Roughly 100,000 games have been played using the Alien Gambit just in January 2024. Many Grandmasters are falling victim to it. Why has it become a hot trend in chess?
The Alien Gambit is like a new trend in online chess. It’s become super popular, with more than 100,000 games played just in January 2024. People of all skill levels are trying it out, from newbies to masters, including top ones like Hikaru Nakamura. As more and more people get into it, the Alien Gambit could become a regular part of the game for those who like to take risks.
The Alien Gambit, made famous by CM Volen Dyulgerov, aka The Witty Alien, is a bold and unusual opening. Witty Alien is a crazy chess streamer too and you should check out his Youtube channel. The Gambit happens in the Caro-Kann Defense, where White sacrifices a knight on the f7 square to tempt Black’s king into the middle of the board.
Some people might say this gambit isn’t very reliable and isn’t something serious players should try. But in quick games like bullet or blitz, where opponents might not be familiar with it, it can create confusion and lead to big mistakes. Even experienced players like Eric Rosen can struggle with it, dealing with weird piece positions and the challenge of not being able to castle.
The Alien Gambit Theory
First of all, let’s review the game between two FIDE Masters below, which took place just a few weeks ago. It’s an online bullet game on Lichess. The Russian FM Gor Glidzhian, playing as White, employed the Alien Gambit.
As you can see, Glidzhian sacrificed a knight to weaken Black’s kingside, then launched a deadly attack on the king, winning the game in just 20 moves. White’s subsequent moves after 6.Nxf7 were straightforward and clear. These included moves like Nf3, Bd3 (or Bc4), Ne5 (or Ng5), Qf3 (or Qh5), 0-0, and Re1. White could even sacrifice the bishop on h6 pawn at some point, using the other bishop to attack Black’s weak light squares and the b1-h7 diagonal. White can also target the weak e6 pawn or maneuver the rook from e1 to e3 and g3 for a kingside attack. There were numerous ways for White to mount an attack, while Black had limited defensive options.
Now I will go into more detail about the theory behind the Alien Gambit, based on a game where the 2600 Elo rated Grandmaster Miguel Santos Ruiz was defeated in a bullet game.
Here is another example where the player executed the gambit very effectively, winning the game in just 18 moves.
Most common responses for Black in the 7th move
Let’s look at the table below.
| Move | % of moves | White won | Black won |
| Nbd7 | 24% | 56% | 40% |
| e6 | 20% | 58% | 39% |
| Bg4 | 19% | 84% | 15% |
| Bf5 | 11% | 54% | 43% |
| Be6 | 7% | 55% | 41% |
| Kg8 | 6% | 56% | 41% |
| g6 | 4% | 56% | 41% |
| g5 | 3% | 62% | 36% |
| Ke8 | 2% | 68% | 30% |
| c5 | 1% | 39% | 57% |
The table shows the 10th most common responses for Black after White’s 7.Nf3. Surprisingly, the best move for Black is the 10th choice, which is 7…c5. Black has a 57% chance of winning after this move. The other moves would leave Black with just a 43% or less chance of winning. That’s why the Alien Gambit is so popular right now. Because, it gives White so many chances to win.
Why did 7…Bg4 give White 84% of winning? Because White can launch a knight fork.
A Trap when Black plays 7… Bf5
Strategies for Tackling the Alien Gambit
A 2100-rated chess player was winning against Hikaru Nakamura when the top grandmaster played the Alien Gambit a few weeks ago. How could that be possible? Well, the lower-rated player used 7…c5, then traded the Queen. He lost, obviously, but put up a good fight. That’s the best way to counter the Alien Gambit, as shown in the table above.
Over time, as more people get used to it, the Alien Gambit might lose some of its surprise factor. Still, its ability to disrupt opponents and create chaos on the board shouldn’t be underestimated. While it’s not recommended for longer games or playing without practice, the Alien Gambit adds excitement and creativity to the game.