Heres a GPA game i played a few days ago.. Black played well and had a strong defence but allowed his kingside to be "opened" after exchanging bishops..

Any advice/comments etc greatly appreciated

Edit, the analysis board is broken so heres a link..

http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=6383119

Can't see that game.Can't open.

Bob, as Dalmatinac says the game doesn't load up :-(

The link is working now.  Cool game, Bob!  Black needed to play more aggressive against that opening, but you played pretty good anyways.

 

Probably didn't need to lose your bishop on move 11 if you just moved your queen instead, but it seemed to work out OK.

21. Qh4 doesn't seem to work after ...gxh6.

Wow your right Subrosian.. how did i miss that? lucky my opponent did aswel i suppose!!

Thanks for the advice, and I would love to see some more gpa games played by better players so please post them! thanks

well even if you are higher raated i still beat you so does that classify im better?

if so have a look http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=29261277. this was a quick win against one of the staff! Ive beaten 2 staff and i hope to try and beat them all. Ive employed GPA since you mentioned it to me all those month ago! I like it

 

edit: wrong link sorry here ye go http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=29261278

Is 5...Nxe4 possible?

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I don't understand. 5. ... Nxe4?? 6. Nxe4 simply trades a knight for a pawn.

What do you think of black's chances after 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5? I had a USCF rated 2200 player advise me that this was the best line against the GPA.

7. Bb5+ Bd7 (Nc6 8. Nc3) 8. Bxd7+ Nxd7 9. Nc3 d4 10. Ne2 is how I would expect that line to play out. So black has some compensation for the sacrifice, but probably not enough.

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as said a million times there is no best line especially at move 2!

but it looks playable, ive never seen it but im sure its a line. It looks like a falkbeer countergambit in the KG (1. Pe4 Pe5 2. Pf4 Pd5)

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Thanks. I missed the B check

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That's the gambit line for the MacDonnell Attack from the 19th Century Match between GM Alexander MacDonnell v GM Louis Charles de LaBourdonnais. If I remember it right: Staunton analyzed it (or a precursor of it) and thought that it was too risky to play. The line was dead until it was re-introduced by Tal in the 1960s and gained in popularity among English GMs in the 1980s-1990s who found that the line: 2...d5 3.exd5 Nf6 is Black's best reply because it requires tactical skill on both sides and it's a gambit that White cannot decline.  Here's a link:

http://en.allexperts.com/e/t/ta/tal_gambit.htm

And White is usually on the short end of things.  Those who prefer quieter lines choose 2. Nc3.   

BTW, how is the MacDonnell Attack spelled now a days?  MACDONNELL like the GM or McDonnell?

Mike

Jeez there hasn't been any posts here for over a year!

Regarding 1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5, I always play 2.Nc3 which is more main line nowadays. An early d5 push is very effective against the GPA though, in my experience anyway. Some players still play d6 early on (I guess because they're familiar with those structures) but often get d5 in before too long. White usually has to play e5 then instead of f5 and, positionally things can get hairy for white.

However, I am a chess noob, so a good attacking player would probably still be able to "keep the initative", as people say..

Dragon style structures with g7, Bg7 are also very effective as they deter white from playing f5.

Regarding MacDonnell Vs McDonnell, check wiki Id say