Latvian gambit

I was just wondering if anybody knows the winning percentage for black playing the latvian gambit in <1800 play i googled it but didn't come up with any good results. I thank anybody for there help.

   I used to toy with the gambit when I first joined the website.  Had mixed results, about fifty/fifty.  Most of the success came when white did not understand what was going on.  I eventually gave it up as a lost cause.  I found that if white plays 3. e4 x f4, then black is off to a less than average start and a pawn down to boot.  Then again I don't claim to be an expert on the gambit.  I saw 'eric' play it in one if his blogs and thought I'd give it a go myself.

Good to see a fellow Australian.  (You Taswegians are Australian aren't you?)

I looked for something similar and reached the conclusion that the data was to sparse to make much sense.

I play the Latvian as Black for the fun of it and I think my results are fairly similar whatever I play as black.

Ask your student to check out Tony Kosten's most recent book on the Latvian. It is unfortunately out-of-print but you can find it in mint condition in several online used book stores for 5USD or so....

Have you had a look at the book yet??

unfortunately not as i recently (a month ago round abouts) a chess club and it set me back $580AU so I have been a bit strapped for cash.

but on the bright side I found a copy for $26.60AU (instead of $49.95!) so I am hanging on next pay day.

How was your copy a good read I hope?

BTW i am only 14 so i basically have no money unless i am working at the cherry farm or rock work which is only during summer.

"Rock Work"?? Yikes!

Wow, that is great stuff- though I doubt if white played this very well.

Does anyone else know about some interesting lines? At which point is today's theory?

well, but what if white doesn't capture the pawns, but plays simple developing moves as Bc4?

what if white takes the e pawn but does play d4 instead of capturing the f pawn?

what if white takes the f pawn but plays a developing move instead of taking the e pawn?

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Qh5+ g6 5.Nxg6 Nf6 6.Qh4 Nc6 gives black good compensation.

I say the latvian gambit lives

As mentioned earlier, Kosten's reprint of The Latvian Gambit Lives! is essential reading if you want to enter the fun but often frustrating world of the LG.

Where do you get the book?