FM Selim Gürcan, founder of Satranç Okulu, presents an instructive look at the aggressive Turkish Gambit, showing how Black can seize the initiative instead of using classical defences and put the opponent in trouble from the start.
Philosophy
The video starts with the analysis of a 1983 game. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5: the move ...d5 aims at the centre directly instead of defending. After exd5, Black does not stop and keeps developing quickly. The gambit’s philosophy is to give a pawn for superior central control, fast development and lasting pressure.
Variations
If White moves the knight, Black can win a tempo by capturing on d5 with the queen. White’s most logical but hardest-to-find move is Qe2: it protects e4 but blocks the bishop. If White plays Nc3, Black develops with ...Be7 and pressures the e4 pawn. The rest of the video includes a grandmaster-level example.
This article is adapted from the video on the Satranç Okulu YouTube channel.
