I've always had an easy time from that position and never lost, granted mostly in 3 minutes chess. If White had more time maybe they could come up with something. Granted, in many of my games White was so bad they actually played e5 thinking they were winning a piece. I've never faced anyone very good in that position because good players don't play that at all. Anyway Black has pieces developed and White has gone pawn hunting with the Queen who is getting kicked around and needs to retreat. White has sacrificed a piece and Black is the one with the compensation so it should be an easy position for the second player but all this is beside the point. Even if were some kind of tricky/difficult position (which maybe you think it is) then a video advocating the line should say that, not omit the best moves and suggest it's some kind of good position for White. What's more all of this has been pointed out to the author and if you look back at the early comments you'll see that instead of admitting the mistake (which they never should have made if they'd done any research on the line before preparing the video) they doubled down suggesting Bd6 was a bad move because it blocked the pawn and White was winning. know all this rant is off topic but I can't take the chess website seriously after that and it does not cease to amaze me that so many people do.
King's Gambit Accepted: why not h3 to prevent g4?
The other problem with 4.h3 is that while both h3 and h4 weaken the dark squares around the King, h4 prevents Black from solidifying. If White does "nothing" and plays 4.h3, then 4...Bg7! With 4.h4, the move 4...Bg7 drops the g-pawn, and 4...h6 is not possible because of 5.hxg5. With the Bishop already on g7, the move ...h6 is very strong as the Bishop guards the h8-Rook.
White can't afford to give Black time in an opening that is dubious for White to begin with!
Couldn't you take with the knight, since it is protected by the rook? Queen can't take and h file for black is closed...?
Stephen, sure you can take, but then the Knight is on h4, and what is it going to do from there? It's just not a good square.
You could also take with the Rook, but that just doesn't look right.
And you can ignore the pawn altogether and play Bc4, attacking the f7 pawn, but then if Black plays d6, there's no attacking square for the Knight untill you take the pawn on f4 with your Bishop.
4. ... gxh4 just feels wrong for Black and there should be an easy reply for White, but I am not good enough to spot it.
rterhart: there is a 5 part video series on chess.com by GM Simon William: I believe in this scenario SW says that White can ignore the h4 pawn and take f4 with the bishop. He stress rapid, advancing moves for white in the KG. If my memory serves me correctly ;-)
Excellent discussion everyone--thanks! Now I've got to back and review this dubious video in question (or maybe I'll just ignore it). In GM Simon William's video series on the KG, he argues that if black does not advance the pawn to g4 but keeps it on g5, then one of white's early moves is to play g3 and break up the pawns on g5 and f4. Seems like the plan in the KGA is rapid attacking moves, and the knight gets sacrifice, well, that's part of the attack.
melvinbluestone: very fun. Yes, Ginger is entertaining, and he is also a GM, while I've been playing for 16 months! I reviewed your #10 post and like the g3 move. I had a game just today where I sacrificed the knight on f3 and then won very quickly, but it doesn't always happen that way! (! don't know how to post games into the chat...do I need special software?). Thanks.
That video is terrible. Black is winning easily with Bd6.
This line is mentioned in the video comments several times and that video and that channel still gets likes and recommendations. It's surreal.