Short & Sweet Alien Gambit by CM Volen Dyulgerov Apr 08, 2025

Take a Trip to Mars for New Weapons against the Caro-Kann

1…c6 doesn’t always lead to the exciting tactical games you signed up for as a 1.e4 player. But the Alien Gambit and Martian Gambit will drag your opponent into one whether they like it or not!

Candidate Master and popular chess streamer Volen Dyulgerov introduces you to the exciting gambits he invented for White in the Caro-Kann. And while they may not exactly be engine-approved, the win rates speak for themselves! Plus, who couldn’t have fun by starting a game like this?

The Alien Gambit starts after the moves 1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng5 h6 6. Nxf7!?

The Martian Gambit starts after the moves 1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng5 Bg6 6. N1f3 h6 7. Ne6!?

If you’re scratching your head wondering how these openings could ever possibly work, the thorough explanations in this Short & Sweet course will show you how! Specifically, you’ll learn how to:

👽Take advantage of the critically weak light squares around Black’s king. Learn some of Black’s most natural replies – and White’s refutations – which will rack up quick wins in the opening

👽Play for a long-term attack despite being a piece down. The true beauty of this gambit is that Black thinks they get away with a piece… until they don’t!

👽Fight some of Black’s most common lines, avoiding the Alien and Martian gambits. Learn a few tricks against Caro-Kann sidelines like the Karpov variation (4…Nd7), Gurgenidze System (3…g6) and more.

This truly Short & Sweet course – with just 14 trainable variations and 30 minutes of video – is learnable in a lunch break, yet sets you up for hours of fun in the Caro-Kann.

Who wouldn’t want to sac a knight and beat an opponent with a gambit named after an alien!? Try it today and start vaporizing the Caro-Kann the Martian way.