Stafford Gambit

Although It’s refuted, it’s great for blitz and bullet :)

@Adro81 i dont get why, if you look at database the refutation is easy natural moves, not complicated kings gambit. I mean bullet ok, but blitz?

Weakening the kingside with f2-f3 is not necessary in this line. Best way to play against the Stafford Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6?! 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3! Bc5 6.Be2! (the "Perfect Defense") and White is clearly better. Black has zero compensation for the sacrificed pawn.

@HongKongPhooey and natural good moves, don't know how stafford can be of interest.

There are many openings that are interesting for beginning players, not so good for advanced players. You mentioned "natural moves". The Stafford Gambit takes full advantage of the White player who relies not on specific knowledge of opening tactical ideas, but rather on natural, rote developing moves. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6?! 4.Nxc6 dxc6 Black is hoping for the natural 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bc4? when White gets attacked with 6...Ng4 7.O-O?? Qh4! and Black wins. What I find interesting is this same attack pattern crops up in a completely different opening after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.d5 Ne7 5.e4 Ng6 6.Bd3 Bc5 7.Nge2?? Ng4 8.O-O Qh4 and Black is crushing.

@HongKongPhooey its bs nc3 is not natural, cause white nf3 is missing. I believe the stafford is a hoax.

@HongKongPhooey also almost no one plays aggressive against an unknown gambit(unless he is too good), and the pawn on c6 makes nc3 even a weirder choice, even in blitz.

Well I certainly agree with you that the Stafford Gambit is dubious. Perhaps a better way to say it is that the gambit attempts to exploit a player who simply plays ROTE developing moves to seemingly natural squares without paying attention to the specific tactical themes in the position. Most beginning kids simply bring out their Knights to the "natural" c3, f3, c6, f6 squares without much thought. A beginning player will easily miss the fact that the absence of a Knight on f3 weakens the kingside. I know, since I have actually tested this out against beginning scholastic players. The attack pattern, however, is a useful one for beginning players to learn, so they can apply it in more serious opening systems, when appropriate.