The Calypso Gambit is a fun gambit line that black can play against 1.d4. Although dubious, the lines force white to play into the position that you wish to play. I have decided to name this gambit after Dr. Philip Corbin, a chess player who promotes a style of chess called Calypso chess. What is a Calypso? Calypso is a highly rhythmic style of dancing that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. Like the music, the style of chess is swashbuckling, fast paced and aggressively focuses on checkmate at all costs! If this style does not suit you then the Calypso Gambit is probably not for you
What sort of chess player would play the Calypso gambit? If you enjoy giving away loads of pawns and you enjoy playing a romantic style of chess, the Calypso gambit can lead to some beautiful checkmate combinations. If you are a player that enjoys the Danish gambit, you will feel very comfortable in this line as black goes down two pawns but enjoys a lot of development and activity.
Is it any good? Like any black gambit, there is a lot of risk in this line to play it. Whack this against an engine and of course it will read that black is up nearly +2.0. However, the real value of playing this way is that white is forced into your prep and lines. He may smile with glee that we have been so generous with giving him a material edge, but the trade-off in activity and initiative is irresistible for any player to pass. In longer time controls where the opponent has ample time to assess his options in facing this line, any amount of prep will most likely lead to a better position for white. In this regard, it is best to avoid playing slower time controls and instead use this in the realms of bullet, blitz and rapid.
With this study I have provided percentages where each move has been played on the lichess database. I will make a rule that anything lower than 4% I will not include in my analysis - A move that is 4% likely to happen will most likely never happen... If it does, it is probably a bad move - or at least move that gives black equality. If you do meet a move that falls into this category. My advice would be to play a move then analyse it in the post mortem with an engine- It may reveal why it is a move that is not played often!
