Poll
Poll Question: What is the most exciting gambit?
bars   pie

Muzio (KG)    
  3 (10.3%)
Pierce (Vienna)    
  0 (0.0%)
Fajarowicz (Budapest)    
  2 (6.9%)
Traxler (Two Knights)    
  6 (20.7%)
Sicilian Wing Gambit    
  1 (3.4%)
Marshall Attack (Ruy Lopez)    
  2 (6.9%)
Monster Attack (Vienna)    
  2 (6.9%)
Benko Gambit    
  5 (17.2%)
French Wing Gambit    
  1 (3.4%)
Evans Gambit (Giucco Piano)    
  7 (24.1%)




Total votes: 29
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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Greatest Gambit (Read 14040 times)
lnn2
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #31 - 10/20/05 at 09:35:50
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Hi Markovich, the QGA 1. d4 d5  2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6  4. Nc3 a6 is a line that i very much like to make it work for White, but  it seems the position in centre becomes too blocked.. What do you think of Semkov's analysis?   
 
The other Marshall gambit 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 e6 4. e4! is to me one of the most powerful gambits in chess. I will not be surprised if one day Hydra works out a forced win for White.
  
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basqueknight
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #30 - 10/19/05 at 10:02:48
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I refuse to vote of course as none of my gambits are listed. The Smith-morra,BDG,Alipin French, Milner-berry vs the caro-kann or the blackburne gambit in the philidor. All lead to exciting chess and dont forget the kings gambit! what were you thinking. There should probley be an "other" button to chose. 

And the most disapointing part is that this is a very subjective question with too many possible answers. Like i forgot to mention the reti-gambit against the french just a second ago. 

There are many gambits which are not bad and if black/white knows exactly what he or she is doing and they take the pawn then maybe they can equalize.

A few more gambits: Icelandic,Elephant,traxler-counter gambit,scandinavian gambit OMEGA gambit (ok this one may be a bad gambit). and it goes on and on.
  
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castlerock
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #29 - 09/21/05 at 01:32:50
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The most exiting so-called gambit is therefore 1. d4 d5  2. c4.


What a word of wisdom! And how much I like it! Cheesy

There's another gambit I actually play. That's when black plays Qg4 (in fourth or fifth move) before I get a chance to play ...0-0 to defend g pawn in Winnaver French Wink
  

CastleRock
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Smyslov_Fan
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #28 - 09/19/05 at 14:08:23
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(2...dxc4, not 2...dxc5)  To typo is human, to forgive....
  
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Markovich
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #27 - 09/19/05 at 11:34:19
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Winning is what excites me.  The most exiting so-called gambit is therefore 1. d4 d5  2. c4.

I do routinely sacrifice pawns, but to win, not to make my heart beat fast.  One of the best actual gambits to that end is 1. d4 d5  2. c4 dxc5  3. Nf3 Nf6  4. Nc3.   Also very promising is 1. d4 d5  2. c4 e6  3. Nc3 c6  4. e4.  Also, some very good opportunities to sac a pawn arise after 1. d4 d5  2. c4 e6  3. Nf3 Nf6  4. g3 dxc5  5. Bg2.

If you care about scoring more than making pretty pictures with your pieces, the gambits listed in the survey are mostly crap.  The exceptions are the Benko, the Marshall and perhaps the Evans.  I would perhaps play the Marshall if I thought that I could ever get it in a game of chess; I probably would not play the Evans, because I doubt that it is as strong as the Spanish and, in any case, 3...Nf6 is a fully adequate answer to 3. Bc4.

I might someday play the Benko but for the time being, it offends me.  A purely emotional reaction, I admit.  But I try extra-hard for the point whenever I encounter the Benko.
  

The Great Oz has spoken!
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ArKheiN
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #26 - 09/12/05 at 18:41:57
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ArKheiN 
Accepting the rook sack is very dangerous for black. . I've played a few of these games against Suttercane, who is an expert in this line and have a 2+ 3- record but I suspect in games longer than 15 minutes or those with time increment black is busted. Nevertheless, at club level I think this is as playable as the Frank-Dracula line, moreso since it is not as well known and white has to be brave to refute it. 
 
xg8=Q is a mistake by white. It gives up too much of the attack for not enough material. If white has the courage to continue playing a rook down he will discover that black has to return the full rook to avoid disaster. 


