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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) C47: Halloween Gambit (Read 22678 times)
Knightcut
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #14 - 03/14/12 at 11:27:21
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I played this gambit for the first time ever recently and scored a marvelous and quick win in 16 moves - without knowing much theory really. The only thing I knew was that White is happy if he can land a consolidated pawn quickly on d6, which was indeed what happened in the game after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.e4 e5 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne7? 7.e5 Nfg8 8.d6! Nc6? 9.Nb5!+-.

After having studied some more critical lines more closely later (Kaissiber 20, 22 and 27, and Paul Keisers "Critical lines in the Halloween Gambit", Unorthodox Openings Newsletter October 2005) I consider the following line as perhaps the most critical: (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4) Ng6! 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 Bb4!  followed by hacking off the valuable Knight on c3, when White is struggling hard to justify his Knight-for-pawn trade of, for example: 8.Qf3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qe7 with a good game for Black. The statistics on Chesslive is horrible for White here (1 point i 7 games) and I haven't managed to find anything really promissing (although of course Black can still go wrong).

Any good ideas for a promissing White continuation or earlier improvement?
  
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gambitlover
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #13 - 01/06/05 at 10:27:33
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BigBen

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.f6 Ng6 8.e5 Bb4 9.ef6 Qf6 is a drawish line. This was played four times in cr play and resulted four times in a draw. All games went 10.Qe2 Kd8 11.Qc4

9.Qd4 was never played by humans (at least not at a higher level and as far as I know of course). Brause used to play it till mid 1997, but then switched to 9.exf6.
If you want to analyze the Halloween Gambit, do not rely on the Brause opening book. Theory has improved a lot meanwhile !

Regards
Paul
  
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gambitlover
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #12 - 01/06/05 at 09:53:45
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Craigevans

The line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 d5 8.Bxd5 c6 9.Bb3 Be6 ?! 10.Bxe6 fxe6 certainly is not a refutation, but on the contrary gives White good chances . After 11.Qg4! N8e7 12.Bg5 White has excellent compensation.

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Paul
  
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gambitlover
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #11 - 01/06/05 at 09:40:20
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Topnotch

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Bb4 7.dc6 Nxe4 8.Qd4 Qe7 is not a refutation of the Halloween gambit. It's a good line, and 9.Qxg7? is loosing for White, but practical play shows that 9.Be3 is a drawing line. I found 3 games with this variation and the all ended in draws : Torrecillas(2389)-Maciaga(2207),Halloween cr. tournament 2003,  Wind(2200)-Torrecillas(2389),Halloween cr. tournament 2003, and recently Van Wezel(2019)-Di Tora(2067),Halloween cr. tournament 2004.
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Paul
  
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TopNotch
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #10 - 12/09/04 at 20:33:29
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Yes I was enthusiastic about this reversed Halloween too: 1.e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. nc3 nf6 4. g3 Nxe4!?, that is.......  Grin

Until I realised that after 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 d4 7.Bg2! returning the piece and tranposing  to a line of the Vienna Game, popularised by Igor Glek who has enjoyed tremendous success with it.

So it seems that the once hyped Halloween attack when ventured with white or black is no longer a trick but a treat.

Top  Grin
  

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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #9 - 12/09/04 at 09:36:39
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I find it funny that this line is so completely worthless while the line 1.e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. nc3 nf6 4. g3 Nxe4 actually has merit for black and I've done some brief looking at this line, the difference is with g3 white has deprive his knight of the g3 square and the white knights get pushed all the way back , there was a recent game at the World Youth Championships in this line where black scored a crushing victory, worth checking out.
  
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BigBen
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #8 - 11/04/04 at 17:14:09
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Hi,
     I have been helping to prepare an opening book for a computer and have had much fun with this opening  Smiley ... First of all if you want to survive and come out with a plus then follow the line suggested by TopNotch as there is not much deviation, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Bb4! 7.dc6 Nxe4! 8.Qd4 Qe7 now 9.Be3 9.Be2 and 9.Qg7 all lead to a plus for black but you still have to win it lol  Grin this is an excellent line if you are facing a computer.

Lines like 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 d5 8.Bxd5 c6 are great fun and remind me of the Frankenstein-Dracula for complications and in many of the Brause games (and others) we have found loads of improvements for both sides and because of the material imbalance engines evaluations can differ greatly ... We are pretty confident that in the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 c6 that 8.Qe2 is the best move instead of the much more played 8.Qf3 ... entering these lines against a machine you are likely to get your fingers burned  Smiley

I think another good line  for black in the variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.f6 Ng6 8.e5 is now to play 8... Bb4 and now 9.ef6 Qf6 is good for black or if 9.Qd4 Bc3+ 10.bc3 Ng4 11.Be2  and now d6 looks like a good move and improves on what info we have at least

Regards

  
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nexirae
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #7 - 06/19/04 at 14:56:40
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Don't remember what the moves were, but I do remember my loss was due to a serious weakening of the queenside light squares (I had audaciously placed the bishop on e6 and fell to a stupid combo with some sort of Qb5+). 

