i have to say in both of those games it looks like black is getting eveything black wants in the lat, which is nice to see because most players are going to test the gambit. still, when i start going down a gambit path and the person i'm playing declines the gambit, i can easily wander astray. Nice examples of black dream positions.
Beware the Latvian!
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Yeah, these games felt like black King's Gambits.
I have to say that white played pretty horribly against the Latvian. That's pretty much the only reason it's still played. If white plays correctly black is busted. All he can do is hope to complicate the game and make white at least work for the win.
Here are two games that show how white can get into trouble against the Latvian. The first was a 5 minute game, the second was a 2 minute game against a friend.