Medusa Gambit Madness 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g5

In 1987 I discovered a fascinating new gambit. I thought about the Budapest Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5), it had occurred to me that instead of playing 2..e5
as in the Budpest, why not play 2...g5!  I had tested this gambit in blitz games
and my computer software program called Psion.  The middlegame positions

 that
occurred were "ugly". Thus I named it the "Medusa Gambit".

According to Greek Mythology, Medusa was a mortal woman who was transformed into a Gorgon. A Gorgon was a hideous creature with wings, claws
, enormous teeth and snakes for hair. Medusa was slain by Perseus, but even in death was still so frightful that it turned any onlooker into stone.

Posted with this message is my game against Eric Schiller, the author of many
chess books including Unorthodox Chess Openings and Gambit Chess Openings.

Best Regards
DarthMusashi

For those interested in this fascinating gambit please see my article at Chessville
at the link listed below. This is from my column at Chessville called "The Search
for Dragons and Mythical Chess Openings".

http://www.chessville.com/UCO/CN/MedusaGambit.htm

Best Regards
DarthMusashi

Listed below are 2 more recent games with the Medusa Gambit.

Best Regards
DarthMusashi

Funny and interesting as a surprise weapon. I will have look at the lines. Thx for the entertaining games :-)

You are most definitely welcome. But you would also have to learn the declined
lines because sometimes White does not capture the pawn at g5. See my
article on the Medusa Gambit at Chessville in my column called "The Search
for Dragons & Mythical Chess Openings.

Best Regards
Darthmusashi

Great opening. Definitely trying that. You're the best, Clyde ^^ Perfect articles. I'm now totally a fan of UCOs.

Actually, it looks pretty interesting. However, as White, do you really have to take it?

You'd be pretty mad not to. Almost as mad as you'd have to be to play it for Black in the first place :)

Sure black can be in worse shape :D.

That line is pretty convincing, and no fun for Black provided White knows not to go for the rook on a8.  Still the idea of this gambit to give up a flank pawn and acclerate Black's Grob-like attack with ..Ne4 ..c5 ..Qa5/b6 ..Bg7 is pretty interesting, and definitely worth knowing about.  The tactics are very similiar to what White is trying to do after 1.g4 d5 2.Bg2.

Also, if after the declined line 3.Nc3 Black has nothing better to do than 3...h6, you'd have to be a pretty devoted Grobist to believe in Black's position after 4.e4.  I'd just play Bd3, Nge2, O-O and try to take Black to town on the kingside.  I considered 3...d5 (Grunfeld-like) but on 4.Bxg5 Black's position is very bad.

3.d5 I don't like because it is very committal, weakens the long square diagonal, after 3...c5 the ..c5,d5 moves being thrown in helps Black's scheme.

The extra move is c2-c4 which is harmful for White defensively.  It is the only reason this opening is interesting at all, to me at least, but 4.Bf4 .: Qc2 looks like a bust.

1) To test a particular opponent.  How many of your opponents would find the critical line over the board? If White grabs the pawn and doesn't know the correct follow-up he can get some bad positions.

2) It is good to examine and know about these obscure ideas, if for no other reason, that if it appears across the board from you you will know exactly what to do.

its the typical war cry of all players who try to work these bizzare attempts into a real weapon. The problem is that they often need a willing participant to have the fun with. Nunn had a great chapter on these types of openings in his book practical chess. They work 1x against players then good players look up a good response and they dont work again. One player is stuck at a certain level while another one progresses ... you figure out which one continues to improve

I've tried Medusa at my local chess club (which is one of the best and strongest in the whole country, and I've scored 4 wins as black against A LOT stronger players. They just wasted their time thinking over moves and few lost on time, few didn't calculate, what I'm actually trying to do... So, in Blitz, it's a very dangerous opening, as are many other UCOs.

Yugi - Japanese for ''Game''. Also comes from one anime that I enjoy, Yu-Gi-Oh, but it's not the place to discuss that.