This line is very interesting strategically and tactically, but objectively speaking, I don't think that f5 is the best move here (moves like Bb4+, Nf6 or any normal move is fine), but it's a very testing variation of c4 because it is the sharpest way to meet it and have somes forceful lines. The inclusion of c4 and e6 favours Black compared to the immediate f5, which is clearly refuted, but it's still not sufficient for an equalitiy if I believe actual practice and results. I agree that White have a very powerful attack for the Rook, and hxg8=D+ is not the best as you noticed, the best is surely 1.e4 e6 2.d4 b6 3.c4 Bb7 4.Bd3 f5 5.exf5 Bxg2 6.Qh5+ g6 7.fxg6 Bg7 8.gxh7+ Kf8 9.Bg5 Nf6 10.Qh4 Bxh1 11.Nd2 Nc6 12.Nf4 (Nd2 is good too)with great results at master level for White. After 12..Nb4 13.Bg6 and in practice, Black is in trouble here. But is it a forced advantage everywhere for White, even if we take somes moves back? I don't know. Playing this line in OTB for Black is surely too risky, if not suicidal because it's far easier for White to attack than for Black to defend with an unuseful Rook up. But it could be interesting to analyse it deeply at home, or to play it in a CC for an analysis research.
  
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bob00
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #25 - 09/12/05 at 14:56:48
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Well now. When did the option for Marshall Attack appear amongst the choices? Perhaps I overlooked it. I'm switching my vote from Evans to Marshall.
  
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bob000
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #24 - 09/12/05 at 14:53:56
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ArKheiN
Accepting the rook sack is very dangerous for black. . I've played a few of these games against Suttercane, who is an expert in this line and have a 2+ 3- record but I suspect in games longer than 15 minutes or those with time increment black is busted. Nevertheless, at club level I think this is as playable as the Frank-Dracula line, moreso since it is not as well known and white has to be brave to refute it.

xg8=Q is a mistake by white. It gives up too much of the attack for not enough material. If white has the courage to continue playing a rook down he will discover that black has to return the full rook to avoid disaster.

@ MNb I think white can play for an advantage after Ng5. It's just that white will now have to defend an unclear gambit rather than attack in one so it is not to everyone's tastes to play Bc4 in this way (Incidently I play the Lopez)
  
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #23 - 09/12/05 at 12:48:32
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Spassky did consider the Marshall to be "good enough for a draw' => Seems to suggest a great potential for a win if black really pushes flawlessly. btw Marshall was optimistic enough for it to be a winning line for black. ("black should win")
  

"I don't make mistakes. I make prophecies which immediately turn out to be wrong." - Murray Walker
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ArKheiN
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #22 - 09/12/05 at 12:17:13
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The Traxler is very exiting for both side, but if you know it perfectly, it's better for White Smiley

The Marshall is surely the most feared of Black's gambit by White and the more respected at high level, it's still fully playable at 2700+ level with good results!

  
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #21 - 09/12/05 at 11:24:43
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Thanks Inn2!  You listed the gambits I thought of when I was trying to come up with the most interesting gambits of all!  The Alekhin-Chatard, Marshall, QGA, and Najdorf Poisoned Pawn are all still with us and played at the very highest levels.  I wonder when was the last time two world champion candidates played the Traxler in a serious game.

(Note:  Kasparov never, ever, allowed anyone to play the Marshall (in the Spanish) against him.  I wonder what he knew about that opening?)
  
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #20 - 09/12/05 at 08:00:58
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Of course gambits in main line openings are strongest.  Like MnB said,  those lines in the queen's gambit/(semi-)slav where White does not regain c4 pawn provide excellent attacking chances for White. The poisoned pawn Najdorf is  quite a poisonous pawn too, not to mention the French Alekhine-Chartard, the Benko gambit, the Marshall Ruy etc.. 

The most subtle gambit of all must be the Catalan types... delicate handling is needed, and a delight when it works for White!   Grin
  
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #19 - 09/12/05 at 05:23:55
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From this list, it has to be either the Traxler or the Evans. Having played them both, I think the Evans is the better. Also illustrated by the fact that certain grandmasters (Timman, Kasparov and Shirov) have played it and that it featured in a couple of Wch matches (ie Steinitz-Tsjigorin).

I also see there are some renegade gambiteers in this thread, who propose the queen gambit Cry.
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #18 - 09/12/05 at 05:21:58
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The Queen's gambit is simply a poor mirror of the King's Gambit, when accepted; it is invariably declined.

In the Traxler, most people under grandmaster level will take on f7 with the knight with huge tactical complications usually ending in a black victory. Even with Bxf7+ black has much greater opportunity for direct attack than the placid 4...d5.
  
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Re: Greatest Gambit
Reply #17 - 09/12/05 at 05:03:31
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Castlerock, 

The Queen's gambit was already my pick for greatest gambit of all time!  Grin



Good God! Shocked I didn't notice it!! Grin
  

CastleRock
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