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How not to play the Latvian

How not to play the Latvian

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White brings out his queen too early and moves it twice. Violates opening principles.

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Originally posted by homedepotov
White brings out his queen too early and moves it twice. Violates opening principles.
Yes, but sometimes it works. 😀

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Originally posted by homedepotov
White brings out his queen too early and moves it twice. Violates opening principles.
Yeah, what an idiot, bringing out the queen so early🙂

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Originally posted by sonhouse
Yeah, what an idiot, bringing out the queen so early🙂
He moved the knight twice too. What a mess.

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Originally posted by danilop
He moved the knight twice too. What a mess.
Yes, you are right. They are terrible violations of the opening rules of good play. But thank goodness for exceptions to the rules, just like in many other things. 😏


Originally posted by Exuma
[pgn]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Bc4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 d6 5.Qh5+ Ke7 6.Qf7# 1-0 [/pgn]
I find the best way not to play the Latvian is 2..... Nc6!

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I heard that white cannot lose in that variation of the Latvian.

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White should avoid playing Bc4 and play one of the many positional lines against the Latvian - JMHO. I find that playing Bc4 falls into playing what type of game black is looking for. All of the positional lines lead to very comfortable games for white.

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Do u mean for black?

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Originally posted by ketchuplover
Do u mean for black?
"Do u mean for black?"

No, white is the one who stands better in most of the positional lines vs. the Latvian Gambit.

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Originally posted by kbear1k
White should avoid playing Bc4 and play one of the many positional lines against the Latvian - JMHO. I find that playing Bc4 falls into playing what type of game black is looking for. All of the positional lines lead to very comfortable games for white.
I am not sure what you mean by positional lines. Instead of 3.Bc4 the only other moves I see worth trying are Nxe5, exf5, or Nc3. Do you consider these moves more positional than Bc4?

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Originally posted by RJHinds
I am not sure what you mean by positional lines. Instead of 3.Bc4 the only other moves I see worth trying are Nxe5, exf5, or Nc3. Do you consider these moves more positional than Bc4?
It`s well known and generally accepted that 3.Nxe5 is the most positional and the most testing response to the Latvian. But your ignorance is not surprising.

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I'm not biting boys so you might just as well close the thread now.

BTW it's called the Greco Counter Gambit

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Originally posted by greenpawn34
I'm not biting boys so you might just as well close the thread now.

BTW it's called the [b]Greco Counter Gambit
[/b]
Indeed it is. Harry Golombek names it such in his book, Modern opening chess
strategy. Even if you are not biting dear GP, allow me an indulgence, for although I
have never to my knowledge played it, trying an alternative, to play as Philador
originally intended the defence which carries his name, first anchoring the e pawn with.
. .d6 and then pushing ...f5.