Anyway, at first sight, it does look like white is just tossing a knight, but couldn't you say that about the Muzio as well?   Roll Eyes

This gambit is just a matter of preparation (like most gambits, obviously excepting the Queen's Gambit) so you won't get caught in stupid traps!  Thanks for the help guys!

NeX iRae

BTW, to be frank, I only play the BDG in rapid or blitz games.  I don't trust my attacking skills enough to justify a slow outing and don't trust my endgame skills enough to draw a pawn-down endgame!!

Shocked
  
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TopNotch
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #6 - 06/15/04 at 20:53:22
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Yep, I empathise with both Ben and Craig  Grin

When first encountering this weird gambit you are left with the feeling that black should get an overwhelmingly winning position. Nevertheless after reviewing and analysing all the info on this gambit, I have come to the conclusion that it should not be taken lightly, and I think the lines I gave are excellent point scorers for black as well as being ez to play.

If one is unhappy with the line I gave, although I can't imagine why, just transpose to the Scotch Four Knights as I gave in the notes. Either way black has nothing to fear.

Those who choose to ignore my recommendation, and go it alone, will find that the Halloween holds many hidden reefs, especially if a white pawn ever gets to d6. Probably this is exactly what happened to Nexirae in his game, but he will have to confirm this.

Laters

Top  Grin

  

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Ben_Hague
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #5 - 06/15/04 at 18:40:04
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In the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Bb4! 7.dc6 Nxe4! 8.Qd4 Qe7, 9.Qxg7 isn't clear cut. 9...Nxc3+ 10.Be3 Nd5+ 11.c3 Rf8 12.cxb4 is getting messy, black's probably still a little bit better after say 12...Nxe3 13.fxe3 Qxb4+ 14.Kf2 dxc6, but I feel there should be something better than this for black after a move like 4.Nxe5. I'm not sure quite what it is, but the sites Craig Evans mentions are well worth checking out.
  
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TopNotch
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #4 - 06/15/04 at 18:35:17
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Well there ya have it Nexirae, a choice of refutations, take your pick.  Grin

Maybe it might be worth a look see checking out those links that Craig listed in his post, I know I did some months back.

By the way Nex, I find it ironic that a Blackmar Diemer Gambit devotee such as yourself got ravished by a gambit of even more dubious repute  Wink

Anyway, the next time u face the Halloween it should no longer be a trick but a treat.

Top  Grin
  

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CraigEvans
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #3 - 06/15/04 at 18:11:05
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I'm not sure I like this line at all I'm afraid Top; while black is certainly better, I hardly think this punishes white for his petulence enough. On the other hand, I suppose that white's tattered pawn structure means he has virtually no winning chances and would have to grovel for a draw, which makes it a perfect choice for those who are happy to rely on their technique.

The "approved" refutation (if not a particularly convincing one) is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4 d5! 8.Bxd5 c6!, which allows black to hold onto the piece with not too much risk. The point is that in many of the lines, white gets too much compensation by getting a pawn wedged in on d6, and then has all sorts of threats. By playing this line, white's only compensation is the strong centre, which will first be fixed by playing ...Be6 (after Bxe6 fxe6 the pawns are going nowhere, and the open f-file often comes in useful for black), and then dismantled by a later ...c5, usually after ...Bb4. However, all of this is a little messy and I think that 7...c6 8.Qf3 d5! 9.exd6 Be6, as recommended by Cordel many moons ago, is an even simpler way to a comfortable advantage.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/tour/breeze.htm is Tim Krabbe's well-known article on the opening, and on it there is a lot of analysis.

http://www.jakob.at/steffen/halloween/index.html is another site on the opening, by the creator of the ICC program Brause, which scored incredibly highly using the gambit, and encouraged an army of blitzers to take it up for themselves, myself included!

It's a shame I play the KG, or I may well have trotted this out OTB on a few occasions - underestimate it and you shall surely perish, and perish quickly!

Regards,
Craig Grin
  

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TopNotch
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #2 - 06/15/04 at 17:39:47
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The refutation is as follows:  Grin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Bb4! 7.dc6 Nxe4! [Alternatively 7...bc6 transposes to a line of the Scotch Four Knights long known to be harmless for black. However, the text seeks to punish white for his audacity] 8.Qd4 Qe7 -/+.

Well that's my good deed for the year.

Go in peace my good man.

Top  Grin

Postscript: No Billy, this is not just tossing a knight at all, and in fact this gambit has claimed quite a few victims of all levels in recent times, albeit mainly in rapid chess. Luckily I posted the remedy, so forum users need not quiver in fear anymore.  Grin

  

The man who tries to do something and fails is infinitely better than he who tries to do nothing and succeeds - Lloyd Jones Smiley
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Billy_Cember
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Re: Halloween Gambit
Reply #1 - 06/15/04 at 17:29:59
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Isn't this just throwing away a knight? ???
  
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C47: Halloween Gambit
06/15/04 at 17:16:18
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1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nxe5

What's the best way to meet this gambit?  I recently received a thorough whomping and wondered what the professional sources say.  Nigel doesn't mention it, so anyone have some other comments?

Embarrassed
NeX iRae
« Last Edit: 03/14/12 at 15:56:42 by Smyslov_Fan »  
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