King's Gambit Accepted: Middleton Countergambit is a chess opening with the ECO code C37, part of the King's Gambit Accepted family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 d6 5. O-O Bg4 6. h3 h5 7. hxg4 hxg4. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 14 moves it is White to move. After the last move White is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
2. f4 – White plays the pawn to f4
2... exf4 – Black captures on f4 with the e-pawn
3. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
3... g5 – Black plays the pawn to g5
4. Bc4 – White plays the bishop to c4
4... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
5. O-O – White castles kingside
5... Bg4 – Black plays the bishop to g4
6. h3 – White plays the pawn to h3
6... h5 – Black plays the pawn to h5
The line goes on for 2 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the King's Gambit Accepted
After 1.e4 e5 2.f4, Black takes the pawn with 2...exf4. The game turns wild: White wants a big centre and an attack on f7.
White plays Nf3, d4 and Bc4, then opens the f-file to attack f7.
Black can hold the pawn with ...g5 or give it back with ...d5 for easy development.
Watch the e1-h4 diagonal: ...Qh4+ can be a dangerous check against White's king.
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