CraigEvans wrote on 04/02/08 at 10:46:45:
I'd missed the last few posts on this where 4...Bb4 is discussed - I know it's not "strictly" a Belgrade but it is a feasible anti-Belgrade option. Sadly I'm not subscribed to this section (hope to change that soon), but what was Renet's assessment of the line? I've certainly scored close to 100% after 5.Nxe5 and was just under the impression that black gets a worse game in pretty much every line?
With regards to the Belgrade proper, I've certainly scored highly with the Trakjovic line, though sadly managed to refute Bruce's suggestion in his (otherwise fantastic) work on the opening - the exchange sacrifice in the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5 Be7 6.Bc4 Nxe4 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 Nf6 9.Rxe7?! Nxe7 10.Nxf6+ gxf6 just doesn't quite hold up to close scrutiny. However, I think 7.Qe2! (the aforementioned Gutman Variation) causes black some huge problems, and again I've scored 100% with this line;
http://team4545league.org/pgnplayer/pgnplayer.php?ID=5910&Board=2 is a game I played on ICC's team4545 league where I basically won a game from preparation alone - having reached the position after 15...e5 in a previous game I'd analysed afterwards and found the crushing 16.Nxe5! move (which I missed first time around), and therefore didn't really have to think until the endgame.
Now, if 5...Be7 is such a good equaliser, black either needs a serious improvement in the above game after
7.Qe2, or needs to accept that actually ...Nxe4 is too dangerous and therefore play into the quieter waters of perhaps
6...d6 (which was discussed previously, at great length, with some fantastic variations from both TopNotch and Bruce;
as far as I'm aware black was struggling to find equality in those lines too).
My gut feeling, along with my practical experience,
is that 5...Nb4 is the only really critical move, after which black gets at least equality. 6.Nxd4 Nxe4 7.Nf5?, as pointed out by Monson, is weak (I won a 4NCL game in 9 moves as black in this line - the amusing continuation was 7...c6 8.Nxg7+?? (lovely tactical idea, but...) Bxg7 9.Nxb4 Qe7 (oops!)0-1), and therefore 7.Nb5 has to be tried, in which white seems to get enough play (but black's chances certainly aren't worse).
The longer books keep on recommending 5...Be7 for black, the longer I'll be playing this as white! Viva les Belgrade!
Dan Heisman is always raving about the team 45/45 league on his ICC radio show.
Too tired to get into specifics right now, so just a few quick bullet points that maybe developed later.
A) 6...Nxe4 is a very rare move and it seems that after 7.Qe2 it will remain that way.
B) 6...0-0 7.0-0 Nxe4 is the way to go if Black is feeling frisky and wants to punish White.
C) 6...0-0 7.0-0 d6 is comfortable equality for Black, despite your indirect claims that Monson proved otherwise in this thread.
D) I think 5...Nb4 is ok for Black and maybe more depending on the correct evaluation of 6.Nxd4 Nxe4 7.Nb5 Nxd5 8.Qxd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Bf4 d6 11.0-0-0 Kxc7 which I have never really analysed seriously, since Black has comfortable options that offer chances to outplay the opponent with significantly less risk.
E) I also like and play 4...Bb4 5.Nxe5 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Qe7, which is not to avoid the Belgrade Gambit but rather to avoid some of the stale positions arising out of 4...exd4 5.Nxd4.
Good luck in your future adventures with the Belgrade Gambit, you will need it.
Toppy