares, Mating Patterns, Ignoring Opponents Threat, Calculation in Defence and Method of Comparison. Plus 50 interactive examples to test your knowledge.

Solution of the exercise

Many more Fast and Furious episodes are available in ChessBase Videos

Links

Advertising

Books, boards, sets: Chess Niggemann

Books, boards, sets: Chess Niggemann

Robert Ris Robert is an International Master who mostly spends his time training and coaching talented youngsters. On the PlayChess server The Fast and the Furious is a popular show where he explains sharp opening lines for a wider audience. He is also a well-known ChessBase author who produced numerous DVDs and regularly contributes to ChessBase Magazine as well. Since 2015 he is the organizer of the Dutch Rapid Championships in his home town Amstelveen. He has started a YouTube channel with chess analysis as well.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

News

ChessBase '26 - Mega Package

Expand your Chess Horizon The perfect equipment for 2026 with the latest ChessBase program '26, Mega Database, ChessBase Magazine and Premium-Account!

€349.90

King’s Indian – A Complete Repertoire for Black Part 1: Mastering the Sidelines

GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.

€49.90

King's Indian – A Complete Repertoire for Black Part 2: The Classical Main Lines

GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.

€49.90

King’s Indian – A Complete Repertoire for Black Part 1 & 2

GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.

€89.90

ChessBase Magazine Extra 228

Opening videos: Sipke Ernst brings the Ulvestad Variation up to date + Part II of ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’. Special: Jan Werle shows highlights from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in the video. ‘Lucky bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, Illingworth et al.

€14.90

Understanding Middlegame Strategy Vol 12: Reversed Colour Systems – King’s Indian/Pirc Defence

In this video course, Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov explores the fascinating world of King’s Indian and Pirc structures with colours reversed, often arising from the French or Sicilian.

€39.90

ChessBase '26 - Premium Package

EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS It doesn't get any better than this: the premium equipment perfect for tournament players and professionals: with ChessBase program '26, Mega Database, CORR-Database and much more.

€499.90

ChessBase’26 - Starter Package

EXPAND YOUR CHESS HORIZONS Your entry into the great world of ChessBase with ChessBase Program '26, Big Database, CBM and Premium Account.

€249.90