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Opening Survey: The Mrphy Gambit

  • FM FM_Eric_Schiller
  • | Aug 14, 2011
  • | 4218 views
  • | 22 comments

This is a survey of the literature on the Morphy Gambit, an excellent weapon for White that begins 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6  3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3. It is also a nice sharp reply to the boring Petroff. I present the views from the following sources with many key improvements.

Bird. Henry Bird. The Chess Openings Considered Critically and Practically. Dean & Son  1877.

Fletcher. L. Elliott Fletcher. Gambits Accepted. Routledge & Kegan Paul 1954.

Janjgava. Lasha Janjgava: The Petroff. Gambit 2001  

Yusupov. Artur Yusupov: The Petroff Defence, Olms 1999.

 

BB. John Watson & Eric Schiller. Big Book of Busts. Hypermodern 1995.

BCO. Garry Kasparov, Ray Keene et al. Batsford Chess Openings. Batsford 1982

BCO2. Garry Kasparov, Ray Keene et al. Batsford Chess Openings. Batsford 1989.

CBPB. ChessBasePowerBook 2007

CDe4. Bernard Cafferty & David Hooper. Complete Defence to 1 e4. Pergamon 1986 (3rd ed.)

ECOx. Alexandr Matanovic et al. Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. Chess Informant. 1977-present. x = edition number. The first two editions didn't have any significant differences.  

GCO. Eric Schiller. Gambit Chess Openings. Cardoza 2003.  

MCOx. Modern Chess Openings. Various editors. (x = edition number)  

MCOE. Anatoly Karpov et al. Modern Chess Openings Encyclopedia.  

NCO. John Nunn: Nunn's Chess Openings. Everyman 1999.   

 

 

Comments


  • 6 months ago

    Buford_Julep

    This is an excellent gambit for a club player, but keep in mind that if Black declines the game may transpose to lines of the Two Knights, Giuoco Piano or the Scotch Gambit.

  • 7 months ago

    Nutflush

    Most Petroff players wont touch this - they either play Nc6 and you have a 2-Knights, or they play the line with c6!? which Mr Schiller also indicates he believes is best. OTB I never had anyone play f6, even in Blitz.

  • 8 months ago

    sryiwannadraw

    amazing!

  • 9 months ago

    oishani

    gud 1 lv it!Cool

  • 9 months ago

    joriecol19

    9. dxe5 ?? losing his queen

  • 9 months ago

    fiac

    tasty awld game, ill be remembering this one.

  • 9 months ago

    Nathgosavi

    Very interesting....

  • 9 months ago

    aa2faye

    very interesting

  • 9 months ago

    chessproblemo

    I answer 1e4 with e5. got to brush up with this Morphy Gambit. Might be ambushed. Thanks FM Schiller.

  • 9 months ago

    NimzoRoy

    Thanks for posting this - I've just started playing the Petroff Defense and so far I've had to face the Cochrane Gambit twice, maybe I'll be a little more prepared for the Morphy Gambit the first time I have to face it!

  • 9 months ago

    GargleBlaster

    FWIW, I was curious about alternatives to ...g6 (which looks suspect) in this game, but the interface is so convoluted that I simply can't find the move in the move list.  To be frank, all those fascinating variations are completely wasted unless the viewer can present them intelligibly.

  • 9 months ago

    ZiggyQ

    Why doesn't Black take the rook with the pawn?

  • 9 months ago

    FM FM_Eric_Schiller

    In the 9...dxe5 line it isn't just the queen,you also get the c-pawn and an attack. White is clearly better.

  • 9 months ago

    DefeatTheDefeat

    @bencoutier - .. Ke7 10) Bg5+ (black loses the queen again)

    sheardp - I think white has better position, queen advantage whereas Black has

    1. undeveloped pieces

    2. uncastled king

    3. Pawns exposed for queen to scavange

    4. Bishop and rook already waiting to fire.

    I think it would be an easy win for white from that position.

  • 9 months ago

    bencloutier

    yeah but what about 9...dxe5 10. Bf7+ Ke7? Kxf7 is a horrible mistake

  • 9 months ago

    beancounter

    I think Catholholic nailed it.  I stopped playing 1.e4 about 30 years ago due to the Sicilian.  Side benefit - my win% jumped as no one was then studying anything other than Sicilian!

  • 9 months ago

    sheardp

    After 9..dxe5, 10.Bf7+ Kxf7,11.Qxd8 Black has plenty of compensation for the Queen.

  • 9 months ago

    DefeatTheDefeat

    @Projekt ->  9) .. dxe5 10:) Bf7+ Kxf7 (..Kf6 11. Bg5+) 11) Qxd8(loses the queen)


  • 9 months ago

    techniqu

    9....dxe5

    10.Bf7+,Ke7

    11.Bg5+,Kxf7

    12.Qxd8

  • 9 months ago

    Cathoholic

    But E4 = Sicilian Defence most of the time.

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