The BEST Chess Opening Against 1.e4 - Every Move is a Trap!

Learn 3 Main Ways To Improve Your Chess Results Significantly

Take Your Chess Skills To The Next Level With High-Quality Courses

In this video lesson, GM Igor Smirnov talks about the most underrated chess gambit for Black against the White's first move 1.e4. It is the Rousseau Gambit (or Ponziani Countergambit) from the Italian Game (Giuoco Piano), which happens after the opening moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 f5.

The resulting position is similar to a King's Gambit Declined with colours reversed. This gambit has a lot of tricks and traps along the way which helps Black to win within just 10 moves in these lines.

▬▬▬▬▬▬
► Chapters

00:00 Underrated chess gambit against 1.e4
00:40 Rousseau Gambit from Italian Game
02:40 Line-1: 4.Nc3 loses quickly
05:39 Amazing combination wins in 9 moves
10:04 Line-3: 4.d3 defending e4-pawn
12:51 2 checkmating threats at a time!
14:35 Line-4: 4.d4 White's best response
16:44 Conclusion: Black is very active

#IgorNation #ItalianGame #ChessGambit

[waynemiller]

Wow, this has got to be one of the most informative opening videos I have ever seen. Such common moves and how to address them. Outstanding!

[GravyTraining]

I have to admit, I loaded this into Chessbase and looked for games and the record didn't look good. But I played black against an equally rated 1100 and this setup came into play. It was my highest accuracy game ever, landing me at a 97.8% accuracy with what could only be described as a complete domination. You earned my sub. :)

[emka]

This is the Viena gambit but with black, i'm so hyped to play this

[MrWeAllAreOne]

I watch Gotham Chess channel and I have to say I never really gain any insight from his videos. He is humourous but his explanations are so fast that I never gleen anything of worth. I just found your channel yesterday and already have learnt so much. You are a great teacher and I love that you explain in a manner that is very easy to follow.
Thank you(of course I have subbed) 👍🏻

[artsenor]

Nooo, how dare you showcase my secret weapon ?

I used to play this opening a lot on 1500-1600 elo, and I've got to say I agree with everything you said. It doesn't see a lot of attention (I never really managed to find good theory back in the time, I had to figure it all by myself), but it works extremely well at a non-master level. The only reason why I stopped playing this opening is because I stopped playing 1... e5 against 1. e4 because I always had trouble with the Ruy Lopez attack, but I still believe it to be one of my best openings ever.

However, one thing I would add for anyone eager to try it would be : don't underestimate white's counterplay. The position is extremely sharp, and if you face someone who knows the opening or likes to look for active play, there are tons of sacrifices that white can play to put you in big trouble. It won't happen very often (I only faced a few myself in over a year playing it systematically), but it could.

In the line 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5 4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 d5, white can play 6. Nxe5, which is already two pawns for the piece and a few dangerous lines after the white queen comes to h5 with check. Despite being objectively good for black according to the engine, I've lost a few games this way.

Another one is in the line 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 f5 4. exf5 e5, where white can play 5. Nd4!, in which case you should NOT capture the hanging knight, because 5... Nxd4 is followed by 6. Qh5+ g6 (6... Ke7 7. Qf7+ and you're in a lot of troubles) 7. fxg6 Nf6 8. g7+! Nxh5 9. gxh8=Q. Your opponent probably won't know this variation, but if he's too stubborn to retreat his knight, he'll only have to find the first move 5. Nd4, and all the next ones will come naturally. Therefore, if someone plays it, just leave the knight there, protect your king with 5... Nf6 and play with a pawn down (you'll soon recapture it anyway).

In any case, best of luck to anyone who wants to try it ! It's an opening I had a lot of fun with, and I believe it has a lot of potential if you've also got good weapons against the other 1... e5 variations. Also, if you like it, as stated by another comment above, you can try Vienna gambit with white, which is basically an improved version of it.

[pierremichel]

Thank you GM Smirnov for this video. It is well made and your commentary/explanation on what transpires is excellent. By employing the K.I.S.S. formula (Keeping it simple stupid formula) when describing 'what happens' with each move, it's easier to remember. Definitely one of the best videos on improving your game.

[SarpMine]

Best chess channel ever. Thirty years later, it helped me start playing chess again. You rock, dear Igor. I am an engineer, and you approach all the variants as an engineer would. I easily follow and memorise the moves and understand the logic. The training set is too much for me, but a donation link would be great for your channel. I highly appreciate your contribution to chess fans.

