I was just looking up something in a particular opening the other day, and I found the archives of the Gambit Cartel column at chesscafe.com, and it inspired me. These openings look fun! I do need to get better at tactics and attacking, and giving away a pawn in the opening to get my pieces out faster seems like a way to dive into the "learn to attack or die trying" method.

I had already switched to trying the Vienna Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4) as my primary weapon as white. I've been looking for lines that allow me to pick the direction of the opening against the Sicilian, and that column has me thinking of trying the Smith-Morra Gambit, which is one of the few Sicilian major lines I've never really looked at. I've also been looking for a plan against 1. c4 as black, and issues 3-6 of the Gambit Cartel give an anti-English gambit, so I think I'll read that and see what I think.

Going completely nuts as black, I even tried the Englund Gambit (1. d4 e5) yesterday. I lost two games, but not because the opening's unsound (which it probably is). In the first one, I learned some opening theory about what not to do in that opening. In the second, I actually managed to get ahead materially, but messed up the endgame.

On a similar note, I'm looking at the Elephant Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5) as a way to play open games (1. e4 e5) while avoiding the typical Scotch, Italian, and Spanish lines that everyone usually plays.

I'm aware that some of these are "unsound" gambits that no grandmaster would ever touch. But at my level (~1400 USCF), just about anything's playable. I figure I can use the experience of playing odd stuff like this to get good at attacking and tactics, then switch to more normal openings when I reach the level where some of my opponents are able to beat me just because of my opening choices.

So does anyone have any comments on any of these gambits? Anyone here play them? Any other gambits you'd recommend along the same lines? Any recommendations for web sites with good info? I might even consider buying books on some of these, just to have a reference to look up lines after my games, since MCO-14 barely mentions these openings, let alone gives any real theory.

--Fromper

I definatley recommend gambits! Morozevich plays these kind of offbeat or unsound openings.

I have been using the danish gambit alot latley and being winning. It is being brought back into fashion by GM Jonny Hector too. Games available on any Fritz database!

The budapest gambit too can cut out alot of opening preparation as black aswel as being fun to play. Not alot of people i play using this even go into the mainline Bf4. Insted Nf3 where black is fine after Bc5 and white bishop is locked in because of e3. GM Bogdan Lalic has played this opening with success.

I cannot say that i have ever been ''crushed'' by anyone using these gambits! Unlike lets say Najdorf game against GM`s etc. lol

I am not too sure about the elephant and Latvian gambits. I have never faced them or used them! I imagine, for most people these are a case of... white is better and they look no further, but white will only be better or slightly better if one knows some lines against them. So even still i would recommend using them sporadically, even in tournaments OTB where you may catch an unprepared opponent out. AND! even still if they know some responses, once you have played a tonne of games against Fritz, you will be familiar with the positions and should have nothing to fear in the opening phases of the game.

Furthermore, if you enjoy the games you get using gambits and play exciting games, chess will probably be easier to progress at and study.

I just started playing last week after a few years of not playing regularly. The Evan's has been fabulous for making games a blast.

Practicing opening is what I've always had the least time for, so going all gambit all the time might be a good, fun idea.

Gambits are good when you just want to play fun chess and want to learn to attack, instead of playing positional games; in gambits you just have to attack, have to develop quickly and have to get active pieces.
Some interesting gambits if you like playing 1. e4 as white:

1. e4 e5 2. d4 - Danish Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 - Goring Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. f3 - King's Gambit (alot of theory though)
1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. b4 - French Wing Gambit
1. e4 c5 2. b4 - Sicilian Wing Gambit
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 - Morra Gambit
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 - Diemer Duhm Gambit
1. e4 c6 2. c4 d5 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Qb3 - Some weird gambit
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4 - A Scandinavian gambit

And as black:

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6 - Blackburne gambit
1. d4 e5 - Englund Gambit
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 - Budapest Gambit

I love the Budapest. The reason I don't play it regularly is after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 I can't transpose into anything I like/am prepared for. (If you could successfully transpose into a Tarrasch, I'd play it all the time, but premature development of the KN in the Tarrasch is good for white).

One of my favorite weapons these days is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d4!? which is a seldom seen gambit that, while it can transpose back into the main lines, offers a lot of room for fun gambit play.

I can't transpose into anything I am prepared for either, but neither am I if I play 1. d4 d5 All the opening theory I know against 1. d4 is some theory in the KID, some theory in the Budapest, and a little Grunfeld, Benko... So I have to play 1... Nf6 anyway

Well, the thing with the budapest is that yes ok after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 you get what you want. So, white delays c4 and playes 2.Nf3 insted? Then as black i would recommend 2...e6. If white the plays 3.c4 you have 3...Bb4+ with bogo indian. Then if white avoids c4 totally, by playing either Colle, London, Torre Systems for example: 1.d4 Nf6 anticipating budapest 2.Nf3 white sidesteps 2...e6. 3.e3 c5, followed by ...b6 ...Bb7 ...Be7 ...Nc6 perhaps ...Qc8 with idea of Ba6 trading whites good bishop on d3, or via ...Nb4 if available!
Avoid early 3.e3 and develop bishop on f4 or g5, black can play ...Qb6 showing the weakness of b2 after the bishop develops. Black gets a good game. Interesting positions and really annoying for white!

^ the lines above should all be in NCO.

Another point is that from my experience, being a budapest player, i very very very rarely come across the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4. It may seem hard to believe as i see it all the time in master games, but! most people will either play a 1.d4 2.c4 set up or after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 they plan Colle/London/Torre systems.

Phobetor commented that the Kings Gambit has alot of theory but that is only after 3.Nf3. Litte amount has been covered on 3.Bc4 which yes, does not seem as popular as 3.Nf3 but David Bronsteen said: 'You want to play the Kings Gambit?' Well, Black can draw after 3.Nf3. Play 3.Bc4 if you want to win!' The drawback of 3.Nf3 is the Kieseritzky Gambit.

Has anyone read/studied the books titled ''Gambiteer'' book 1 and book 2? As far as i know its a 2 book series with aload of Gambits of all soundness.