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The following is an openings suite based entirely on gambits. Opening theory has many times many gambits, some more playable than others. This is a selection of 20 positions, covering the most famous, such as the Blackmar-Diemer, the Smith-Morra, and even the Marshall Gambit (Ruy Lopez), and some less so.

The suite also includes 3 positions involving early piece sacrifices. These are the Cochrane, the Blackburne-Schilling (unplayable move), and the timeless Muzio. Note that in all cases, engines were consulted to be certain they chose varied continuations, nor did they start thinking they were dead lost, which would have been dreadfully unfair. No evals started at 0.7 down or worse. Hopefully they will lead to fun and dynamic matches. Enjoy.

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "From's Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A02"]

1. f4 e5 2. fxe5 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Lisitsin Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A04"]

1. Nf3 f5 2. e4 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Englund Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A40"]

1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Staunton Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A82"]

1. d4 f5 2. e4 fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Sicilian, Wing Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B20"]

1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Smith-Morra Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B21"]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Danish Gambit, Alekhine var."]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C21"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Urusov Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C24"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "King's Gambit, Falkbeer Countergam"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C31"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. exd5 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "King's Gambit, Classical"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C37"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "King's Gambit, Muzio Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C37"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. O-O gxf3 6. Qxf3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Latvian Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C40"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Cochrane Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C42"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nxf7 Kxf7 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Goring Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C44"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Blackburne-Shilling Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C50"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nd4 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. Bxf7+ *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Evans Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C51"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Schliemann Defence"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C63"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Ruy Lopez, Marshall Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C89"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3
d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Blackmar-Diemer Gambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D00"]

1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Silver Gambit Suite"]
[Black "Albin Countergambit"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "D08"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 *

Thanks for this new testsuites. I'm going to give them a try within the next days.

vp

Code: Select all

rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4P3/8/8/PPPPP1PP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.01";
rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/5p2/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.02";
r1b1kbnr/ppppqppp/2n5/4P3/8/5N2/PPP1PPPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.03";
rnbqkb1r/ppppp1pp/5n2/8/3Pp3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.04";
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/8/1p2P3/8/P1PP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.05";
rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/8/4P3/2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.06";
rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/8/4P3/2N5/PP3PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.07";
rnbqkb1r/pppp1ppp/5n2/8/2BpP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.08";
rnbqkbnr/ppp2ppp/8/3Pp3/5P2/8/PPPP2PP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.09";
rnbqkbnr/pppp1p1p/8/6p1/2B1Pp2/5N2/PPPP2PP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.10";
rnbqkbnr/pppp1p1p/8/8/2B1Pp2/5Q2/PPPP2PP/RNB2RK1 b kq - id "Silver-Gambit.11";
rnbqkbnr/pppp2pp/8/4pp2/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.12";
rnbq1b1r/ppp2kpp/3p1n2/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQ - id "Silver-Gambit.13";
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/4P3/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.14";
r1b1kbnr/pppp1Bpp/8/4N1q1/3nP3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.15";
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/1bB1P3/2P2N2/P2P1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.16";
r1bqkbnr/pppp2pp/2n5/1B2pp2/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.17";
r1bq1rk1/4bppp/p1p5/1p1nR3/8/1BP5/PP1P1PPP/RNBQ2K1 w - - id "Silver-Gambit.18";
rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/5n2/8/3Pp3/2N2P2/PPP3PP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.19";
rnbqkbnr/ppp2ppp/8/4P3/2Pp4/8/PP2PPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - id "Silver-Gambit.20";

Thanks to Albert Silver and the effervescent Dann Corbit!

Later.

Albert Silver wrote:The following is an openings suite based entirely on gambits. Opening theory has many times many gambits, some more playable than others. This is a selection of 20 positions, covering the most famous, such as the Blackmar-Diemer, the Smith-Morra, and even the Marshall Gambit (Ruy Lopez), and some less so.

Hello Albert Silver,

I am desirous of playing both sides of the King's Gambit against weak (to match my playing strength - perhaps strength is incorrectly used here) chess engines but I do not know how to proceed after playing my king's pawn two spaces.

Do you have a beginner type plan that I could use to at least get out of the opening alive?

I know that at the master level Fischer is supposed to have busted it as an opening but clearly that is not my concern down here in the pits of novicedom.

Any pointers appreciated.

Later.

Roger Brown wrote:

Albert Silver wrote:The following is an openings suite based entirely on gambits. Opening theory has many times many gambits, some more playable than others. This is a selection of 20 positions, covering the most famous, such as the Blackmar-Diemer, the Smith-Morra, and even the Marshall Gambit (Ruy Lopez), and some less so.

Hello Albert Silver,

I am desirous of playing both sides of the King's Gambit against weak (to match my playing strength - perhaps strength is incorrectly used here) chess engines but I do not know how to proceed after playing my king's pawn two spaces.

Do you have a beginner type plan that I could use to at least get out of the opening alive?

I know that at the master level Fischer is supposed to have busted it as an opening but clearly that is not my concern down here in the pits of novicedom.

Any pointers appreciated.

Later.

It is worth mentioning that the King's Gambit is not busted, even at master level, at least not in the sense of losing. It is not played because it doesn't give an edge to white.

As to how to proceed, the best suggestion I can give is to study tactics, and follow basic chess principles: develop your pieces, don't abandon the center, and castle. Regarding tactics, I would strongly suggest a methodical approach. Random headbanging won't really help much. A program such as Convekta's Chess Tactics for Intermediate players if you are between 1300-1800 or so, and Chess Tactics for Beginners if a bit less, are excellent tools. They present the themes in an orderly fashion and the exercises are gradually harder. This really will be your best path to improvement at the lower echelons.