[GTANFT]

Thank you GM Igor Smirnov, you are such a good chess coach. My rating has gone up by 500 points since I started watching your videos.

[ibrahimskandarani]

2:49 Knight C3
3:40 Pawn Take on F5
10:19 Pawn D3

[bryanshawcpasc]

I just played this as a 746 rated player and actually mated in 21 steps! I just started playing chess for 4 months now - great coaching! No blunders on my side and only 1 for white! I’ve only played about 14 humans… I’m sitting here stunned. So this is what chess is supposed to be like. Thanks for your help!

[jrhyno]

Was just able to deploy the gambit, and he brought out his queen to defend. It was glorious! Thanks so much!

[lkdnkkx]

I started a game in the middle of this video and i got this setup immediatly and won it with ease. This has to be the best opening for 1000-1400's because everybody on that level plays the italian game. Thank you!

[_wetmath_]

Wow the first trap is so similar to the vienna gambit! I play it all the time as white so the moves are all very familiar for me. Thanks for teaching me that it can be played with black too!

[johngalbicsek]

Something important I feel looking at this after is a weird trap move (and engine move, though only third most played on lichess) is after 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 nf6 3. bc4 f5 4. exf4 e4 IF 5. Nd4 DONT TAKE the "free" knight because of the Qh5+ he warned about leads to extreme pain. Play 5.Nf6 to prevent it like he said in the other line and take back with the b pawn if they trade with Nxc6.

[holghee]

Hi Igor :)
German players call this opening the Latvian Gambit, and I very much like to play it. ;)
The history:
It was first mentioned in 1490 (The Göttinger Manuscript) and in Lucena 1497.
In 1659 Grecco examined it deeply and it then was called the "Grecco Countergambit".
In the 19th century the russian master Jänisch, as well as the danish chess theoretics Henric Möller and S.A. Sörensen gave this opening new impulse.
Todays name comes from the Latvian Master Karl Behting (1867-1942) from Riga. He played this opening in several tournaments successfully.
An outstanding success was the correspondens-tournament between Riga and Stockholm (1934-1936), where Black won three times and drawed two matches.

Thank you, Igor, for the great vid. :)
I just subscribed.
Keep up your good work. Greetings from Germany.

[frozencloud]

Dang! I've been playing chess for decades and never imagined such a powerful response against 1.e4. GM Smirnov you are the best!

[jupiterflambay]

Very good - I am learning the Rousseau, and I tried it in a few games already, but my opposition caught me out with a couple of moves because I played the moves in the wrong order, so now I have a better understanding. Thanks Igor !

[justanotheryoutubechannel]

as a King's Gambit player who TRIED the "chase my queen! go ahead... chase my queen!" Latvian Gambit and quit playing after a couple dozen games and deciding to never consider it again after reading a book where black doesn't START developing for what seemed like a dozen moves, I'm so happy to have stumbled across the Rousseau & Luccini gambits on youtube videos. It's just what I was looking for to drop the scandinavian . Look into Calabrese & Shliemann/Jaenish gambits too to keep to an ...f5 themed aggressive defense. there's SO MUCH carnage in these lines that I can't wait to complete a repertoire to FINALLY study & start playing. Thanks for helping us gambiteers when GMs generally have too much contempt for "unsound gambits" to even talk about the really good ones. *Let the attacking begin!* use the amateur (under 2000) database at LiChess to study ANY opening you want to play and find all the devastating traps GMs might not fall for (MOST of the time, maybe), but that drive your real world opponents crazy trying to run 7 hide from your pitbull attacks! in many lines, the most popular move is THE WORST one! youtube & lichess are all I need for theory.

[manutoftime]

I devised a simple repertoire a few years ago that consisted of this opening (Rousseau), the Schliemann, the Vienna (as white), etc - basically the same system whenever somewhat feasible, even though it's not the same opening. I don't know if that's a good idea, but it seemed okay for a beginner.

[markj]

This Opening looks fun… With a several options for sure - I’ll try it.
But there is a miscalculation at 8:32 -
If the (F6) knight takes pawn……. The white queen can wreak havoc….
With a double attack on the bishop while putting king in check..
(Stay protected with Knight on F6)
I wasn’t familiar with this opening… Thank you for posting it.