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Alibaba011
Hello guys i enjoy playing king's gambit due to its tactical and instructive nature.My question is how to proceed as white on this position.
StrategicPlay
Play h4. It's better to avoid checks from there.
I was a big King's Gambit fan and user once. :) I've played a lot many games with it.
Hey mate i've given a thought to h4(tbh it's the first thing that comes to mind :p)But it really gives easy devolopment for black i believe.Thing is Be7 doesn't seem to be what a master would play so i believe there must be a flaw in that move.
I don't find a better move right now..
bresando
Just 4.Bc4 is fine. Then 4...Bh4+ 5.Kf1! and, true, white has lost caslting rights, but to archieve this black has uset tons of time and put his bishop on a bizarre and exposed square. Moreover in most lines white will control the centre with the d4-e4 pawn duo, meaning that his "exposed" king is not much of an issue; black has not a concrete way to attack it. In theory the resulting positions are rather balanced, but if you look at a database you will see that white scores heavily here among amateurs. White's extra space and development make his position by far the easyer one to play.
IM pfren
No, not "obviously".
Black gives a check from h4 only if White does not develop the f1 Bishop immediately (4.Nc3 Bh4+), else on 4.Bc4 the idea is simply rapid development of the kingside via 4...Nf6. So. he plays 3...Be7 first, as 3...Nf6 allows 4.e5 and the knight has to land on the edge of the board (h5) which clearly enough isn't an optimal square for it.
This is one of Black's most solid and reliable equalizing lines against the king's gambit.
4.h4? is definitely ridiculous, white destroys his kingside integrity for absolutely nothing. Black is already much better after 4...Nf6, when he is ready to castle and play...d5, while e4-e5 can be answered by ...Ng4, a great square which was generously donated by white's 4.h4.
blake78613
3...Be7 (the Cunningham Defense) has reputation as one of the most solid ways of meeting the King's Gambit. It is one of the most common replies from a master that was schooled in the old Soviet Union. The two main responses by White are 4.Bc4 and 4.Nc3 which often transpose to each other.
Playing Bc4 and opening up f1 square for the king seems definitely a good choice in case of a check from h4.But i've seen computers that ignore this threat and play smth else and allowing check from h4.Then they place their king to e2 square.Is there a good logic behind this or is it simple a mistake?
Yes, there is a good reason for this. The computer is probably not thinking on its own and still in its opening book. For instance 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf5 3.Nc3 Bh4+ 4.Ke2 is a mainline following the Steinitz example of using the King as a fighting piece. The King helps keep the center stable. 3.Nc3 was also a favorite of Spassky.
Neslanovac
As IM pfren said After: 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5! (d4, Nc3, Bxf7+ all lead to =) Ng4 6.o-o Nc6 7. d4 d5! and both continuations 8.exd6 e.p. or Bb3 are =.
Golbat
I see that no one's really talking about 4...Bh4+.
I like to play this line as black, and here's how my games on FICS usually begin:
@joey Aye mate i was wrong about that .
The idea of the modern interpretation of the Cunningham is not 4...Bh4+ (which is certainly playable).
Pstrych9
If you like bloodshed, go with the old-school answer!
Pohjanpoika
I often see checks coming after the bishop is removed. Is 4.Bc4 Bh4+ good for white then?
moonnie
Yes 4. Bc4 -Bh4 is better for white. However black should just play 4.. Nf6 witht he idea of 5 e5 - Ng4 when the night cannot be kicked by h3 because then Bh4 is a tread. The game is roughly equal after Nf6
Yes 4. Bc4 -Bh4 is better for white.
White has no advantage after 4...Bh4+ 5.Kf1 d6.
However, since white can always take back the pawn on f4, there is no reason to give a check which will annoy you more than your opponent.
Lion_Stare
CaptJackAubrey
I have just begun playing again after years away. But isn't h4 a good move here? if he plays Bxh4 then you play NxBh4 and he doesn't want to take Nh4 with queen because it is protected by the rook.
That's how I would play it but then again I might lose miserably doing so!
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