Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nf6/3. Nxe5/3...Nc6/4. Nxc6/4...dxc6

Black recaptures with the d-pawn. This opens the d-file for Black's queen and the diagonal for Black's light square bishop. The g4-square is now covered by Black's light square bishop. Black is prepared for a lighting-fast attack on White's position. They want to play Bc5 and pressure f2 with Ng4 or Nxe4, or by forming a battery with the bishop with Qd4. To prove White's advantage, they must keep their head and play solidly, stalling out Black's momentum.

White's priorities are, in order:

1. Find a way to protect their e-pawn to hold on to their material lead.
2. Find a way to prevent the knight from coming to g4.

The first option is 5. d3 to defend e4. Though this appears to limit's White's light-square bishop, White plans to follow 5...Bc4 with 6. Be2 and control g4 that way, then build a strong centre with c3 and d4.

5. f3 is an interesting try that derails the usual Stafford line. Ignoring common wisdom to "never play f3", White defends e4 and g4 at the same time. Now 5...Bc4 runs into 6. c3 and 7. d4, and Black has a hard time making progress. The best move is instead 5...Be6.

5. Nc3 is the most natural move, to develop a piece while defending e4, and staying flexible regarding the light-square bishop. This is a sharper, counterattacking alternative that generates tactics for both sides: playable but double-edged.

White may hope to play d4 in one move, but will find it hard to do so as they no longer have a knight on f3 to support it, and White's knight on c3 prevents the c3 and d4 plan to shutdown Black's bishop. It is important in the 5. Nc3 line that White then controls g4 with 6. h3, and not try the combination 5. Nc3 and 6. Be2?? together. This is because White's bishop prevents Qf3 (see explanation in sample game).

5. Qe2 can defend the e-pawn, and though it looks unnatural, it is playable so long as White avoids the trap of playing 5...Bc5 6. e5?? (6...Ng4 and a crushing attack on f2 follows, e.g. 7. f3 Nf2 8. Rg1 Nd3+ 9. Qxd3 Qxd3 10. Bxd3 Bxg1-+). 6. h3 h5 7. d3 instead, and Black's initiative fizzles out.

5. e5!?, kicking the knight, is another interesting try for White. After 5...Ne4, White must play 6. d4 to disallow 6...Bc5. The greedy 6. d3??, to kick the knight again, allows 6...Bc5 as in the Lowens vs Stafford 1950 game, where Black threatens mate in 2 (Bxf2+ Ke2 Bg4#); 7. dxe4 and Black wins White's queen, 7. Be3 and Black wins an exchange.

This miniature played at the FIDE World Blitz championship illustrates the sharpness of the gambit and the precariousness of inaccurate play by White.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 4. Nxc6 dxc6

White accepts the Stafford gambit and this position is reached.

5. Nc3

White chooses to defend the e4 pawn with their knight. 5. d3 is a sound alternative.

5...Bc5

Black develops their bishop and pressures f2. Black threatens Ng4, attacking f2 twice and threatening Bxf2+. If White does not react to this threat they lose their advantage and more, e.g. 6. d3? Ng4 7. Be3 Nxe3 8. fxe3 Bxe3 ∓.

6. Be2?

Be2 protects the g4 square, but it is a mistake in the 5. Nc3 line. Black can win back the pawn with 6...Qd4!, forming a battery against f2 and forking the e4 pawn. 7. O-O Nxe4 8. Nxe4 Qxe4 =.

Be2 works in the 5. d3 line because the e4 pawn is guarded with a pawn. 5. d3 Bc5 6. Be2 Qd4? 7. O-O Nxe4?? 8. dxe4 Qxe4 9. Nc3 +-. Black is down an knight and a pawn for two pawns.

6...h5!?

Black chooses not to play 6...Qd4 (despite what the commentators may have thought, Rosen was familiar with the idea but opted for this tricky line instead^[1].

6...h5 supports the g4 square so that Black may play Ng4. Black's real intention is to use trading their knight on g4 to open the h file: Ng4 Bxg4 hxg4! instead of Bxh4.

7. h3?

White's move seems to add control over g4 and so prevent the knight from coming in. However, Black is interested in prying open the h file and this will help them to do so.

An improvement would be 7. d3. Black can half-open the h file with 7...Ng4 8. Bxg4 hxg4 but this is not so dangerous if White avoids short-castling.

7...Qd4

Now Black threatens mate on f2, encouraging White to castle into the danger.

8. O-O Ng4 9. hxg4?? hxg4

An improvement would be 8. Rf1 to prevent mate.

Black sacrifices the knight to pry open the h file. Even here White had a choice: 9. Bxg4 hxg4 and White needn't take back on g4. 10. d3 and if 10...gxh3 11. g3 h2+ 12. Kh1 and the king is quite safe. White is only slightly worse.

10. g3

N.B. 10. d3?? Qe5 (mate in 4) 11. g3?? Qxg3#.

10...Qe5

Threatens mate in 1 (f-pawn is pinned).

11. Kg2

Unpins f-pawn.

11...Bxf2

11...Qa5? fails to Rh1. Bxf2 deflects the rook from the back rank.

12. Rxf2 Qh5 13. Bf3

If 12. Kxf2 Rh2+ 13. Ke3 (Ke1?? Qxg3#) Qxg3+ 14. Bf3-+

13. Bf3 creates an escape route for the king via f1 and e2.

13...gxf3+ 14. Qxf3?? Qh1# 0-1

White blunders mate in one in time pressure. 14. Rxf3 Qh2+ 15. Kf1-+ allows the game to go on.

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Wikipedia has related information at Petrov Defence