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From	Message
fatcat2 07-Jun-09, 12:20	Opening Errors Part-1 Hi all. Here's a post which, I think, should correct one opening mistake that many players, both beginners and some advanced players, sometimes make. Obviously, the below error can be seen in many guises, but here is one of the most common examples: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6?! This is a weak move, since it is passive, does not develop a piece, and in fact does not even defend the pawn: 3.Nxe5! fxe5?? This is Black's true error. He can, of course, play the loss of his e-pawn as a gambit, and develop with, say, 3...Bc5. His attempt to recapture the knight opens himself up to a winning attack: 4.Qh5+!! Oh dear. How does Black get out of the check? If he tries 4...g6, 5.Qxe5+ forks Black's king and rook, and will probably win a lot of other pieces too. Black's only other option is to move his king: 4...Ke7 5.Qxe5+! Kf7 6.Bc4+! Kg6 As you can see above, Black's king is isolated and his army undeveloped. White is well-placed to win the game with a quick attack on Black's exposed king, for example, starting by opening up his centre with 7.d4! So, 3...fxe5?? dooms Black to a quick defeat. However, unless you are an experienced player, attempting to gain active play for the loss of the pawn may not be a good idea for you. I will leave it to more experienced readers to think about that option. Until then, my basica advice to you all is, do not play 2...f6?! I hope this helps!
tactical_abyss 27-Jun-09, 22:57	You are absolutely correct about 2....f6 being bad for black.(But not terrible).However, 3....fxe5 is disastrous for black.But on the higher levels of play,a draw is possible with blacks accepted loss of the e pawn.I have drawn a few blitz games,purposely moving 2....f6 as an experimental gambit against a few 2000 rated players.I don't have copies of those games,but from memory and looking at the board i'll give you the first 10 or 11 moves.After that,black is still down a pawn,but positionally not bad off at all.With proper play,a draw can follow,since being down a pawn is not "curtains" for black....atleast not on the higher rating levels.I remember drawing atleast 2 games with the first couple of moves below as black,but the endgame is very complicated for a draw and is not recommended for players under,i'd say,a 1900 rating. 1.e4,e5 2.Nf3,f6 3.Nxe5,Ne7 4.Ng4,d5 5.exd5,Nxd5 6.Bc4,Qe7+ 7.Ne3,Nxe3 8.dxe3,Be6 9.Bxe6,Qxe6 10.Qh5+,Qf7 11.Qxf7+,Kxf7 The rest of the open game still has an advantage for white,but not an easy win.White must play sharply for the win.With even sharper play,black can draw.Notice whites light square Bishop is gone.Blacks king is not in any immediate danger and should keep on the light squares to minimize checks. Again,2....f6 should be avoided,but my point here is that 2....f6 is NOT necessarily hopeless for black if he can squeak out a draw.I would never play 2....f6 in a rated game however!
tactical_abyss 27-Jun-09, 23:24	Position after move 11 as described above in my above message. Again,not hopeless for black,but not recommeded for the faint of heart!
pawnbyknight 28-Jun-09, 14:27	Opening Errors Part One (Follow up / Damiano Defence) This is a follow up to the Opening Errors Part One that Fatcat2 wrote. There is a better way for white to win the game, also an improvement on blacks play. Starting fromn the beginning: The Daminano Defence The position of the Damiano arises after the moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6 3. Nxe5 3. fxe5 4. Qh5+ 4. Ke7 5. Qxe5+ Kf7 6. Bc4+ Kg6 Instead of the move Kg6 black should have played 6.d5 (his only chance). After d5 white plays Bxd5+ and now Kg6 (white has still a winning position) After the diagram position white mates as follows (not with the move d4 as suggested by Fatcat) 7. Qf5+ (this move would not be possible after the move 6.d5 by black as suggested before) 7. kh6 8. d4+ now the move d4 but with check 8. g5 9. h4 Black has only g7 to escape to. A: 9. Kg7 10. Qf7+ Kh6 11. hxg5 mate B: 9. Qe8??? 10. Qxg5 mate C: 9. d5??? position after d5: 10. Qf7 10. dxc4 any move is bad here 11. hxg5 mate D: 9.Qe7 is met by 10.Bxg5+ and wins the queen; game over too. Keep up the good work Fatcat, hope you will make some more about Opening Errors. Regards, Bert (PawnbyKnight)
tennesseehiker 28-Jun-09, 14:53	Deleted by tennesseehiker on 04-Jul-09, 16:40.
