Wikipedia:List of hoaxes on Wikipedia/Ruy Lopez, Hopkins Gambit
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.c4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Richard Hopkins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Ruy Lopez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Hopkins Gambit is a rarely played variant of the Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defense chess opening characterized by the moves:
Acquiring its name from Richard Hopkins, a fairly strong amateur player in the late nineteenth century, the main purpose of c4 is to solidify the position of the white bishop on a4 by deterring Black from playing 5...b5. In addition, c4 asserts some control over the center, in particular the important d5-square. The rarity of the Hopkins Gambit in modern competitive play is due to the inherent weakness of the queen pawn, which as a backward pawn becomes a liability should Black take advantage.
Black responses
Hopkins Gambit Accepted: 5...Nxe4
The most commonly played continuation, Black challenges White to make a direct claim to the center, and can lead to sharp play on both sides. After 6.Qe2 Nc5 the main continuations follow:
- 7.Nxe5 Nd4 8.Qe3 Nxa4 9.Qxd4 Bc5 10.Qe4 Qe7 and due to greater piece activity Black has better chances
- 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.Nxe5 Be6 9.0-0 Qd4, and with better center control Black has an advantage.
White may also play 6.Bxc6 immediately, but after 6...dxc6 7.Qe2 Nd6 8. Nxe4 Qe7 9.b3 f6 10.Nf3 Bg4 11.Bb2 0-0-0 Black has better piece activity.
Hopkins Gambit Declined: 5...Bc5
By declining to capture the pawn, Black tries to create a positional advantage, taking control of the d4 square to weaken White’s pawn structure. Moves other than Bc5 allow White to play 6.d4, allowing White to possess a dominant center position. The main variation follows:
- 6.Nc3 0-0 7.0-0 d6 with equal chances for both sides
Prussian Countergambit: 5...g5?!
Black offers White a pawn in exchange for a direct kingside attack. If White does not capture the g5-pawn, Black usually follows with 6…g4. The main variation follows:
- 6.Nxg5 Rg8 7.d3 h6 8.Nf3 Rxg2 9.Nh4 Rg8, with a complicated and unclear middlegame.
Illustrative games
- Hopkins–Burkholder, Philadelphia, 1894:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.c4 g5 6.Nxg5 Rg8 7.d3 h6 8.Nf3 Rxg2 9.Nh4 Rg7 10.Bxh6 Ng4 11.Bxg7 Qxh4 12.Qf3 Bxg7 13.Nc3 Nd4 14.Qg3 Qxg3 15.hxg3 b5 16.Nd5 Ra7 17.Bb3 bxc4 18.dxc4 Rb7 19.Rh7 Bf8 20.Rc1 c6 21.Bd1 Nh6 22.Nc3 Rxb2 23.f4 exf4 24.gxf4 Ne6 25.Rc2 Rxc2 26.Bxc2 Nxf4 27.Kd2 Ng6 28.c5 d6 29.cxd6 Bxd6 30.Ne2 Bb4+ 31.Kc1 Ng4 32.Nd4 N4e5 0–1
- Hopkins–NN, Cleveland, 1898:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.c4 Nxe4 6.Qe2 Nc5 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.Nxe5 Be6 9.0-0 Qd4 10.Re1 0-0-0 11.Nc3 f6 12.Nf3 Qxc4 13.Qxc4 Bxc4 14.Re3 Nd3 15.b3 Bf7 16.Ne1 Nxc1 17.Rxc1 Rxd2 18.Nf3 Rd7 19.Kf1 Bc5 20. Re2 Rhd8 21.h4 Bh5 22.Ne4 Ba3 23.Rcc2 Bxf3 24.gxf3 Rd4 25.h5 f5 26.Ng5 Rh4 27.Nf7 Rd1+ 28.Kg2 Kb8 29.h6 Rhh1 30.Re8+ Ka7 31.Kg3 g5 0–1
See also
References
- McHale, Dennis (1990) Irregular Chess Openings Henry Holt & Co.
- Keene, Raymond (2002) The Evolution of Chess Opening Theory Harding Simpole