Carl wrote on 02/01/08 at 00:52:34:

ggg
Please outline what in your opinion is the practically forced winning line for black in the Lemberger?  I have a monster improvement for white in one line of the Lemberger which I wrote an article about in "The Australian Chess Quarterly" Now if could find improvements for white in the c6 lines then I could start unleashing the BDG again.

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5 is the Gunderam defense, a very respectable defense but White's attack is much stronger here compared to 5..c6. Now after 6.Ne5, 6..e6 and 6..c6 are goods moves. After 6..c6 7.g4 Bg6, White can play 7.g5!? or 7.Bg2!? instead of 7.h4 but theses moves are quite untested. 8.h4 is of course good and transpose into a well-known position of the BDG. 8..e6 and now 9.h5 Be4 10.Nxe4 might be ok but the main move is 9.Bg2 treathening 10.h5 again, where after 10..Bb4 11.0-0 (11.Bg5!? is Schoupal's favourite move if I remember correctly), we get an interesting and important position which seems ok to White.

X wrote on 02/03/08 at 06:08:49:


You can only get the Hubsch Gambit after 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 e4 Nxe4
not after 1 d4 d5 2 e4 de4 3 Nc3.

There is a reason I play (after 1 d4 Nf6) 2 f3, and that is to avoid both the Hubsch Gambit and Lemberger Counter-Gambit. Of course, I occasionally have to face 2...g6, 2...c5, 2...d6, 2...e6. However, I know how to play against these moves, having faced them quite often.

Not that I am afraid of either the Hubsch or the Lemberger. I have won
against both. No, it is just to ensure that after 1...Nf6 Black gets the BDG -- not the Hubsch or the Lemberger.

As for the Lemberger, there are plenty of ways to play against it.

1 d4 d5 2 e4 de4 3 Nc3 e5 :

A) Studier Attack, 4 Qh5
B) Lange Gambit, 4 Nxe4 ed4 5 Bb5+ followed by 6 Qe2
C) Rasmussen Attack, 4 Nge2

Now, to respond about the other lines.

O'Kelly Defense, 1 d4 d5 2 e4 de4 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 f3 c6

Well, that's chickening out! That said, the following lines have all been tried by myself and other players:

A) 5 Nxe4 Nxe4 6 fxe4 e5 7 Nf3 ed4 8 Bc4

B) 5 Be3

C) 5 Bf4

D) 5 a3

E) 5 Bg5

Vienna Defense, 4...Bf5

A) 5 g4 Bg6
A1) 6 h4, Gunderam Attack
A2) 6 g5 Nd5
A21) 7 fxe4 Nxc3 8 bxc3 Bxe4 9 Nf3 Kampars Gambit
A22) 7 Nxe4

B) 5 Bg5, the Polish Attack. I have used this with good effect in the past. There is only one line for Black... but even there White gets an edge!

C) 5 fxe4, Diemer Gambit
 C1) 5...Nxe4 6 Qf3
 C11) 6...Nxc3 7 bxc3 Bc8 8 Bc4
 C12) 6...Nd6  7 Bf4

Wahl does not play the BDG, I do.  Not everything the GM says should be believed.

Any questions? Check BDG Keybook II for answers!            

What about 5...e5, returning the pawn to put off the BDG exponent? He might gain an edge in the endgame (after 6.de5), but the shock of facing a counter-gambit is sure to put him off his stride.

Gambit wrote on 02/03/08 at 01:54:14:

6..Nb6 is cute and nasty

Indeed, 6.Ne5 against 5..c6 is interesting but a move like 6..Nbd7 immediately challenging the knight, or even 6..Be6 as kylemeister pointed out, should be fine for Black.

OK, if the Ziegler defence;5... c6 is how to beat the BDG, because of 6.Bc4 Bf5!, how about 6.Ne5!

Now, if 6... Bf5, Black is playing a sideline of another defence he didn´t intend to do; the Tartakower defence (or Gunderam in german); 5... Bf5, with White´s main move 6.Ne5 but with 6... c6 instead of 6... e6. I guess 7.g4 is coming.

So if 5... Bf5 is concidered less accurate, how do 5... c6 6.Ne5 avoid becoming the even more inaccurate 5... Bf5 6.Ne5 c6?

Is there a better way than 6... Bf5 after 5... c6 6.Ne5,
or is actually 5... Bf5 6.Ne5  the best Black can do?