Facing an opening · White, 1.e4 e5

How to beat the Stafford Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6

The Stafford Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6, gives a pawn for quick traps. A calm setup with d3, Be2 and castling keeps the extra pawn and avoids every trick.

Learn the first lineSee the full course
Lines to play
1
Trap
1
Quiz positions
6

Learn the Stafford Gambit move by move

You play White. Each move is explained before you play it, with an arrow on the board; then you play the line from memory. When the course has more than one good move, every one of them counts.

Key ideas

Take the pawn, then trade

4.Nxc6 dxc6 leaves White a clean pawn up. Black’s pieces are active, but there is no forced attack.

d3 holds e4

The knight on f6 and the bishop on c5 aim at e4 and f2. d3 supports e4 and opens the c1 bishop.

Be2 covers g4

Most traps use ...Ng4 or ...Bg4 against f2 and the king. Be2 closes those squares.

Castle early

With the king on g1 and the rook on f1, the f2 square is no longer a target.

The main lines

  1. 5.d3 Bc5 6.Be2 Qd4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5 6.Be2 Qd4 7.O-O h5 8.c3 Qd6

    Black’s queen eyes f2; castling ends the threat.

  2. 6.Be2 h5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5 6.Be2 h5 7.c3 Be6 8.d4 Be7

    Black prepares ...Ng4; c3 and d4 gain space and time.

  3. 6.Be2 Ng4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5 6.Be2 Ng4 7.Bxg4 Qh4 8.O-O Bxg4

    Bxg4 removes the attacker; after ...Qh4 White simply castles.

These lines come from the other courses: step through them with the comments.

Black prepares ...Ng4; c3 and d4 gain space and time.

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Step through the line with the arrows.

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A trap to know

Short tactical shots that come out of these moves. More in the chess traps collection.

The Stafford queen sacrifice

White pins the knight with Bg5 and grabs the queen, then gets mated.

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Step through the line with the arrows.

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Find the move

6 positions from the main lines, each with its idea. Your first try counts.

Position 1 of 6

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

The ideaTake the pawn.

Find the move for White.

Common mistakes

5.e5 without preparation

Pushing e5 at once lets the knight jump to e4 with tricks on f2. d3 first is simpler.

Bg5 pins that do not pin

Bg5 against the f6 knight loses after ...Nxe4 because the queen sacrifice ends in mate.

Delaying castling

Every Stafford trap aims at f2 or the king in the centre. Castle as soon as Be2 is in.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Stafford Gambit sound?

No. With careful play White keeps the extra pawn and a good position. Its strength is the number of traps for an unprepared opponent.

What is the safest way to play against the Stafford?

4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3, then Be2 and castling. White gives up nothing and avoids the traps on e4, f2 and g4.

Can White decline the Stafford?

Yes, but there is no need. Taking the pawn and developing calmly is both safe and good.

Learn every line of the Stafford Gambit

The Buccaneer 1.e4 teaches it as a repertoire: 100 lines, a note on every move read aloud, and spaced review so the moves stay with you. The first line is free.

Open the course

Also covered in The Evans Express 1.e4.

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