King's Gambit

14. Adelaide Counter-Gambit with 3...f5

In the Adelaide Counter-Gambit, Black attempts to muddy the waters with 3...f5, but severely weakens diagonal defenses around their king.

1.e4 e5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.Ng1 Nf6 7.Nc3

Move by move

1. 1.e4 – White's fundamental opening thrust: controls the center with e4, opens paths for bishop and queen, laying the cornerstone for the King's Gambit.
2. 1...e5 – The classical response: Black stakes a firm claim on the center with e5, stopping White's immediate d4 and enabling smooth piece development.
3. 2.f4 – The legendary King's Gambit! White offers the f-pawn on move two to deflect Black's e5 pawn, pry open the f-file for the rook, and rule the center.
4. 2...Nc6 – Defensive knight development to c6: guards the center and protects e5, steeling for a fierce battle over control of the open central files.
5. 3.Nf3 – The knight develops to f3 controlling d4 and e5, stopping Black's annoying queen sortie to h4 and preparing the main attacking wave.
6. 3...f5 – The Adelaide Counter-Gambit: Black pushes 3...f5 trying to counterattack on the kingside, but creates fatal weaknesses around their own king.
7. 4.exf5 – Central capture with exf5: White eliminates the pawn, tearing open deadly avenues of infiltration along the e8-h5 diagonal against Black's monarch.
8. 4...e4 – Aggressive pawn charge to e4: Black attacks the f3 knight seeking counterplay, but leaves their king completely stripped of pawn shelter.
9. 5.Qe2 – Lethal pin with Qe2: White's queen freezes the e4 pawn by pinning it to Black's king along the open file with devastating effect.
10. 5...Qe7 – Black's queen steps to e7 to break the pin, but clogs the f8 bishop's natural path and worsens kingside piece coordination.
11. 6.Ng1 – Prophylactic retreat: the knight drops back to g1 temporarily, ready to re-emerge via h3 or e2 while maintaining the central pin.
12. 6...Nf6 – Black develops the knight to f6 trying to finish piece development, but the yawning development gap remains utterly insurmountable.
13. 7.Nc3 – Rapid development with Nc3: ratchets up pressure on the pinned e4 pawn and prepares material reclamation with an overwhelming positional plus.

How to exploit the position

Reaction against Adelaide Counter-Gambit with 3...f5

• Capture with exf5 opening lines against Black's weakened king
• Seize full central command with d4
• Regain material with Bxf4 developing harmoniously
• Exploit massive structural weaknesses created by Black's f5 push

Master tips

Punish diagonal vulnerabilities

The 3...f5 thrust critically weakens the e8-h5 diagonal and the e6 square