[Event "Grob: Grob Opening- Zilbermints Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "A00"]
[Opening "Grob Opening: Zilbermints Gambit"]
[StudyName "Grob"]
[ChapterName "Grob Opening- Zilbermints Gambit"]
[ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/UEerNKLR/1C61RNns"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Billy_Sprinkle"]
[UTCDate "2025.07.08"]
[UTCTime "10:35:06"]

1. g4 (1. e4 d5 2. g4 dxe4 3. Nc3 { A possible Scandi reply. }) 1... d5 2. e4 { 2.e4!? a very dubious move which the engine will cry at you for, but is an interesting possibility for white. I included this as its own chapter for, if white wishes they can use this line as a cheeky Scandi reply. 1.e4 d5 2.g4. } 2... dxe4 { A move that white will see 81% of the time. } (2... d4 { Black says: "No thank you; I do not wish to engage in your shenanigans." } 3. Bc4 { I recommond this move, for its similar to the ideas on the Englund gambit if white refused to take. The bishop becomes alive and blood lusting after the f7 square. } { [%csl Gf7][%cal Gc4f7] } 3... e5 4. d3 Be7 5. Qf3 { [%cal Gg1e2,Gf3g3] } 5... Be6 6. Bxe6 fxe6 7. Qg3 { Side stepping the queen to interesting square. } 7... Nc6 8. Nf3 { [%csl Gb4] }) (2... Nf6 3. e5 Nxg4 4. d4 Bf5 5. Bd3 Bxd3 6. Qxd3 { White is down a pawn, and does not have sufficient compensation for it. Nevertheless, play will continue and its up to white to try and squeeze blood out of a stone. The blood tole for playing dubious openings may lead to one losing a pawn or two now and then. }) 3. Nc3 { Officially in the Zilbermints Gambit, which plays very similar to the Englund gambit. } 3... Nf6 { Black's common move which hopes to defend the pawn whilst also developing a piece. } (3... e5 4. d3 { 4.d3 is an important move to understand the idea behind. For this is Zilbermints Hartlaub gambit, too which there is a similar line in the Englund called the Hartlaub-Charlick gambit (1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d6) this gambit complex is quite fun and effective at faster time controls, and I recommond the chessable course "Pressure 1.d4: Hartlaub-Charlick Gambit for Black" by Russ Southern to getter a better understanding of key patterns and themes for this gambit complex. } { [%cal Gf1d3,Gd1e2,Gg1f3,Gc1g5,Ge1c1] } 4... exd3 5. Bxd3 Nc6 6. Qe2 { At this point there are numerous possibilities for black, so take these lines as an expression of the general ideas that can occur in these positions. } 6... Be6 7. h3 Qd7 8. Nf3 f6 9. Be3 O-O-O 10. O-O-O { Black as seen to have secured his strong centre with active pieces in the middle. } { [%csl Gd3] } 10... Bb4 { [%cal Gd1d7,Gd3b5] } 11. Bb5 { Exposing the Queen to the rook on d1. } 11... Qe7 { The queen steps out the way and tactics will follow. } 12. Bxc6 Rxd1+ 13. Rxd1 Bxc3 14. Qb5 { 14.Bxb7 was played in the game by Zilbermints (cite xxxx), but the text move is way stronger leading to a mate attack. } { [%cal Gc3b2] } 14... bxc6 { Black can prolong there suffering with 14...Bxb2, too which 15.Kb1 Bxa2 16.Kxb2 Qb4 17.Qxb4. However, there is no need to commit to learning such a sequence. } 15. Qa6+ Kb8 16. Qxa7+ Kc8 17. Qa8#) (3... Nc6 { An annoying move by black, for it prevents d3 followed by Bxd3 ideas for black has Nb4 and even possibly Bxg4 deflecting the queen from defence of the c2 square. } { [%cal Gc6b4,Gb4d3,Gb4c2,Gc8g4] } 4. Bg2 e5 5. h3 h5 { A quite painful move white has to endure. } 6. gxh5 Qh4 (6... f5 7. d3 Nf6 8. Bg5 Bb4 9. Ne2 exd3 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. cxd3 { This is unpleasant for white, for in these Englund gambit positions you want to avoid creating the isolated e pawn. } { [%csl Gd3,Gf2,Gb2,Ga2] }) (6... Be6 7. Bxe4 Qd7 8. d3 O-O-O 9. Bxc6 Qxc6 10. Qf3 Qxf3 11. Nxf3 { It could be argued that it is unwise for white to trade down a dozen pieces when in a bad position. But due to the cramped nature of white position, whites pieces will be bumping into each other anyways. As a result, the mass exchange affords white some space to move their pieces. } 11... f6 12. Be3 Rxh5 { Though material is equal black is much better due to the bishop pair and the clearer pawn structure. But, white can still throw punches, and therefore there is hope. }) 7. Nxe4 Qxh5 { Trading of queens is not the right idea for black, for it gives up all of the pressure black was exerting. } 8. Qxh5 Rxh5 9. Ng3 { White has survived, black is a bit better but it could of been worse. }) (3... f5 { Black attempts to defend the pawn. } 4. d3 { Continuing with the gambiting idea. } 4... Nc6 5. Be3 exd3 6. Bxd3 Nb4 7. Bb5+ c6 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. O-O-O+ Ke8 10. a3 cxb5 11. axb4 { The position is playable. } { [%cal Gc3b5,Gb5c7] }) 4. g5 { White kicks away the knight. } 4... Nd5 (4... Bg4 { A in-between move in which Black hopes to increase the pressure on the kingside. } 5. Be2 { Offering the exchange of bishops which will lead to an active placed queen. } 5... Bxe2 6. Qxe2 { This now looks very similar to the traditional Englund gambit. } 6... Nd5 7. Qb5+ { [%cal Gb5d5,Gb5b7] } 7... c6 8. Qxb7 Nd7 9. Nxd5 { Exchanging of the knights which at the end of the sequence white will be up two pawns. } 9... cxd5 10. Qxd5 Rc8 11. Qxe4 Nc5 12. Qe3 Qd5 13. Nf3 { [%csl Gf3] }) 5. Qe2 { 5.Qe2 perhaps brings the most attacking grit for white, for white intends Qb5. } { [%cal Ge2b5,Gb5b7,Gb5d5] } (5. Nxe4 Bf5 6. Ng3 Bg6 7. h4 h5 8. Bg2 { With N1e2 and then 0-0, white will then have the task of just playing chess. }) 5... Nxc3 { Not the strongest move, but the one played the most. } (5... Nb4 6. Qxe4 Qd4 7. Bg2) 6. dxc3 Bf5 7. Qb5+ Qd7 { A key error, black plays this, I imagine, for the hope that queen trades are forced. } (7... Bd7 { Retreating moves are perhaps one of the hardest moves to see, but this leads to 0.0 according to the engine. } 8. Qxb7 Nc6 9. Qa6 { Overall, I like white chance, for white has intuitive squares to place their pieces and from there white will play on. } { [%cal Gc1e3,Ge1c1,Gg1e2,Gf1g2] }) 8. Qxb7 Qc6 { Trying to defend the rook. } (8... Nc6 9. Qxa8+) (8... Qc8 9. Qxa8) 9. Bb5 { Too which, it fails miserably. } *
