It would be nice for Gawain to do an update on the Scotch Gambit around his wins over Gupta and David Howell.

As a confirmed TKD player I would love to get his take on the line he played against Gupta. The line he used vs Howell shocked me a bit, I too had been preparing this to use as a surprise weapon for white in upcoming tournaments, but upon closer scrutiny came to the conclusion that it offered White less than nothing. Funnily enough this was another line suggested on one of Dzinzi's early DVD's.

The move 4.Ng5 is a good move in theory, but not in praxis Black has a ferocious initiative OTB and although White sometimes prevails, its always an unweidly mess and that suits Black. Interestingly Nigel Short avoided 4.Ng5 in the commonwealth championship and I think it has to do with the Coleman Variation - 8.Qf3 Rb8 9.Bd3 Bd6! after which White has to walk a tight rope to avoid a miniature. Nakamura's 8.Bd3 is well met by Nd5 with good comp for the pawn. None of the recent DVD's [Trent, Davies, Martin, Dzindzi] or Books [CBM's] will help you against the suggested lines as they are either not covered or covered superficially in passing.

Mikhailevski will never cover these lines, as he snobbishly covers only elite events to the exclusion of everything else, [Marshall Berlin Petroff and Scotch Game being par for the course]. So for varieties sake and for the rare chance to see how the other 1.e4 e5 half lives its over to you Gawain    

Toppy

Thanks. TWIC today had two Smerdon games with this variation from the Commonwealth-ch. The Jones-Gupta game, provided by Jupp, is missing yet. That's because it was played last Sunday I suppose, so I will get it next week.
Jupp has made one point though. If two 2500+ players are going to play it on a regular base we should pay attention.

MNb wrote on 07/04/11 at 21:48:49:


I got them from a pgn file at the end of one of those chessbase reports

Jupp53 - yes that was a beautiful game by Gawaine Jones - I noticed this trend for 10.Be3 earlier, because maybe the strongest player in the world who plays this line regularly (David Smerdon) is also going that way now - incidentally in the same tournament Smerdon has a text-book win in this line although its all a bit one-way traffic since Black didnt play very well, still its a good example of what White is aiming for.

White has to be prepared for 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Be7!? (instead of 9.... Bc5), too.. For example: 10. f3 Nc5 11. f4 Ne4 and now the first player has to choose from 12. Nc3 or 12. Nd2, because 12. f5 Bc5! seems premature for white.

I'd not read all that much into Jones' opening choices, as he does seem to be another fine representative of the traditional GB school where you win games almost despite your openings

TN wrote on 06/14/11 at 02:17:38:

http://www.jan-gustafsson.de/nc/jans-kolumne/beitrag/ist-damengambit-das-neue-ru...

TN wrote on 06/14/11 at 02:17:38:

Actually I think 6.Re1 more precise as 6.Bb3 allows Black to play d5 a la Marshallgambit. This doesn't change your argument in general.