1. Account suspended
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    01 Oct '07 15:47
    I used to play the danish gambit, but I dropped it a few years ago. Does anyone here play it? I wonder if it can be played in a long game
  2. Sigulda, Latvia
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    01 Oct '07 16:45
    I sometimes play it and of course it can be played. The most popular line I think is 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 d5 6. Bxd5 Nf6 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qxd8 Bb4+ 9. Qd2 Bxd2 10. Kxd2. Of course there are many side-variations but I think this one is the most popular one, at least OTB I've faced this the most.

    Another interesting twist is if black plays 5. ... Bb4+ followed by 6. Kf1!? and now the game gets pretty sharp. (Btw 6. ... Qe7 7. Bxg7 Qxe4 is pretty bad for black due to 8. Qe2 and black is forced to exchange queens)

    Anyway, I think this is quite an interesting opening but if you want to play it, you must be ready to face 3. ... d5 which is why most GM's don't play this opening.
  3. Joined
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    02 Oct '07 02:21
    In his recent book "Gambiteer I", GM Nigel Davies recommends a variation of the Danish Gambit for White: 1 e4 e5 2 d4 ed 3 c3 dc 4 Nc3.

    He recommends the Wing Gambit against the Sicilian: 1 e4 c5 2 b4.

    Another "winger" against the French: 1 e4 e6 2 Nf3 d5 3 e5 c5 4 b4

    Gambiteer II (a repertoire for Black) is due out this month by the same author.
  4. Joined
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    02 Oct '07 13:08
    Originally posted by gaychessplayer
    In his recent book "Gambiteer I", GM Nigel Davies recommends a variation of the Danish Gambit for White: 1 e4 e5 2 d4 ed 3 c3 dc 4 Nc3.

    He recommends the Wing Gambit against the Sicilian: 1 e4 c5 2 b4.

    Another "winger" against the French: 1 e4 e6 2 Nf3 d5 3 e5 c5 4 b4

    Gambiteer II (a repertoire for Black) is due out this month by the same author.
    Am I the only one who wonders why people like Nigel Davies (he's certainly not the only offender among IMs and GMs) recommend openings they wouldn't dream of playing themselves in a million years? Well, I suppose they have books to sell ...
  5. Joined
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    02 Oct '07 17:49
    Agreed.
    The wing gambit...
    Tssk
    🙄
  6. Donation!~TONY~!
    1...c5!
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    02 Oct '07 18:41
    Originally posted by Northern Lad
    Am I the only one who wonders why people like Nigel Davies (he's certainly not the only offender among IMs and GMs) recommend openings they wouldn't dream of playing themselves in a million years? Well, I suppose they have books to sell ...
    I think you answered the question yourself. Incidentally, the gambits advocated in Gambiteer II, The Schliemann and the Albin, have been on the fringe of respectability for a long time, and have seen some outings by strong players such as Morozevich, Aronian, and Radjabov.
  7. Joined
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    02 Oct '07 21:20
    Originally posted by !~TONY~!
    I think you answered the question yourself. Incidentally, the gambits advocated in Gambiteer II, The Schliemann and the Albin, have been on the fringe of respectability for a long time, and have seen some outings by strong players such as Morozevich, Aronian, and Radjabov.
    Well, might even buy Gambiteer II myself, since I do play the Schliemann from time to time and would certainly consider the Albin but for the fact that a lot of white players simply don't allow it (2.Nf3).
  8. Fågelsången
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    02 Oct '07 22:05
    Originally posted by Kaworukun
    I used to play the danish gambit, but I dropped it a few years ago. Does anyone here play it? I wonder if it can be played in a long game
    I have played it a little and I think I have enjoyed it for "most of the games".
  9. Standard memberGatecrasher
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    02 Oct '07 22:40
  10. Joined
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    03 Oct '07 01:00
    Originally posted by Northern Lad
    Am I the only one who wonders why people like Nigel Davies (he's certainly not the only offender among IMs and GMs) recommend openings they wouldn't dream of playing themselves in a million years? Well, I suppose they have books to sell ...
    There are some openings that can be very successful at sub-IM levels that would probably only be a draw at IM+ levels. Masters are generally very good at navigating through complex positions, unlike class players, who might overlook a simple combination.
  11. Joined
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    03 Oct '07 08:31
    Originally posted by gaychessplayer
    There are some openings that can be very successful at sub-IM levels that would probably only be a draw at IM+ levels. Masters are generally very good at navigating through complex positions, unlike class players, who might overlook a simple combination.
    I still think it a little dodgy to write books on openings you never play yourself. How can you have a real feel for it? Another example was Tony Kosten, who wrote not one, but two(!) books on the Latvian (Greco) Counter Gambit and was publicly derided by John Nunn for doing so.
  12. Joined
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    03 Oct '07 08:51
    Originally posted by Northern Lad
    I still think it a little dodgy to write books on openings you never play yourself. How can you have a real feel for it? Another example was Tony Kosten, who wrote not one, but two(!) books on the Latvian (Greco) Counter Gambit and was publicly derided by John Nunn for doing so.
    I have a copy of Kosten's The Latvian Gambit lives in front of me now.
    There is a lack of specialist info on the Latvian & Kosten's work is incredibly detailed & seems very thorough.
  13. Joined
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    03 Oct '07 13:27
    Originally posted by Squelchbelch
    I have a copy of Kosten's The Latvian Gambit lives in front of me now.
    There is a lack of specialist info on the Latvian & Kosten's work is incredibly detailed & seems very thorough.
    The basic problem is the suspicion that Kosten is effectively selling a book on false premises, in other words giving an objectively dodgy opening a GM seal of approval - hence Nunn's derision. The plain fact of the matter is that no GM will ever play the Latvian, since white obtains a clear positional advantage by force. I write this as a one-time occasional player of this opening myself. It really is a shame that 3.Nxe5 is so positionally strong for white, since the other main lines (3.Bc4 and 3.exf5) are incredibly interesting tactically and maybe fairly playable for black.
  14. Joined
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    03 Oct '07 13:551 edit
    Originally posted by Northern Lad
    The basic problem is the suspicion that Kosten is effectively selling a book on false premises, in other words giving an objectively dodgy opening a GM seal of approval - hence Nunn's derision. The plain fact of the matter is that no GM will ever play the Latvian, since white obtains a clear positional advantage by force. I write this as a one-time occa ...[text shortened]... s (3.Bc4 and 3.exf5) are incredibly interesting tactically and maybe fairly playable for black.
    Have you read Kosten's book?
    It really is quite impressive.

    I agree with the theme of your argument (if the shoe fits then wear it) but that doesn't really take anything away from Kosten's work in itself.

    He must have some interest in the Latvian because he's hardly going to make millions out of the book & a fair amount of analysis - presumably his own - is there. This suggests a reasonable amount of work went into it, unlike a database dump from Mr Schiller for example.
  15. Standard memberKorch
    Chess Warrior
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    03 Oct '07 13:56
    Originally posted by Northern Lad
    The basic problem is the suspicion that Kosten is effectively selling a book on false premises, in other words giving an objectively dodgy opening a GM seal of approval - hence Nunn's derision. The plain fact of the matter is that no GM will ever play the Latvian, since white obtains a clear positional advantage by force. I write this as a one-time occa ...[text shortened]... s (3.Bc4 and 3.exf5) are incredibly interesting tactically and maybe fairly playable for black.
    I`m ready to play Latvian gambit in our current tournament game (if you will allow me to do that) to show that after 3.Nxe5 things are not so simple.
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