I don’t normally partake in a potentially messy treat while trying to play speed chess. However, occasionally I find myself in a tricky and potentially sticky situation where I am offered a treat while I am otherwise engaged in a chess game. On January 1, 2024, I was enjoying a cappuccino while playing speed chess when a barista offered me a free cupcake. To avoid making a mess of my fingers and thus my chess set, I decided the best course of action was to stuff the delectable dessert into my mouth with one bite. After I nodded that I was ready to play another game, Black started the clock and I began with 1. a3 (Anderssen’s Opening) to which he responded with 1… d5. I immediately played an improvised gambit 2. e4 dxe4 3. d3 exd3 4. Bxd3. Before making another move, I gulped down some of my coffee so that I could exclaim, “From this day forward, this shall be known as the Cupcake Gambit!” The notation below is from this truly historic game.
1. a3 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. d3 exd3 4. Bxd3.
[Event “Cupcake Gambit”]
[Site “San Francisco, California”]
[Date “01/6/2024”]
[White “Chris Torres”]
[Black “Dan”]
[Result “1-0”]
1. a3 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. d3 exd3 4. Bxd3 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Qe2 O-O 8. Bg5 h6 9. h4 hxg5 10. hxg5 Nd5 11. Bh7+ Kh8 12. Qe4 Nxc3 13. Bg8+ Kxg8 14. Qh7# 1-0
This is not the ‘cupcake gambit’.
This has been played in 1957(by one rather well known player)
He had a more mainstream name for it, but he’s the 1st.