Urusov gambit

with black playing the bad 3.... d6


What is best for white?Or are they equal?

5.Bxf7+ resulting in this position


or 5.Qxd8+ possibly resulting in this position

I would pick diagram 1 if those are the only 2 choices.
In diagram 2 the extra pawn on the kingside feels less likely to be useful.
In the first diagram blacks e5 pawn looks like a target.

Originally posted by Ajuin
with black playing the bad 3.... d6
[pgn]1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 d6 4.dxe5 dxe5[/pgn]

What is best for white?Or are they equal?

5.Bxf7+ resulting in this position
[fen]rnb4r/ppp2kpp/5n2/4p3/4P3/8/PPPN1PPP/R1B1K1NR b KQ - 0 8[/fen]

or 5.Qxd8+ possibly resulting in this position
[fen]rn1k1b1r/ppp2Bpp/8/5b2/8/8/PPP2PPP/RNB1K2R w KQ - 0 10[/fen]

hi, i would say that the first diagram is better for white, principally because white has an extra pawn, which as Dale comments may or may not be useful, but hey a pawn is a pawn, and secondly white has a positional advantage in that the black e pawn is isolated and therefore potentially weak, especially as it rests upon a dark square and black having no dark squared bishop will find those dark squares difficult to protect. It may be a very slight advantage but its better than nothing 🙂

I should've added diagram 1 is black to move,diagram 2 is white to move.Sorry.
It probably wouldn't change your vote anyway.

Ok,all valid points made.
The way I see it

diagram 1: black is a pawn down and has a problem child on e5 but he has the move,better development and freedom to quickly develop further.There's also opposite colored bishops so white must take care not to trade too readily which is also a small advantage for black.
So if black can put pressure on white I think he'll be ok.But can he?

diagram 2: black is a pawn down (if white wishes) and has trouble completing development.White,having the move is ready to rapidly complete development and can even consider to give up the extra pawn to develop even more quickly.
So here it looks as if white can cause black headaches with the development issues but he needs to make a big decision: keep the extra pawn or not.

I just can't decide.What would be more decisive,the weak e5 pawn or development?
I find development very important so I tend to favor diagram 2.
Guess I'll have to figure it out by trial and error

"Guess I'll have to figure it out by trial and error."

Or you could simply not try to figure it out at all.

Why are you wasting your time looking a duff variation (3...d6?)
If some mudhead is going play that then it does not matter which way you
go the chances are you are going to win.

When you study an opening you look at the established mainline
and plausible alternatives. Try not to get bogged down in the junk
that you may see once every 10 years in a blitz game.

And anyway 4.dxe5 is against the spirit of Urusov. 4.Nf3 and 5.0-0
develop develop develop.

You come on here cluttering up my chess forum with Queens off after 6 moves.
God knows how many Masters you have spinning in their graves.

"But greenpawn, he will take the d-pawn 4....exd4 and hang on to it with 5...c5."



OK don't listen to me. Listen to Woodworm.
He's the only lad on here who has managed to beat Weyerstrass.
He had that position. Look and learn.

(OK boys I've sorted it, you can stop spinning).



ps: 😉

Originally posted by greenpawn34
"Guess I'll have to figure it out by trial and error."

Or you could simply not try to figure it out at all.

Why are you wasting your time looking a duff variation (3...d6?)
If some mudhead is going play that then it does not matter which way you
go the chances are you are going to win.

When you study an opening you look at the established main ...[text shortened]... 3 Bf5d7 16. Bg5f4 Qd6b6 17. Qf3h5 Qb6d8 18. d6[/pgn]

ps: 😉

I intend to use the Urusov to quickly reach a better endgame.

Now I got them all spinning again (except Capablanca) 😛

Simply do not capture e5.Good idea!

"I intend to use the Urusov to quickly reach a better endgame. "

That is Sacrilege. 😉

But seriously it's a common error when students study an opening
because no matter how good the book is it will not have all the answers
and they will find an obscure a line or position that is not covered and
get all flustered.

Flustered enough to post the postion on here in an attempt to get answers
from complete strangers. And that includes me.

So forget these wee daft lines, especially if it's something as sharp as this.
You must know and understand the tactical tricks and the postions that
CAN and WILL arise.

Right now post us a Urusov 20 mover with loads tactical whizz bangs just
to show everyone what this gambit is all about and get the Masters settled
down again.....including Capablanca.

La Bourdonnais & McDonnell who played a series of matches containg some
brilliant and fantastic games in the 1830's were both buried in the same cementary.
Kensal Green All Souls' cemetery in London.

The 5 o'clock news has just reported that this areas has been cordoned off
due to unexplained vibrations. This is your fault.

Ok,I found our good friend Jude Acers willing to show us how it's done in exactly 20 moves 🙂



Peace has returned to Kensal green.

Btw,I don't use books for openings.