ArKheiN wrote on 03/09/08 at 18:10:28:


And your point is?

I sense the fanaticism of the true believer!

Seriously, I think that it is White who must struggle to prove equality in this line and I think all our analytical efforts could be put to better use.

I doubt whether Short or any other strong player will be tempted to play this way for White again in a hurry, apart from in blitz maybe.

OK, we all know that chess openings are very much subject to fashion, but I don't think that's the case with the BDG. The fact that there hasn't been a single pro grandmaster EVER who earned his living by playing the BDG on a regular basis speaks volumes. There are several satisfactory defences and all Black needs is to learn one; among these,  4...c6 is one of the safest and easiest to learn and play.

Quote:


I have seen and heard 5 Bc4 suggested as the best reply to 1 d4 d5 2 e4 dxe4 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 f3 c6 but it seems to have been overlooked that Black can play 5...b5, as in a Short-Bareev game (from the Caro) analysed here in Chess Publishing by Volzhin. Black was soon better.

Short,Nigel (2683) - Bareev,Evgeni (2709) [B15]
Sarajevo  Sarajevo, 2000

1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 dxe4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.f3 b5 6.Bb3 e6 7.fxe4 b4 8.Nce2 Nxe4 9.Nf3 Ba6 10.0-0 Bd6 11.c4 bxc3 12.bxc3 Nd7 13.Qc2 Nef6 14.c4 0-0 15.c5 Bc7 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Qc8 18.Rfe1 Bxe2 19.Rxe2 Nd5 20.Rf1 Qa6 21.Re4 Rae8 22.Rfe1 N7f6 23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Rh4 Qa5 25.Re2 Re7 26.g3 Rb8 27.Kg2 Rbe8 28.Qd3 Nd5 29.Ne5 Qc3 30.Qxc3 Nxc3 31.Rd2 Bxe5 32.dxe5 Nd5 33.Ra4 Rb8 34.Ra5 Kf8 35.Kf3 Reb7 36.h4 Ke7 37.Rd4 f6 38.exf6+ gxf6 39.Rda4 Nc3 40.Ra3 Nb5 41.R3a4 Rd7 42.Bc4 Nc3 43.Ra3 Nb1 44.R3a4 Nd2+ 45.Ke3 Rg8 46.Be2 Rxg3+ 47.Kf2 Rc3 48.Rxa7 Ne4+ 49.Kg2 Nxc5 50.Rxd7+ Kxd7 51.Ra7+ Kd6 52.a4 Rc2 53.Kf1 Ke5 54.a5 Kf4 55.Rg7 Ne4 56.Bd3 Ra2 57.a6 Nd2+ 58.Kf2 Nf3+ 59.Be2 Nd4 60.Rg4+ Ke5 0-1

Quote:

Sure. Compared to 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3 dxe4 4.fxe4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Bc4 the knight on c3 is misplaced!

MNb wrote on 02/26/08 at 21:38:39:


Suspicious would be one word for it; I imagine John McEnroe saying to White, "You cannot be serious!" ...

After 5.fxe4 e5, White can play 6.Nf3 exd4 and now, take with the knight to keep some complications, or with the queen where White might just be ok in the middle game without queens but that's not a very funny line for White.

After 5.Bc4, Black has many interesting options as 5..b5, 5..e6, 5..Bf5 or the transpotition into the "Ziegler defense" of the BDG after 5..exf3.

White has to play very well here to prove that they are no worse. But I agree it's not easy when Black play the best moves, but maybe not impossible!?

I have seen some discussion about Tim Sawyers Keybook on the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. Does he cover 4...c6? Also, does Gary Lane analyze 4...c6 in his Blackmar-Diemer book?