Age shouldn't matter anu due to a high amount of immature adults.
I personally believe that the Smith morra is unsound but certainly not un-playable and to further that I believe that there are not many gambits that are sound(in regard to romantic gambits not QG etc.).
Daniel3 is the rich or North America. Young, ignorant, and incapable of admitting wrong.
Just give due respect to time-tested experience? Hey, that sounds like...wisdom.
You know what is wise and mature? Ripping into a 16 year old kid on a chess site.
Non sequitur.
Well yeh, that is the point.
I'd been ruminating over this very thing for several days. I don't believe in "ripping into" anyone, but lately I've noticed folks asserting that youthful posters should receive a free pass (or at least specal consideration) to say whatever they want without repercussions. While I agree that younger posters may not have the maturity at times to be as circumspect as they could be, I think there's a lot to be learned in how people react to one's comments, and to simply let something slide is to tacitly agree with it. Anyone who feels old enough to post their ideas in a public forum needs to be ready to accept the feedback whether positive or negative. I don't feel anyone should have to check a poster's profile to determine his age before replying or that anyone should have to monitor his or her own reply according to some criterion. But maybe I'm wrong.
I totally agree with you about users needing to accept feedback and responses towards their views, both positive and negative.
What I do not agree with is how people are pointing out that the user they are arguing with is 16 and thus 'knows nothing' apparantly.
If you are arguing with someone why should his/her stated date of birth come into the discussion at all? Making comments like "oh he is 16 so I guess you forgot he knows everything" only serves to make you look childish.
Look, the point is that the kid was arguing with a national master that the king's gambit was "garbage", which we all know is just completely untrue.
Whining about respecting his opinion when he's asserting it as a fact is pretty dumb, too.
Look, the point is that the kid was arguing with a national master that the king's gambit was "garbage", which we all know is just completely untrue.
Whining about respecting his opinion when he's asserting it as a fact is pretty dumb, too.
I don't contest anything you have said, however bringing his age into the topic is totally unnecessary.
Daniel3 is the rich or North America. Young, ignorant, and incapable of admitting wrong.
Just give due respect to time-tested experience? Hey, that sounds like...wisdom.
You know what is wise and mature? Ripping into a 16 year old kid on a chess site.
Non sequitur.
Well yeh, that is the point.
Well, no.
Read for comprehension.
I'd been ruminating over this very thing for several days. I don't believe in "ripping into" anyone, but lately I've noticed folks asserting that youthful posters should receive a free pass (or at least specal consideration) to say whatever they want without repercussions. While I agree that younger posters may not have the maturity at times to be as circumspect as they could be, I think there's a lot to be learned in how people react to one's comments, and to simply let something slide is to tacitly agree with it. Anyone who feels old enough to post their ideas in a public forum needs to be ready to accept the feedback whether positive or negative. I don't feel anyone should have to check a poster's profile to determine his age before replying or that anyone should have to monitor his or her own reply according to some criterion. But maybe I'm wrong.
You're not wrong. If an absurd claim goes unchallenged, it is, in some sense, legitimized for posterity. Viewed from that perspective I believe we have a collective responsibility to prevent misinformation whenever possible regardless of the originator. Encouraging the rigorous debate of ideas and discouraging outlandish unsubstantiated claims is a community service that benefits everyone.
To those that feel they're being persecuted, try qualifying your remarks with "In my opinion..." or "In my experience..." and I think you'll find that people are much less hostile to your views. I can't speak for everyone (see that? that's a qualifier ) but it is the certainty in tone and the fact that your posts don't leave the door open to debate that makes me instinctively reach for my flamethrower....
I was trying to tell you that, I said that it was my opinion several times, but you weren't listening.
It's nice that at least a few people don't mind if I post my opinions here.
To the rest of you, saying that I don't know anything just because I'm not as old as some of you is like me saying that you don't know anything because you're too old to remember. 
Don't you see how silly that sounds?
Kings Gambit was also played by Morphy quite often. He used it very successfully.
I think the point of the original post got side-tracked. Gambits are an excellent way to learn how to use pieces and open files for attacks. It is important no matter what your style of play that you learn how to maximize piece use as well as tempi to originate an attack. Also it is unlikely that for post people on chess.com a loss of one pawn will force them to lose the game.
In terms of sound versus unsound gambits for the level of play under 2200 (or even higher) most of the "main" gambit are sound this includes the Smith Morra and the King's Gambit. The Queen's Gambit is really not a "gambit" opening. Even stuff like the Albin's Gambit is OK.
Also defending gambits is useful for the same (but opposite) reason as above. Defending a position, learning how to off set an opponent's development or space adavantage are steps necessary to imporve one's chess.
I dont recall saying anything about his age. Who did ?
I pointed out his age, but only to show that there's almost no chance he's a NM at 16.
Daniel3 is the rich or North America. Young, ignorant, and incapable of admitting wrong.
Just give due respect to time-tested experience? Hey, that sounds like...wisdom.
You know what is wise and mature? Ripping into a 16 year old kid on a chess site.
Non sequitur.