First of all it really depends on personal preferences. Some people prefer to have an initiative, other prefer to have a pawn up even if they'll have a tough game ahead.
I am extremely materialistic, so I would never play a gambit.
Having said that, the Smith-Morra is probably the best gambit. In my sicilian I get under serious pressure because I can't keep my queen on c7.
Among your examples, I say the Evan's Gambit is the most sound. Kasparov played this gambit twice and won 1 and draw the other. The other gambit opening have not been tried by super GMs. Anyway if you have fun playing these openings, just play on. Just study them deep enough using the Opening Explorer.
The names of the gambits do not match the positions you show.
They do, they just aren't formatted well.
I think the blackburne is the worst of the lot even though it fails to be a gambit. The BDG is terrible too, while the SMG concedes some advantage to black, and the Evans is at worst equal.
The BDG gambit is terrible? Yes, at GM level. However, at the amateur level it's pretty lethal. Let's be honest, not many amateurs have the required endgame technique to convert the extra pawn into a win, especially if the rooks are still on the board. People are to concerned at what is playable at the elite level.
I studied boris altermans gambit guide series on ICC. they are very helpful to know tactics and how to get an advantage in development by giving up a free pawn. the idea's are a must for every chess player...
I think the blackburne is the worst of the lot even though it fails to be a gambit. The BDG is terrible too, while the SMG concedes some advantage to black, and the Evans is at worst equal.
The BDG gambit was actually played by Nigel Short against Anatoly Karpov no less in their candidates match way back in 1992. Nigel actually drew that game against a fomer world champion almost at his prime so its not "terrible".
I think the blackburne is the worst of the lot even though it fails to be a gambit. The BDG is terrible too, while the SMG concedes some advantage to black, and the Evans is at worst equal.
The BDG gambit was actually played by Nigel Short against Anatoly Karpov no less in their candidates match way back in 1992. Nigel actually drew that game against a fomer world champion almost at his prime so its not "terrible".
Oh wow, I didn't know that. Nigel Short achieved a draw with the white pieces in a candidates match?
Can you provide a link to the game? I can't find it. I did find one BDG with Short but it was against Bareev in 2000 and he lost.
most sound is probably
I'd say the Evans is very sound.
The blackmar diemer isnt as bad as people are claiming. Both it and the smith morra are !? in my opinion, the smith morra is probably slightly more sound, but the BDG is very very tricky if its user knows some theory.
The blackburne is crap in my opinion, nxd4 and black has a weak pawn and is behind in development.
Howdy,
I'm just 1800 strength OTB (US Chess Federation). In the late '90s, I managed to get my 5-0 blitz rating to almost "expert" strength using the
much-maligned Blackmar-Diemer. For players expert strength and below it's deadly, especially in short time controls. I've been playing the BDG for 20 years. Who knows? Maybe the BDG has kept me from attaining a higher rating, LOL.
Here's Spassky playing a delayed Blackmar-Diemer Gambit in the Candidates.
Howdy,
I'm just 1800 strength OTB (US Chess Federation). In the late '90s, I managed to get my 5-0 blitz rating to almost "expert" strength using the
much-maligned Blackmar-Diemer. For players expert strength and below it's deadly, especially in short time controls. I've been playing the BDG for 20 years. Who knows? Maybe the BDG has kept me from attaining a higher rating, LOL.
Theres a quote from someone, cant remember who that goes...
The BDG is the quickest way to 2000, in both directions.
the gambits listed are not that common and are considered unsound well maybe the evans is used sometimes at high-level play but the rest are pretty uncommon i think that the best gambit is the benko gambit and the blumenfeld
Well, I haven't really read what anyone else has said, but I'd imagine most of them are talking trash about the BDG. True, it's not going to get you anywhere at GM play, but I've beaten 1900's and 1700's with it when I was 1200. It's absolutely playable for an attacking player, and I personally HATE playing against it. I would recommend you go french or caro-kann against it, if you're having trouble.
Smith morra--I have trouble with this as well. I usually just tranpose into and Alapin.
Never played Blackburne or Evans, although I'v heard of the Evans before (DIdn't Morphy go on a scalping spree with it?), so I'm pretty sure it's good.
MOST gambits are "sound" in the sense that it isn't a loss with perfect play from both sides (as far as can be proven), but the reason GMs don't play it is that black can usually give back the pawn for an equal or better postion at a later point in the game. Usually black gets in trouble because he doesn't want to give back the pawn, but it's a fact of gambits that his superior development is usually gonna win him back the pawn, so just make sure he gets it on your terms.
Queen's gambit and king's gambit are often played ....... KG leads to very creative chess. Counter gambits also work well.....
I have a friend with whom I play chess often, and he starts off with opening gambits that I've never seen in my life before. He loves open games and therefore employs these gambits in a lot of his games. Sometimes he wins, and sometimes I do, but in grandmaster games are they played often? I've done some research and the gambits he play are:
The Blackmar Gambit:
The Smith-Morra Gambit:
The Blackburne Shilling Gambit:
Evan's Gambit (I've seen this one before):
Are they sound? How does one play against them?