4 f3 c5! is why they play 3 Be3 first. Anyway, you can't play theoretically dubious (I won't go so far as to say the Blackmar Diemer is unsound, but I will say it is not sound) openings during correspondence games even if they score well during over the board play. I remember that in one of the Gambit Cartel issues on the Alaphin-Diemer gambit, Tim Mcgrew (that was his name, wasn't it?) explained that an important point about 3 Be3 is that it helps cut out a later ...c5 by Black.

I vote for 4 Nxe4:
4. Nxe4 (4): ketchuplover, planetchess.org, Perseus, Octal
4. f3 (1): Fromper

In defense to c5.... look at this continuation, I found.

[Event "South Wales op 4th"]
[Site "Caerleon"]
[Date "2007.07.12"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Larter, Nick"]
[Black "Bridges, Paul"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C10"]
[PlyCount "36"]
[EventDate "2007.07.07"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "WLS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.09.04"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. f3 c5 5. Be3 cxd4 6. Bxd4 Nc6 7. Bb5 Bd7 8.
fxe4 a6 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 10. Nf3 Nf6 11. O-O Be7 12. Ne5 Rc8 13. Qd2 O-O 14. Qe3
Nd7 15. Kh1 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 f6 17. Bd4 Qe8 18. Qh3 Bd7 1/2-1/2

I agree with Octal, and other players here...... I need a line more convincing than this one, for me to consider changing my vote!

Here is my vote: Nxe4!


4. Nxe4 (5): ketchuplover, planetchess.org, Perseus, Octal, dustinkinney
4. f3 (1): Fromper

I vote for 4. Nxe4

I vote for Nxe4.

I'd rather not play gambit chess against a GM.

After thinking about this for a couple of days, and talking to GMs intimate with that match, All I can say is; "I think it's Great that the ChessForums Members show more class than that..."

yup too dangerous compare to nxe4

Absolutely right Ryan_C!

f3 is a very weak move here.

Another vote for Nxe4.

I vote for 4. Nxe4

[Event "2008 North American Open"]
[CustomFEN ""]
[Mode "Regulation Tournament Game"]
[Round ""]
[White "IM Justin Sarkar 2455 (FIDE)"]
[Black "GM Var Akobian 2619 (FIDE)"]
[WhiteELO ""]
[BlackELO ""]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 {Here I spent some time deciding what line to play, and went for the Queen's Gambit Declined.}Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 {In this position as white, I prefer to play 6.Qc2 to avoid the option of Black to play Qb6 at some point.}Qb6 7. Bxf6 {If 7.Qc2 Ne4!? 8. Nxe4 dxe4 9.Qe4 Be6 and black has two threats Qxb2 and Qa5+.}Qxb2 8. Qc1 {8.Qc1! is a strong move by my opponent.}Qxc1 9. Rxc1 gxf6 10. Nxd5 {This is the start of a very complicated position.}Ba3 {My plan was to force the rook to c3. For example; 11.Rc3 Bd6 12.Nxf6 Ke7 13.Ne4 Bb4 pinning the rook however my opponent played the strongest move again; 11.Rc4.}11. Rc4 {This is a very complicated position and I had to spend alot of time here to find the following idea.}b5 {Another option is 11. ..Na6! 12.Nf6+ Ke7 13.Ne4 is unclear, also if 12.Ra4? Bd6 13.Ba6 cxd5 with a big advantage for black since the rook on a4 is misplaced.}12. Rc2 {If 12.Rc3 Bd6 13.Bxb5 Bd7 14.Nf6+ Ke7 15.Nxd7 Bb4! 16.Ne2 Nd7 17.Bc4 Nb6 and black is slightly better.}Be6 {I had to spend alot of time on this move because I am sacrificing my rook but after lots of calculations I realized if I want to win this game I have to go for this line.}13. Nc7 Kd7 14. Nxa8 {Another option was 14.Nxe6 fxe6 but Black is slightly better there. Also is hard not to take the whole Rook.}Na6 15. Kd1 {Better for my opponent was: 15.Nh3 Nb4 16.Rc3 Rxa8 17.Nf4 Bxa2 18.kd2 Bb2 19. Rc5 a5 20. Bd3 a4 and Black has good compensation for the exchange
.}Nb4 {This is stronger then 15... Rxa8.}16. Rc3 Bb2 17. Rc2 {This is not the best move, but White's position is already worse. A better chance was 17.Rc5 Rxa8 18.Nh3 a5 19.Nf4 Bxa2 20.kd2 a4 21.Nd3 Nxd3 22.Nd3 Nb3 and black is slightly better.}Nxc2 18. Kxc2 Ba3 {After this move it is clear that black is slightly better due to the bishop pair, and white is behind in development.}19. Kb1 {Another option was 19.Bd3 Bxa2 20.Ne2 Be6 21.Nf4 Bd6 22.Ra1 Rxa8 23.Nxe6 fxe6 24. Bxh7 a5 and Black is slightly better.}Bf5 20. Ka1 Rxa8 21. Ne2 Bb4 {Now the knight cannot move do to Bc3 mate.}22. Kb2 {And here I found the very strong move; Be1!.}Be1 23. f3 Bf2 24. e4 {Now white has some problems with completing His development.}Be6 25. d5 cxd5 26. exd5 Bxd5 {Now I am up a pawn with the Bishop pair.}27. Nc3 Bc6 28. Bd3 Bd4 29. Rd1 Kc7 30. Kb3 Bxc3 31. Kxc3 Rd8 32. Rb1 a6 33. Rb4 a5 34. Rh4 b4 {Check}35.Kc4 Kb6 36. Be4 Bd7 {White's position is very difficult to save and also my opponent was in big time trouble.}37. Bxh7 Be6# {Checkmate}{I hope you enjoyed this kind of wild game!, And find it informative. Sincerely, GM Akobian.}*

Final Position:




Prepared by: mts