Halloween gambit

What's the difference between lol and lmao?

lol is just laughing, but lmao is laughing your ass off

I gotta switch from lol to lmao.. lmao

U can also use rofl = rolling on floor laughing.

Okay. lmao+rofl= 'I am going completely mad!!!'

rofl..

Black's best is the Cordel line 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 7.Bc4, and now 7...c6! is much better than 7...d5 (where quite surprisingly white can get decent chances to fight to a draw). White is supposed to get compensation after 8.Qe2, but 8...Bb4! (there is also 8...b5 first, which is supposed to stop an eventual Bxf7+ and Qc4+, which is good, but not necessary, and probably giving white more chances) is quite close to a direct refutation.

An engine is fine for analysing such lines, if paired with a few grams of brains.

That's a good advice. Thanks, @pfren..

Oh, I don't know. Because d5 is such a natural move and there are so many other well-known easy ways out I think you can assume anyone who plays this c6 stuff has studied and prepared and it and not be trying to count on some kind of practical "my position is worse but I have studied and you haven't" kind of advantage.

tmkroll = computer a stament

I don't follow.

you laptop

I'm not sure what you mean. I suggested two natural, easy continuations. Pfren suggested something that may be more correct but I think it's much harder to play. It was suggested that his line is only good if you can play like a computer. I was trying to suggest to that that probably anyone who plays into those lines will have prepared. I wasn't claiming I could play like a computer or have prepared that line deeply; I already I said I play d5 and have yet to run into a player who was able to make the game difficult after that, but this experience is only from Blitz games.

okay man

8.f4 is a bad move after 8...d5 9.Bd3 Nh6 followed by ...Nf5 and h5, with a complete blockade on the light squares. White has no control over them, and Black can start dismantling white's center at his leisure.

8.Qf3 also loses to 8...d5 9.exd6 Nf6 (or just 9...Be6).

White's lack of light-square control is the telling factor in #33 as well: 14...Nh4 15.0-0 Nf5 and white's position is ready to fall apart. Here, there is no need of an engine to win such a position- should be quite easy. The only line that needs some care is 16.Qa3!? which invites 16...Nxd4. This works tactically for Black, but he can also not bother about the d4 pawn and keep his light-square domination with 16...Bc4! 17.Rfe1 Rhe8 18.Rad1 Rad8, when the d6 pawn (and the game) are lost.

In a recent book I have seen an advocation of the other line (5...Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.f4 Ng6 8.e5 Ng8 9.d6 cxd6 10.exd6 Qf6) which may be good as well, but it does allow white quite a few tricks, as long as he plays 11.Qe2+ and does not fall for 11.Nb5? Nxf4! when Black's attack is crushing.

But OK, let's suppose these lines are "tricky" and Black may make errors. He can also have a risk-free initiative with something like 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.f4 Bd6! 8.fxe5 Bxe5. Such a prospectless position (with equal material) should discourage any sane man who wants to employ the gambit.

Actually I have played OTB a sibling opening as Black- with one tempo less!

Despite the tempo less, this is better than the Haloween because the g3 square is not available for the troubled knight. Unfortunately, this has no big value since after 6.Nc3 d4 white may play 7.Bg2  dxc3 8.bxc3 with a regular Glek mainline (by transposition). My opponent played 7.Qe2!? dxc3 8.dxc3, and the result was a draw, after a rather tense battle.

pfren , do you play titled tuesdays ??

This is confusing!

Answer to #33: Black is fine in the "refutation" line given.

8...d3? is just wrong, and also 8...g5?! played in a correspondence game 14 years ago, is not enough. But the counter-intuitive 8...Qe7! does prevent white from castling, and gives Black splendid compensation.

Happy analysing!

lol