The von Hennig Gambit is a sharp attacking idea for white all Caro-Kann players must Know. It’s dangerous, and you could fall for several tricks and traps, but if you Know them well, white has no compensation for the pawn.
I will admit, I have lost to it. But only once. And after that game I sat down and learned how to successfully refute the von Hennig Gambit every time. The Caro-Kann defense has very few gambits you have to fight regularly. I would say that the von Hennig is among the most frequently played ones.
White is playing for rapid development by sacrificing a pawn and not recapturing on e4 after dxe4. Instead, white plays Bc4, developing, putting pressure on f7, and preparing several nasty tricks Black could fall for. I have explained how to fight of all of them and end up with a safe advantage and up a pawn every time you face the von Hennig Gambit.
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