Chessy
Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack for White
The Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack is a sharp opening, but the first surprise is how balanced the position is after the opening moves. Stockfish gives a tiny plus for White, yet the game is still fundamentally level, so this is less about memorising a long line and more about knowing the right response to Black’s ideas. In the drill below, you’ll practise the critical position with White and learn what to do when Black chooses the engine’s strongest move or one of the most common practical continuations.
Play the Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack against the engine
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Create a free account →What this opening asks White to do
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bc4, you are ready for a lively position where Black has committed early on the kingside. The main practical job for White is simple: keep your pieces active, stay calm, and punish any weakening move with accurate development and tactics. The position is not won for you, but it does ask Black to justify the pawn push. That makes it a good training position if you want to spot when an attack is real and when it is only a gamble.
The engine's key reply
The engine’s best move here is fxe4. That is the move the drill is built around, and it is the one you should understand first. If Black follows the engine line, the game can continue with fxe4 Nxe5 Qg5 Nf7. You do not need to memorise everything at once; focus on recognising that Black’s most accurate reaction is to strike in the centre and keep the position moving before White can build a comfortable attack.
What the database says
Across 251,013 games at this exact position, White wins 53.1%, draws 2.5%, and Black wins 44.4%. Those results fit the engine’s verdict: this is a playable position for White, but not an automatic advantage. The most common practical replies are Nf6 with 90,842 games, fxe4 with 72,870 games, Nc6 with 29,609 games, d6 with 26,378 games, Bc5 with 8,909 games, and d5 with 4,588 games. Your drill should prepare you to meet the moves you will actually see most often.
The moves that go wrong most often
There are some clear problem moves in this position. Nf6 is a mistake and loses about 1.2 pawns; Nc6 is also a mistake and loses about 1.3 pawns; d6 is another mistake and loses about 1.3 pawns. In every case, the better move was fxe4. That is useful for White because it tells you where Black is most likely to drift: if Black chooses one of these less accurate continuations, you are usually getting a better game than the opening should give you.
Results across 251,013 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 90,842 | 54.1% |
| fxe4 | 72,870 | 50.5% |
| Nc6 | 29,609 | 49.6% |
| d6 | 26,378 | 52.8% |
| Bc5 | 8,909 | 58.7% |
| d5 | 4,588 | 57.5% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack good for White to face?
Yes, it is a workable position for White. Stockfish gives **+0.17**, which means White is only very slightly better, and the opening is still essentially level. The database results also show White scoring well enough to make this a practical choice in a drill.
What is Black’s best move in this position?
The engine’s best move is **fxe4**. If Black finds it, the game stays active and accurate play matters. The listed continuation is **fxe4 Nxe5 Qg5 Nf7**.
Which replies are most common in real games?
The most-played continuations are **Nf6**, **fxe4**, **Nc6**, **d6**, **Bc5**, and **d5**. The first four are the ones you are most likely to meet, so it is worth drilling them first. The database also shows that some of those moves are not the most accurate.
Which Black moves should I punish most quickly?
The known mistakes here are **Nf6**, **Nc6**, and **d6**. Each one loses about **1.2** or **1.3** pawns, and in each case **fxe4** was better. If Black chooses one of these, White has already gained a useful edge in practical terms.
How many games feature the Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack?
Over 251K Lichess games have reached the Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack position. White wins 53.1%, Black wins 44.4%, with 2.5% draws — based on real rated games.