Just an update... faced the Budapest at chess club today and was able to use the mainline of this analysis up till 14. ... cxd6.  Black deviated with 14. ... Qxd6? and lost after 15. Qxd6 cxd6 16. Rfd1 Rfd8 17. a4 Rac8 18. a5 with a big white advantage.

Very interesting lines and excellent analysis (as usual) :)

But I am not sure that Budapest is entirely unsound, so I would call it 'trash' just yet ;) (I've never played it, though - and don't intend to)

But speaking generally - I don't really believe in long tactical 'refutations' of all but the worst among the chess openings. Why? Well, not because they don't work in theory - but for two practical reasons:

a) There are *many* openings and memorizing all these lines without confusing move-orders or ideas takes a lot of effort - which is disproportional to the frequency of playing against them

b) If the opponent is good (so, not a patzer) and plays a certain offbeat opening for many years, if he is to be prepared against anything - it is the critical and main lines - and he *will* deviate somewhere. So, even though he may deviate in a suboptimal manner - you still have to find the best moves over the board in complicated tactical positions where the other player *is* more proficient

c) What I personally prefer is playing non-forcing moves, solid and strategically sound - so that I get a long-lasting += out of the opening (either better development or more space, etc.) - and get a position which is simply easier to play. If you can get that - and if you are a better player - you ought to be able to win the game (with nearly no effort involved)

LOL Julian!  

Hey Mav, lookin through my repertoire right now, and I have a real shortage of stuff like that for some reason!  I have certain subvariations that end explosively... for example: I wouldn't call the f5 winawer in the french refuted by any stretch, in fact, my preparation is only showing another "+==, but only white can win" position... BUT, there are a few popular plans (specifically involving a quick b6/Ba6) that end disasterously for black, and which explain the rarity of the f5 winawer at the top levels lately (presumably).  

I'll keep my eyes open though!  My next few projects are, if everything goes well, the Blackmar-Deimar gambit, the 'old' Philidor move order (including the gambit line), and the Grand Prix Sicilian.  I'll be working on those in no particular order.  I'm not sure I'll touch the Dutch... I actually don't have an "easy, risk free white advantage".  All my prepared lines are insanely complex... black just has too many choices.  

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll try to include as many violent lines as possible lol :)

We found love in a hopeless place, we found love in a hopeless place, we found love in a hopeless place...

Hi Matt,

This is a very insteresting idea - and it seems a speciality of yours.

I would like to see aggressive counter-tries against aggressive dubious openings. For instance, every time I play the Dutch in blitz against you - you pulverize it.

This type of de-claw (as you've shown in this game) to a slight edge position is very cool, in fact I often like to play this way.  I feel however, the majority of players who read this article will not be prepared for the technical play it requires to convert such an edge - although they should certainly learn how. Nor am I claiming I automatically convert such positions myself.

How about some aggressive counter-tries that throw the ball back into the dubious opening user's corner? Any suggestions on this line of thinking?

MW