Recently when I categorised my played games based on openings, I've realised that I've scored 12/12 as White when I played the King's gambit. Whether it was accepted or not. I must admit though that most of the opponents were rated somewhere between 1300 and 1500. Against stronger players I don't always feel confident enough to play gambits. And not all of the games were won with the opening.
The King's gambit suits me really well I feel, being more a player with strength in open and tactical games. I struggle with closed games.
Here are some good bits. The scheme is often the same: develop while pressuring the pawn on f4, then throw everything at the (castled) black king.
[Event "Challenge"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.11.11"] [EndDate "2014.11.25"] [Round "?"] [White "Fanakick"] [Black "stan80boy"] [WhiteRating "1793"] [BlackRating "1433"] [WhiteElo "1793"] [BlackElo "1433"] [Result "1-0"] [GameId "10893559"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Ng1f3 {Always my third move to prevent Qh5+} Nb8c6 4. d4 {Immediately attacking the f4 pawn} Ng8f6 5. Nb1c3 Bf8b4 6. Bf1d3 {Not caring too much about doubled pawns when the fun will be going on on the kingside} Bb4xc3 7. bxc3 d5 {d5 should have been pushed earlier I think} 8. Qd1e2 O-O 9. e5 Nf6e8 {Too much panicking, that's an awful square for the knight} 10. Bc1xf4 h6 11. O-O {Another thing I adore in the King's gambit. O-O puts the rook often on a semiopen file immediately} Bc8e6 12. Ra1b1 Ra8b8 13. Qe2e3 Nc6e7 {Black has blocked too many of his pieces away from the king's corner. Time to sac.} 14. Bf4xh6 gxh6 15. Qe3xh6 Ne7g6 {Black misses the last chance to stay in the game with Nf5} 16. Nf3g5 {1-0} 1-0
[Event "Open invite"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.11.27"] [EndDate "2014.12.20"] [Round "?"] [White "Fanakick"] [Black "ChessBum"] [WhiteRating "1793"] [BlackRating "1493"] [WhiteElo "1793"] [BlackElo "1493"] [Result "1-0"] [GameId "10919780"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Ng1f3 d6 4. d4 Bc8g4 5. Bc1xf4 Nb8d7 6. Nb1c3 Ng8e7 7. Bf1d3 Ne7c6 8. Bf4e3 Nd7f6 9. O-O Bf8e7 10. Qd1d2 Bg4xf3 11. Rf1xf3 a6 {Black has already wasted two moves on "switching" his knights. And White doesn't care about b5 either} 12. Ra1f1 {The White army is ready to march} O-O 13. Rf3h3 h5 {Again, too much panic} 14. Nc3d5 {Deflecting the defender of the h-file} Nf6xd5 15. exd5 Nc6b8 {The poor g8-knight has to land on the starting square of it's fellow} 16. Rh3xh5 g6 17. Rh5h3 Rf8e8 18. Qd2f2 {Keep creating threats...} f5 19. Bd3xf5 {...and sac when you can} Re8f8 {The idea is good but black is lost.} 20. Bf5e6 {1-0} 1-0
And here's a funny example how I rely on blunders or rather on opponents missing my blunders 🙂
[Event "Open invite"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2013.09.13"] [EndDate "2013.09.15"] [Round "?"] [White "Fanakick"] [Black "Pawn D Russ"] [WhiteRating "1793"] [BlackRating "1262"] [WhiteElo "1793"] [BlackElo "1262"] [Result "1-0"] [GameId "10219851"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Nb8c6 3. Ng1f3 d6 4. Bf1c4 Ng8f6 5. d3 Bc8g4 6. Nb1c3 Bf8e7 7. f5 {Fine, if you don't take the f-pawn I'm going to throw it at the king} O-O 8. h3 Bg4xf3 9. Qd1xf3 Nc6d4 10. Qf3f2 c6 11. Bc1e3 c5 12. Nc3d5 a6 13. Nd5xf6 Be7xf6 14. c3 Nd4c6 15. g4 {Black can now win it with Bh4} b5 16. Bc4d5 {Black can still win it...} Ra8c8 17. h4 {Black missed the chance and now gets lost in the pawn storm} g6 18. Be3h6 Rf8e8 19. g5 Bf6g7 20. fxg6 {The f-file is open now. 1-0} Kg8h8 21. Bh6xg7 1-0
So, are there any other fans of the KG? Or what do the KG crushers play? Hold on to the pawn or give it back? I'm curious to know you're expierences.
The King's gambit
10 Apr '15 17:55
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