Hi All...
Anyone who looks at my profile may deduce rather quickly that I'm no Grandmaster, so to be dismissive of Ruy Lopez could appear a bit arrogant. However, since just about everybody with a chess board seems to rely on it regularly, I have to admit that the more chess I play, the more tired of it I get.
SO, in the spirit of expanding my horizons I have decided to try to pursue a new opening that is a bit LESS likely to turn into a 100+ move slog through the mud. I've got a gambit in mind that I read about last year, but I thought I'd throw out an invitation to the crowd.
If you had to pick a daring, almost swashbuckling opening that you enjoyed playing and occassionally scares the bejesus out of your opponent, what would it be?
Originally posted by DecanterI usually play the Beer's gambit accepted 😉
Hi All...
Anyone who looks at my profile may deduce rather quickly that I'm no Grandmaster, so to be dismissive of Ruy Lopez could appear a bit arrogant. However, since just about everybody with a chess board seems to rely on it regularly, I have to admit that the more chess I play, the more tired of it I get.
SO, in the spirit of expanding my horiz ...[text shortened]... you enjoyed playing and occassionally scares the bejesus out of your opponent, what would it be?
As white? KG! KG! KG! KG! It's possibly the quintessential scary gambit opening. Plus, it allows you to keep e4 without having to be afraid of dealing with the stupid ruy. Which, actually, is why I adopted it. Because I hate the ruy too.
Alternatively, the evans might be fun.
As black? Latvian against e4 🙄 or, if you don't want to lose, perhaps any of the sharper sicilians. Modern benoni, dutch leningrad, or albin 🙄 against d4. ?
Originally posted by paultopiaAnd against the KG, black can play 2. ... Qf6!. It is by far not the most solid defense, but most whiteplayers don't know it and think they can refute it easily. Which is an ideal position to sit in🙂
As white? KG! KG! KG! KG! It's possibly the quintessential scary gambit opening. Plus, it allows you to keep e4 without having to be afraid of dealing with the stupid ruy. Which, actually, is why I adopted it. Because I hate the ruy too.
Alternatively, the evans might be fun.
As black? Latvian against e4 🙄 or, if you don't want to lose ...[text shortened]... haps any of the sharper sicilians. Modern benoni, dutch leningrad, or albin 🙄 against d4. ?
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Originally posted by Mephisto2Well, that's the beauty of daring gambits for people at my level, Mephisto2. Original openings are still pretty new and exciting. There's less of a "been there, done that, know the counter" so the games tend to be more fun. (imho anyway)
And against the KG, black can play 2. ... Qf6!. It is by far not the most solid defense, but most whiteplayers don't know it and think they can refute it easily. Which is an ideal position to sit in🙂
The opening that has me interested is the Danish Gambit, but I certainly will look at the King's if Paul likes it. Although I expect I'll be losing a lot before I win a lot. 🙂
(I have to admit, Rav's opening has a lot of appeal to it)
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Originally posted by Mephisto2Against the KG black can play all sorts of defenses... if one is afraid of dealing with weird defenses, one shouldn't play it. :-) I think I've faced 2. Qf6 once, don't recall what I did with it. But I don't see how Nf3 could hurt.
And against the KG, black can play 2. ... Qf6!. It is by far not the most solid defense, but most whiteplayers don't know it and think they can refute it easily. Which is an ideal position to sit in🙂
Didn't Tony Miles invent 2. ... f5!? as a defense to the KG at one point? That, I'd like to face onea these days.
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Originally posted by paultopiaActually, Miles's idea was 2..Nc6 3.Nf3 f5!?
Didn't Tony Miles invent 2. ... f5!? as a defense to the KG at one point? That, I'd like to face onea these days.
The drawback of 2..Nc6 is that White could play 3.Nc3, which transposes the game into the Vienna Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4). So black needs to know the theory of that line if he wishes to risk 2..Nc6.
Originally posted by DecanterI like to use the Fegatello attack against the 2 knights defence. Although I can't force this line from the opening, when the opportunity occurs I almost always take it.
Hi All...
Anyone who looks at my profile may deduce rather quickly that I'm no Grandmaster, so to be dismissive of Ruy Lopez could appear a bit arrogant. However, since just about everybody with a chess board seems to rely on it regularly, I have to admit that the more chess I play, the more tired of it I get.
SO, in the spirit of expanding my horiz ...[text shortened]... you enjoyed playing and occassionally scares the bejesus out of your opponent, what would it be?
The exposed black king allows white to exploit pins, discovered checks etc and can lead to great combinational play in the attempt to get back the lost material and emerge with a winning superiority in position. Black meanwhile can wriggle and dodge to try and emerge from the middle game with his material superiority intact. it is almost always an interesting game for both players. 🙂
Here are a couple of examples :
One where I won.
Game 494234
One where I lost
Game 541367
Originally posted by ShallowBlueNice games! In the second game, you could have tried 23.Rxf5. Black would be in trouble if he took the rook (23....Kxf5 24.Qd3+ and the king must come forward to avoid mate and white will win). Probably the best continuation for black would be Qa1+ 24.Re1 Qxe1+ 25.Qxe1 Kf5 26.f4 and white is at least equal, probably better.
I like to use the Fegatello attack against the 2 knights defence.
One where I lost
Game 541367
Originally posted by Mephisto2You're absolutely right Mephisto!
Nice games! In the second game, you could have tried 23.Rxf5. Black would be in trouble if he took the rook (23....Kxf5 24.Qd3+ and the king must come forward to avoid mate and white will win). Probably the best continuation for black would be Qa1+ 24.Re1 Qxe1+ 25.Qxe1 Kf5 26.f4 and white is at least equal, probably better.
I obviously missed this move in the game but thanks for pointing it out. In truth, this game dented my faith in the fegatello a little but now that I see I missed an almost sure win I am a lot happier.
Also, that was the only game that I have lost using this strategy (although I haven't had the chance to use it against a high rated player such as yourself).
🙂