Opening family
Latvian Gambit Lines and Variations
The Latvian Gambit family contains 17 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO C40 to C44. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
The gambit side must turn time and activity into concrete threats; if the initiative fades, the pawn deficit matters.
Black
The defending side should return material if needed to finish development and neutralize the initiative.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- C40 · Latvian Gambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Diepstraten Countergambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Lobster Gambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mlotkowski Variation
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Senechaud Gambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Fraser Defense
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Greco Variation
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Morgado Defense
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Strautins Gambit
- C44 · Latvian Gambit: Clam Gambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Countergambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Polerio-Svedenborg Variation
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Poisoned Pawn Variation
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit
- C40 · Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation
Deep theory branches
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. Nf7 Qxg2 6. Rf1 d5 7. Nxh8 Nf6 — Latvian Gambit: Behting Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Nf6 4. Bc4 fxe4 5. Nf7 Qe7 6. Nxh8 d5 — Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. d4 Qxg2 — Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Poisoned Pawn Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Nf6 — Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Countergambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 d5 — Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Polerio-Svedenborg Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d3 f5 4. exf5 — Latvian Gambit: Clam Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Nc6 — Latvian Gambit: Fraser Defense
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qe7 — Latvian Gambit: Greco Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 Nf6 — Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Morgado Defense
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 b5 — Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, Strautins Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. c4 — Latvian Gambit: Diepstraten Countergambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. g4 — Latvian Gambit: Lobster Gambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. d4 — Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 — Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nc3 — Latvian Gambit: Mlotkowski Variation
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. b4 — Latvian Gambit: Senechaud Gambit