Ponderchess / Openings
Play the guided film, or select a scene to pause and study its position.
Opening
The Latvian Gambit in 3D
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5. Black counterattacks e4 at once, accepting a weakened kingside and an open e8-h5 diagonal in return for the initiative.
Rebuild the sequence yourself. The board responds to each move, and hints are available.
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Your turn · white to play
Select a piece, then its destination. Switch to 2D for a clear overhead view or rotate the 3D board to explore the position.
Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit, move by move: e4 e5 Nf3 f5 Nxe5 Nf6 Bc4 fxe4 …
The white pieces
Take on e5 or f5, develop quickly with d4, Nc3 and the light-squared bishop, and target the exposed king and the light squares around it.
The black pieces
Play for the initiative with ...Qf6, ...d6 and quick development, and keep the e4 pawn as a cramping wedge. The Latvian demands precise preparation.
Look a little deeper · 01
The critical reply is 3.Nxe5. After 3...Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3, White develops quickly and aims at Black's loose kingside. The Latvian is regarded as dubious at a high level.
Look a little deeper · 02
3.Bc4, the Mayet Attack, leads to wild play after 3...fxe4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 or 4...d5. Black gets attacking chances but must calculate precisely.
Look a little deeper · 03
3.exf5 and 3.d4 are simpler answers that avoid the sharpest theory while Black's kingside stays loose.
Look a little deeper · 04
The early ...f5 opens the e8-h5 diagonal, so Qh5+ is a constant tactical resource for White, and Black's king often stays in the centre.
Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit, move by move: e4 e5 Nf3 f5 Nxe5 Nf6 Bc4 fxe4 …
Keyboard: Space pauses, the arrow keys step. Gold arrows are White's moves, violet are Black's, red rays are threats, green shows support, blue shows plans.
