Specifically I like gambits, and I just can't find a good one against the English. Are there any very sharp lines against 1. c4? I like King's Gambit, Smith-Morra, Benko, you name it
If you like the smith morra, try it for black: 1. c4 e5 2. g3 d5 3. cxd5 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6
Specifically I like gambits, and I just can't find a good one against the English. Are there any very sharp lines against 1. c4? I like King's Gambit, Smith-Morra, Benko, you name it
Instead of looking for gambits, first learn not to drop pices.
You may think youre playing aggressively, and tactically, but youre actually just dropping pieces.
try the reveresed grand prix attack :-) good stuff
Are you sure that you like sharp openings? Two of the three that you named are not.
The SM is one of the more tame anti-Sicilians. Nearly all of the open Sicilain variations are much sharper and the Benko usually leads to a positional game.
It sounds more like you want to think of yourself as an aggressive and exciting player but actually, you don't understand what that is.
Anyway, play the reverse Sicilian. There will be more ways to lead the game down a sharp path from there.
The Smith Morra can be very sharp.. Especially if Black plays naturally.
Two thoughts:
1. It seems very hard to "force" white into taking any sort of narrow path in the English
2. People don't play the English that often (at least at my rating), so whenever I go up against it I'm not ready for it
I think my best chance at getting better as black against the English is to learn how to play it as white. Does that seem right?
Idk, Child_Krishna. Playing it with both colors would certainly be a good idea for other reasons if it appeals to you, but the fact that White has so many ways to transpose to other things means I don't think it would help as much with what you're askng here. You might learn how to play it some way you like and everyone one of your opponents might play it a different way which is also good. What I posted with c6 in the reversed Sicilian is what I play. Nc3 and g3 are the mainline, and after g3 I really like the c6 idea for Black better than the c3 Sicilian since White's already commited to the fianchetto. The line I posted is the sharpest and one of the main tries. White tries to win a pawn, and it is a good and sound Gambit with the Black pieces. I think you'll find you do see this sometimes because White sees s/he can refute your ambitious play by taking one of your center pawns and tries it. If White doesn't do this you have a good center supported by c6 and it's kind of like you're playing a regular opening with the White pieces, but of course White can do something else earlier. There's not a gambit in every variation, and maybe you want to play something different entirely. There's lots of good ways. The way I think about learning openings is you figure out what system you want to do against 1. c4, prepare one mainline, and then maybe your opponent surprises you with a move you're not prepared for... if you can't figure it out then after the game you look at the game and figure out what you could have done better, and then next time you're prepaired, and eventually you have a complete repertoire against 1. c4 without forcing a narrow path. Maybe others' suggestions are more forcing and will narrow it a bit, but it's really hard against 1. c4 I think the Bellon Gambit is actually really good if White takes it but probably 1. c4 plays know that.
Idk, Child_Krishna.
Seems like you know quite a bit! Thanks for the detailed response, I think I'll go with your suggestion and see where it leads. And of course thanks to everyone else as well, this is all very informative
Specifically I like gambits, and I just can't find a good one against the English. Are there any very sharp lines against 1. c4? I like King's Gambit, Smith-Morra, Benko, you name it