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A Pawn Sacrifice in the Opening.

A Pawn Sacrifice in the Opening.

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hey guyz

While playing on another chess site I discovered that If I give a pawn sacrifice in the opening I can develop my pieces quickly and stop the opponent from developing. I am always bad when playing as black. Though in that game my development was quite rapid.

I was playing as black and this is how the game started.

1. e4, e5 2.Nc3, Nf6, 3. Nf3, Bb4, 4. Nfxe5, d6 5.Nf3, Bg4. And then I can castle and develop my knight before he can develop both his bishops and castle.

This helps me stop the opponent from developing quickly and I can attack sooner. So, Is this sacrifice worthy for my development?

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Originally posted by Khan
hey guyz

While playing on another chess site I discovered that If I give a pawn sacrifice in the opening I can develop my pieces quickly and stop the opponent from developing. I am always bad when playing as black. Though in that game my development was quite rapid.

I was playing as black and this is how the game started.

1. e4, e5 2.Nc3, Nf6, 3. Nf3 ...[text shortened]... rom developing quickly and I can attack sooner. So, Is this sacrifice worthy for my development?
What If 5.Nd3?

Bxc3 dxc3 Nxe4 Qf3 0-0

White gives up the pawn for development.

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Or white doesn't even bother taking the pawn. plus Nc3 isn't played alot in the opening, 90% of the time it's Nf3.

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There are lots of openings where you sacrifice a pawn for space.

I play 2 of them frequently.

1. e4 ... e5,
2. f4 ... eXf
[The Kings Gambit]

--- and ---

1. e4 ... c5,
2. d4 ... cd,
3. c3 .. dc
[The Morra Gambit]

both get me good results.

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^^ King's Gambit is great for a laugh as is the Scotch and Danish gambits.

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Originally posted by Audacious
^^ King's Gambit is great for a laugh as is the Scotch and Danish gambits.
For a laugh?

Results here so far
P77, W 65 D 6 L 6 - some laugh!

1 edit
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I mean in terms of REAL chess, you wouldn't see many modern GM games getting won with those openings.

Nigel Short does tend to play it on playchess though.

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Originally posted by Audacious
I mean in terms of REAL chess, you wouldn't see many modern GM games getting won with those openings.

Nigel Short does tend to play it on playchess though.
Korchnoi and Fisher among other GMs played it.

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Originally posted by Dragon Fire
Korchnoi and Fisher among other GMs played it.
How can you forget Spasky?

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Originally posted by zebano
How can you forget Spasky?
Who was undefeated with it in all tournament games.

Audacious is lucky Dragon Fire and you saw that reply before me, because I wouldn't have been so nice. >: (

See my profile.

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Thanks guys, I was talking about how that game went.

1 edit
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Originally posted by Khan
Thanks guys, I was talking about how that game went.
After 3...Bb4



Sure this is playable, usually you can reach this position with Petroff (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4). Frank Marshall played this with Black so it can't be bad (I played Petroff a lot a year ago but this gambit seemed at the time too risky so I always steered the game to Four Knights with 3...Nc6) , he tried many gambits with Black and looking up his games in some database might be a good idea. The Idea here is similar to that of Ruy Lopez - putting pressure on the e4 pawn indirectly as White usually has to play d3 or d4 sooner or later.

Trouble with gambits is that when giving up a pawn you should really know what you're doing (at least once you reach the level where an extra pawn more or less guarantees a win). Here (as in all gambits) it is essential to activate your pieces, taking an advantage of possibly unnatural position of White pieces after he grabs the pawn (4.Nxe5 is critical line).

The main line seems to go...

4.Nxe5 0-0 (to bring out the rook to e8)
5.Be2 Re8 (Black is about to regain the pawn)

If White had played 5.d6 in order to hang on the material Black would open up the center with d5 (i.e. 5.d3?! Re8 6.f4 d5! is already looking good for Black).

After going through a couple games I noticed that White usually gets a doubled pawn on c-file and Black gains the pawn back after having castled.

Problem with your 4...d6 is that you are wasting a tempo driving away the knight when White is more or less forced to retreat it anyway. Further pinning the queen on move five is no good as White will play 6.h3 and protect the e4-pawn (5...Bg4?! 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3).

In summary:

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6 (this is the more usual way)
3. Nc3 Bb4!?
4. Nxe5 d6? (better is 4...0-0)
5. Nf3 Bg4?! (again 5...0-0 is better)
6. h3!

Regards,

- bahus

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Thanks bahus, Good words, I feel like I should have castled rather than e6 but I ussually make this move so to activate my bishop so I felt that would be a bit earleir, though castling seems better.

Thanks

M.W.KHAN

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Someone once said that a gambit is when you sacrifice a pawn for the sake of getting a lost game.

Having said that, I've done very well playing gambits in blitz. I don't play in USCF-rated tournaments any more, so I don't have to worry about what's going to happen if my opponent has time to figure out how to refute my gambit.

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ahh, the King's Gambit, the first opening I ever fell in love with.

btw, many GMs DO tend to play a gambit; it's called the Queen's Gambit.

I tend to keep my gambit opening use in the realm of blitz and quick games (just don't like them as much in cc when opponents have all the time in the world to think their moves over)