Svitlana's Smart Moves - How to play against the King's Gambit!

by Arne Kaehler
6/28/2025 – In this episode, Svitlana offers a comprehensive guide on how to play against the King's Gambit, an aggressive and historic opening that begins with 1.e4 e5 2.f4. While it's less common in high-level chess today, it still appears in club-level play and can lead to sharp tactical battles. Svitlana walks through multiple lines, including sideline traps and the main variations with 3.Nf3 and 3.Bc4, emphasising key defensive setups for Black, such as the flexible ...Nf6 line and the importance of early counterplay. She highlights thematic tactics, development priorities, and typical traps, ultimately showing how to neutralize White's initiative and even seize the advantage with correct preparation.
The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

Svitlana's Smart Moves - Episode 119

With Svitlana Demchenko and Arne Kaehler

Svitlana Demchenko is a 20-year-old, Canadian WIM and chess coach. Here and now, she will teach us plenty of smart moves on the board, ranging from tactics, strategies, openings, and everything else chess-related. In the process, I'm happy to be available as a student at club player level, and pester the Women's International Master with questions. Anyone who wants to strengthen their chess skills is welcome to watch, and actively replay the positions from the video on our chessboard.

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,185,96054%2421---
1.d4960,10155%2434---
1.Nf3286,72856%2440---
1.c4184,98756%2443---
1.g319,89756%2427---
1.b314,60454%2428---
1.f45,95848%2376---
1.Nc33,91750%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25054%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.e4 e5 2.f4 White gives up a pawn very early, hoping to divert Black's e-pawn and get central control and quick piece development. exf4 2...d5 Falkbeer Countergambit is an alternative, and many other lines exist as well. 3.Nf3 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Nf3 4.d4 Nf6 5.e5 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nge2 6.e5 Ne4 7.Qf3 d5-+ 6...f3 7.gxf3 d5 5...d5 4...g5 5.d4 5.h4 g4 6.Ng5 Ne5 5.0-0 Bg7 5...Bg7 6.c3 6.h4 h6 6...d6 7.0-0 h6 The rest of Black's plans really depend on White's moves. They can undermine the pawn chain (g3 or h4), attack on f7 via Qb3, etc, to which Black can react accordingly. 3.Nc3 Qh4+ 4.Ke2 d5 5.Nxd5 5.exd5? Bg4+ 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.d4 Ne7 8.Ne4 0-0-+ 5...Bg4+ 6.Nf3 Nc6! if you don't like the top line, play a simpler alternative like 6...Bd6∞ 7.Nxc7+ Kd8 8.Nxa8 Ne5 9.Qe1 9.h3 Bh5! 9.d4 Nxf3 10.gxf3 Bxf3+ 11.Kxf3 Qh5+-+ 9...Nxf3 10.Qxh4+ Nxh4+ 11.Ke1 g5 3.d4 Qh4+ 4.Ke2 4.g3 fxg3 5.Nf3 g2+ common tactic to know. 4...d5! 5.exd5 5.Nf3 Qe7 6.e5 g5 5...Bg4+ 6.Nf3 Bxf3+ 7.gxf3 Nd7 8.Qe1 Qf6 9.Kd3+ Ne7 very pleasant positions. 3...Nf6 Not the most popular line, but leads to interesting positions and can take experienced King's Gambit players off their usual track. The most popular continuation for Black is: 3...g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 with lots of theory 4.e5 4.d3 d5 5.e5 5.Bxf4 dxe4 5...Nh5 4.Nc3 d5 5.exd5 5.e5 Nh5 6.d4 Nc6 5...Nxd5 6.Nxd5 6.Bc4 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 Bd6 9.Re1+ Kf8 6...Qxd5 7.d4 Be7 4...Nh5 The knight looks odd here, but it has a very important role of protecting the f4-pawn. 5.d4 d6 6.Qe2 6.Bc4 Nc6 6...dxe5 7.Nxe5 7.Qxe5+ Qe7 7.dxe5 Bg4-+ 7...Qh4+ 8.g3 8.Kd1 is computer's best move, but not the most natural for a person. Be7 9.Nf3 Qg4∞ 8...Nxg3 9.hxg3 9.Qf2 a bit tricky, but doesn't work due to: Be7-+ 9...Qxh1 Black is actually very well off here, despite the threats on the e-file. 10.Bxf4 This happened in a decisive game at my club championship, my opponent was an experienced King's Gambit player. But he confused the lines, and played the natural but wrong: 10.Ng6+?? Be6! 11.Nxh8 Nc6 Black has amazing development, no problems, and a full incoming attack. 12.c3 fxg3 13.Bf4 Qh4 14.Nxf7 g2+ 0-1 Nassar,M-Demchenko,S RA Club Championship 2025 (6) 10...Bd6 11.Nc3 11.Ng6+? Be6 12.Nxh8 Bxf4 13.gxf4 Nc6 11...0-0 12.0-0-0 Black is up an exchange and a pawn, but White has compensation and some tactics still exist. Bh3 Now White's only move for equality is: 13.Nxf7! Bxf4+ 14.gxf4 Green arrow indicate the three best moves for Black, each of them needs to be looked into a bit further. Bxf1 14...Rxf7?? 15.Qe8+ Rf8 16.Bc4++- 14...Kxf7?? 15.Qh5+ Kg8 16.Bc4++- 15.Rxf1 Qh4∞
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
King's Gambit-as Black- C34
King's Gambit-as Black- C34

(If necessary, press the blue arrow on the right side)

If you like Svitlana's Smart moves, you will certainly enjoy her video lectures about "Surprising your opponents with the Lazy Sicilian", her first Fritztrainer "Understanding Material Imbalances", and her courses "The Scotch Game", and the "Leningrad Dutch Defence". Her newest Entry is the "King's Indian Attack"!

In just 60 minutes, you will be well-equipped with a surprise weapon, which will take most of your opponents out of book right from the start.

This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.

Besides in-depth theory and exciting tactical exercises in the Scotch Game, this video course also includes a bonus section on the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Bc4), a lively variation often leading to very dynamic positions.

The Leningrad Dutch Defence is a dynamic and aggressive opening choice for Black, perfect for players who want to add some adventure and spice to their repertoire.

The King‘s Indian Attack is a universal opening: easy to learn, flexible, and rich in both tactical and positional opportunities.

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Topics: coach, Svitlana Demchenko, Svitlana's Smart Moves
Arne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.
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60m How to fight Queen's Pawn Openigns

After 1.d4 d5 many players with White avoid the great amount of theory in the Slav, Semi-Slav, QGA and Orthodox Queen's Gambit and do not therefore play 2.c4. This is not very ambitious, but the painful experience of many chess players has been that the Colle System, the Trompowsky Attack, the Torre Attack and the London System are nevertheless extremely dangerous. Black has to be prepared for each of these openings and IM Valeri Lilov offers you some help with his six instructive videos, in which he demonstrates for each single opening a relevant plan for Black. In addition to the openings mentioned, the Bulgarian trainer also delves into the Catalan, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and the Richter-Veresov Opening.
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