Hi all, I am currently doing a lot of work on antidotes to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.

In the past respectable chess players treated this as being a load of old cobblers and did not write about it. These days they still think it is a heap of rubbish but take it more seriously.

These days lots of repertoire books are giving antidotes to the BDG. I unleashed the BDG in a tournament between Christmas and new year. Both games were against much higher rated opponents. One I blew clear out of the water. The other played one of the repertoire refutations and I eventually lost when I made a bad positional error in the middle game. I probably could have forced a draw by sacrificing a knight but wanted more (one of the seven deadly chess sins).

What I need is a list of books and authors and the given antidotes to the BDG.

So far I have

Gallagher – Beating the Anti King's Indians which gives a line of the Euwe Defence.

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf 5.Nf3 e6 I have scored well with this line as black in correspondence fixed openings tournaments. However I have analyzed a line which leads to a position where white regains the pawn with a position I find difficult to evaluate. As always if black gets it wrong the wheels come off.

Cox - Dealing with d4 deviations which suggests the Lemberger.

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe 3.Nc3 e5  I have found a line against one line Cox gives where white keeps an edge in a very unbalanced position.

My question is “What other books give antidotes to the BDG and what are they?

MNb wrote on 01/03/09 at 23:42:12:

Quote:

Facing the BDG I follow Gallagher and until now it just looked bad for White. It would be very interesting to get some of your thoughts about White's chances and - if you dont mind - some lines.

Too bad this thread did not start 1-2 months earlier; as some might already know, I am currently working on a new book about the BDG - It is nearly finished, the final first draft will probably be finished in a week.

I would have loved to see your ideas, David; but then again, I do think that I have some new ideas up my sleeve as well 

IM Christoph Wisnewski wrote on 01/05/09 at 05:23:48:


That is great that you are working on a book on the BDG. I am at least twelve months away from publishing anything and I may keep my analysis secret for use in correspondence.

I have not played the BDG in a serious game yet, but this is only because tournament games I play very rarely these days. I did play the BDG in numerous blitz games on the Internet Chess Club.

Is the BDG sound? That depends on your definition of "soundness".

I can assure you that I was very critical while writing this book. Unlike Lane (whose chapters about the Ziegler and the Lemberger are a case for the scrapheap) and Sawyer (who sometimes loves to dismiss critical lines with an uncommented, irrelevant white win in some ICC blitz game) I did "refute" a few lines so far thought to be playable.

But that doesn't mean, the BDG is refuted itself! In fact, I do think that in every Black setup White has enough play to justify his pawn sacrifice. I will not deny that Black will come close to equality (or even achieve it) in most of these lines, but at least it is dynamic (and not dull) equality.

GM Wahls: "Modernes Skandinavisch" (1997) opted for
1. e4 d5 2. d4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 Bf5 , e.g. 5. fxe4 Nxe4 6. Qf3 Nd6 7. Bf4 e6. At that time he saw black advantage in most lines. However, I don't know whether the 2nd edition of the book (Co-authors were then GM Karsten Mueller et. al.) introduced anything else against BDG.

What is the theoretical status of 4..Bf5 today? Any chances for White for equal play? Regards, papageno.