Latvian Gambit
Black's complete intermediate repertoire in the Latvian Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5!?). Seven drills cover the Leonhardt main line 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4, the wild Svedenborg 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Qg5, the Mlotkowski 3.exf5 e4 with ...Qe7, the Behting 3.Nxe5 Nc6, the Polerio 3.Nc3 fxe4, the 3.d4 centre counter, and the Diepstraten 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 d5.
The Latvian Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5!?) is the King's Gambit in reverse — Black throws down the gauntlet on move two, sacrificing a pawn for the initiative, open lines, and tactical chances in positions most 1.e4 players have never seriously studied. This pack drills the seven essential paths: the Leonhardt main line 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 with ...fxe4 and rapid central play, the legendary Svedenborg 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 grabbing g2 and the rook on h1, the Mlotkowski 3.exf5 e4 with the calm ...Qe7 and central recovery, the solid Behting 3...Nc6 declining the queen sortie, the Polerio 3.Nc3 fxe4 with the sharp ...d5 break, the centralising 3.d4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 with a Falkbeer-style middlegame, and the modern Diepstraten 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 d5 hitting the bishop. Thirty exam positions sharpen the swashbuckling tactics, the queen-on-g2 motif, the king-walk-to-f7 to trap the white queen on h8, and the rapid-attack philosophy that makes the Latvian Gambit one of the most feared surprise weapons at intermediate level.