Become a chess board ‘pirate’

Early attacks, gambits and daring sacrifices — not always sound, but a lot of fun and quick to win with.

Ahoy, me hearties, all hands on deck for some rough sea adventure! Get ready to rob, pillage and plunder the enemy.

A cartoon galleon with black sails, one of them carrying a skull and crossbones.

If you like early aggressive attacks, taking a chance on a gambit or two, or the thrill of a daring piece sacrifice, then these swashbuckling ideas may well excite your game. They might not be sound tactically, but for beginners and intermediates they are a lot of fun and can win you games very quickly.

A cartoon young pirate in a skull-and-crossbones hat and eye patch, scowling, with a green parrot on one shoulder.

The lines to plunder

Every one of these has a page on this site now — follow any of them to play the moves through.

Fool’s Mate
Scholar’s Mate
Englund Gambit
Blackburne Shilling Gambit
The Legal Trap
Tennison Gambit
Fried Liver Attack
Vienna Gambit Accepted
Stafford Gambit
Traxler Counter Gambit

There are more traps and quick finishes on the chess traps page, and the other side of the same coin — how not to hand your opponent a piece — is on blunders and dangerous squares.