Even though the analysis is spotty and the proofreading is pretty bad, a fun repertoire can be found in "Gambit Opening Repertoire for White" by the much-maligned Eric Schiller. His recommendations include:
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 ed 4 c3 dc 4 Nc3 (Goring Gambit)
1 e4 c5 2 d4 cd 3 f4 (Halasz Gambit)
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Be3 de 4 Nd2 (Alapin Gambit)
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nf3 de 4 Ng5 (Ulyesses' Gamibt)
Originally posted by SquelchbelchIDK why you would play anything so risky. Why not the Pirc? It's solid, and it will get most 1500s out of book within 4-5 moves. I just made a thread of me punishing a near 1600 for making bad moves with the white side of the Pirc Austrian. In addition, 1...d6 could of course be used against 1.d4 and transpose into a whole myriad of openings - including back to the Pirc. As white, the KG is excellent.
I'd like some openings that I can look into that take my opponents out of book, preferably in the first few moves.
My OTB opponents ratings will likely be in the 1400-1600 range, 30 mins games I think.
I'm considering the Latvian gambit 1.e4...e5, 2.Nf3...f5 as black, mostly to avoid all those Ruy Lopez's & the Grob 1.g4 as white as an occaisional w ...[text shortened]... openings that offer tactical shots & take the opposition out of their comfort zone early on?
Originally posted by SquelchbelchFrom what I've heard, the Traxler is good, but if they go for the Ruy, respond with 3. ... f5. Although he was a jerk, RahimK did play good chess, and he was right about 3. ... f5 being "spicy."
I like the 2-knights (I'd love to play the Traxler OTB!) but probably way over 50% of the time they'll go 3.Bb5 & I find the black side of the Ruy Lopez difficult.
Originally posted by SquelchbelchThe Danish is brilliant if black accepts it, but it can be a pain if he declines at any of the pawns white offers.
Many of the lines mix into the Morra which I already play as first choice against 1...c5.
I do prefer 2.f4 against 1...e5 but the Danish is a very good suggestion if I end up playing the same people at the club & they brush-up on their KG theory.
I kind of like the double-sac version of the Danish also.
Originally posted by SquelchbelchI'm punching well above my weight and I am doing that by playing a very restricted set of openings that I have good books on and which I am getting to understand increasingly well.
Well yes.
I'm punching above my weight with openings I know well & admittedly they are sharp or trappy.
I suspect I'm really a 1475-1550 player here, 1450 or so OTB, but we shall see...
🙂
If I were to divert from them I am certain my rating would decrease rapidly.
My choices of the Morra Gambit and Kings Gambit as white has certainly achieved results although there is the odd bad slip up.
Originally posted by wittywonkaGame 3316612 should have ended in a win for black.
If they go for the Ruy, respond with 3. ... f5. Although he was a jerk, RahimK did play good chess, and he was right about 3. ... f5 being "spicy."
He said he just wanted to get to this game 🙂: Game 3316819, the game where I timed him out.
Originally posted by wittywonkaThe Danish Gambit might be making a comeback! GM Nigel Davies recommends it in his new repertoire book, "Gambiteer I."
The Danish is brilliant if black accepts it, but it can be a pain if he declines at any of the pawns white offers.
BTW, Davies recommends the line: 1 e4 e5 2 d4 ed 3 c3 dc 4 Nc3 (rather than the more ambitous but perhaps less reliable 4 Bc4 cb 5 Bb2)
I'm certainly no authority, but in OTB play I think that at a moderate rating level it's best to know three openings very well and stick to those, one with White and two with Black. Inflicting a surprise on your opponent comes from your superior familiarity in your chosen opening repertoire. With White, I've had good success with the English Opening because many opponents are slightly confused by it, and sometimes even annoyed by it, but you have to like closed games to use it properly. Nevertheless, I think that most opening study must be taken up with Black, because you need an extra opening when playing Black.
Yesterday, I sent feedback for that Latvian Gambit Split - 3.Bc4 variation tournament. At about oh, say, 4:00 Cleveland time, there was a power outage. 🙁 It was raining marble sized hail (literally) and rain. When the power came back on about 10 minutes ago from when I made this post, the tournament was already closed to new entrants. :'( 😠 😳
Originally posted by SquelchbelchThat is so boring I wouldn't be surprised if both the players keeled over and died of boredom. One of the reasons I don't play e4 anymore. This position used to be a common one when I was 5 or 6
Well I take your point.
I'm not looking to trick them as such, just take them out of their comfort zone.
GM's do this as well. Remember when Kasparov revived the Evans Gambit & Scotch games?
All of a sudden there was a surge of interest in these openings that were viewed largely as "busted cheap shots" before these games. Lines were re-examined r ...[text shortened]... z😴
[fen]r1bq1rk1/1pp2pp1/p1np1n1p/2b1p3/2B1P3/P1NP1N1P/1PP2PP1/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 9[/fen]
Originally posted by adam warlockhttp://www.chessville.com/UCO/Halloween_Gambit/UON13HalloweenGambit.pdf
Yep you're right. But if you want to play the halloween gambit the right to do it isn't 1. e4 it is 1.Nc3.
http://www.chessville.com/UCO/Halloween_Gambit/Part_1.htm
http://www.chessville.com/UCO/Halloween_Gambit/Part_2.htm
Also the wikipedia page on this has other links.
Saveable .pdf file