gnometastic 28-Jun-09, 15:29	Latvian Gambit Black would have been better off if they played 2. ... f5, which is known as the Latvian Gambit. It was pretty popular in the 30's, and was played by Nimzovich -- and has some new lines have come up in relatively recent matches as well.
fatcat2 29-Jun-09, 08:17	Well... It is misleading to argue that Black would have been better off with 2...f5 - this is indeed true, however, Black would also have been fine with 2...Nc6, 2...Nf6, 2...d6 (well, it's better than 2..f6). What you say is true, but make sure you consider other options gnometastic! Sorry if I sound a bit harsh
pawnbyknight 29-Jun-09, 10:41	Latvian Gambit Is all together an opening line that was not under discussion. However I was preparing something with the Latvian, maybe we can discuss analyses after that. Maybe Gnometastic can give some analyses too, feel welcome to write a topic. Bert
pawnbyknight 30-Jun-09, 11:30	OPENING ERROR PART 1 : THE LATVIAN GAMBIT Latvian Gambit In this well-known game played in St Petersburg 1878 plays Qh5. Unfortunate for white that was too early in the game. White : Schlechter Black : Chigorin 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. exf5 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bc5 5. Bxc6 Typical mistake; without completing his devellopment white starts to play active. 5... dxc6 6. Nxe5 Bxf5 7. Qh5+ The idea behind Qh5+ is that after 7... g6 8.Nxg6 Bxg6 black takes the bishop on c5. 7.... g6 8.Nxg6 8.... hxg6 Chigorin decides to sacifice his rook on h8!!!! 9.Qxh8 Qe7+ 10.Kd1 .... (Kf1 and Bxc2 is very unpleasant) 10.... Bxf2 11. Qxg8+ Kd7 12. Qc4 Re8 White resigned here ( 0-1 ). Let us examine the possibilities: A: if it was black to move here (he is not) (he threats the following) 13..... Qe1+ 14.Rxe1 14.Rxe1 mate B: 13.Qf1 Bg4+ and black mates next move C: 13.d4 Bg4+ 14.Kd2 Qe3 mate D: 13.d3 Qe2 mate SECOND GAME, A MORE RECENT ONE THIS TIME ======================================== White : Bukhari Black : Carvalho Olympiad 1982 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nc3 Practice has shown that it is difficult to refutate the Latvian Gambit. Most promising moves for white are 3.Bc4, 3.Nxe5 and 3.exf5. 3.... fxe4 4. Nxe5 Nf6 5. Bc4 5.... Qe7 6. d4 exd3 ep 7. O-O 7.... dxc2 8. Qd2 Qc5 9. Re1 because of this move black could not play Qxe5 earlier. in that case he would loses his queen 9.... Be7 10. Qg5 d6 11. Qxg7 Rf8 12.Nd3 Black resigned here ( 1-0 ). He has a choice between Qxe7 or losing the queen. ANOTHER FIFTH MOVE (BLACK) 5.d5 ================================== 5...... d5 6. Nxd5 Nxd5 7. Qh5+ 7.... g6 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. Qxg6+ White does not want to take the rook on h8 9. .... Ke7 10. d4 black can not take the pawn (Bg5+) 10. .... Qd6 (not Nf6 because of Qf7+) 11. Bg5+ Kd7 12. Qf5+ 12.... Qe6 13.Qxd5+ Qxd5 14.Bxd5 And white is clearly better, four pawns for a Knight. The pawn on e4 is lost (Rh5? h4 first) Bert PawnbyKnight
fatcat2 30-Jun-09, 12:38	Thank you very much... ...for such great in-depth analysis of this Latvian Gambit game. Might you consider starting a new thread for Latvian Gambit analysis? This one is namely for Part-1 of my Opening Errors course, and the Latvian Gambit is only very loosely related to it  . I am not trying to discourage you! I think your post would be seen more, and therefore more appreciated, in a thread of its own. Regards, fatcat2.
pawnbyknight 30-Jun-09, 13:21	Fatcat This I gave because these Latvian openings were based on errors too. If I publish more I will do that in another thread

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