I was going over Morphy games where he plays the Italian game
(Giucco Piano)
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
And I was also going over the Evans Gambit games aswell
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
4.b4...Bxp etc etc
Now compare the two and white gets the center in both lines
(4.c3 and a later d4 in the italian lines and the same after the b4 gambit)
So....why play the gambit?....is it solely based on a lead in development?
Some lines white is down 3 pawns!!...now i'm sure black has to give 1 or 2 back to live longer...but in the end....is it really worth it?
Originally posted by chessisvanityNigel Short obviously thinks so; he's won a couple of games at Wijk aan Zee with it. Kasparov and Fischer gave it the odd outing in the past too...
I was going over Morphy games where he plays the Italian game
(Giucco Piano)
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
And I was also going over the Evans Gambit games aswell
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
4.b4...Bxp etc etc
Now compare the two and white gets the center in both lines
(4.c3 and a later d4 in the italian lines and the same aft ...[text shortened]... 'm sure black has to give 1 or 2 back to live longer...but in the end....is it really worth it?
Originally posted by chessisvanityAsk Nigel, but make sure to shake his hand first!!
I was going over Morphy games where he plays the Italian game
(Giucco Piano)
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
And I was also going over the Evans Gambit games aswell
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
4.b4...Bxp etc etc
Now compare the two and white gets the center in both lines
(4.c3 and a later d4 in the italian lines and the same aft ...[text shortened]... 'm sure black has to give 1 or 2 back to live longer...but in the end....is it really worth it?
Originally posted by chessisvanityIt comes down to style and preference. Morphy, though better known for his tactical skill, was also a very positional player (way ahead of his time in that regard) and like all really good positional players he knew how to take advantage of minor inaccuracies and, more so, encourage his opponent to make them. In other words, despite the fact that the Italian is so symmetrical and that black can equalize out of the opening without much difficulty, Morphy would still find a way to outplay them in the middle game and got to do so without the risks that go with the Evan's that black will defend accurately and that you're then just down a pawn.
I was going over Morphy games where he plays the Italian game
(Giucco Piano)
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
And I was also going over the Evans Gambit games aswell
1.e4...e5
2.Nf3...Nc6
3.Bc4...Bc5
4.b4...Bxp etc etc
Now compare the two and white gets the center in both lines
(4.c3 and a later d4 in the italian lines and the same aft ...[text shortened]... 'm sure black has to give 1 or 2 back to live longer...but in the end....is it really worth it?
Anderrson, from the same era, played the Evans fairly often because he loved to attack above all else, and the sooner the better. The Evan's suited his aggressive style as it gave him a strong initiative, at the cost of only a pawn, at an early stage in the game.