New Idea : The "KGB variation" in the Latvian Gambit Main line 7.f3

Hi guys , 

I studied a sideline  in the 7.f3 variation , the most strong move in the Main Line  Latvian Gambit, i did not see any game with the knight in h6. 

7..Be7!?  and then 8..Nh6!?  instead of  7..Nf6?!   what is very popular line in Latvian Gambit but objetively a mistake.   I show you some interesting lines. 

The Main Line 7...exf3 is just garbage for black  ,  then you trade queens in g4,  a big positional disaster for black. 

With my new idea you will get   dinamic positions against this annoying variant with 7.f3

WHAT DO YU ZINK?

After 10.Nd5 it appears black can play ...Bh4+ 11.g3 0-0 before having to defend the c7 pawn. I'm not sure what difference that makes yet.

are you kiddin ?  takes on h6 it´s a clearly mistake,  u weaken your dark squares.  and thank you for the bishop in an open position . 

my analysis about this line were

KGB pigs out of Latvia!

Your "new idea" is actually quite old, and bad enough after 8.Nxe4 (zero percent isn't particularly encouraging, I guess).

Black's last hope in this line (since 7...ef3 8.Qxf3 is almost losing by force) is 7...Nc6!?

Even if you manage to get out of the opening without losing in that line, you still have the Leonhardt, and 7.Ne3! (in place of 7.f3) to worry about.

Just play the Schliemann instead.  The Ruy Lopez is popular enough where you're almost guarunteed it.  If you get a Scotch, Four Knights, and Italian then don't worry, those are easy enough to prepare for just read Beating the Open Games by Mihail Marin and the Chess Stars' open games volume (especially go with their suggestion for the Four Knights as every white Four Knights player preps for what's in the Marin book)

My new idea is Nh6.     Be7 has been played   3 or 4 games   . 

1) 8. fxe4  Nh6     my line     2)   8 . Nxe4 d5!?  (very playable for black )  

3) Bf4?! (2 games in base)  Nf6 

man,  latvian gambit is by far,  the opening with better results for me.    My  score is 70% in slow games ;  80-85% in online blitz games.  In fact , my general percentage is higher with black than white

you won´t convince me.  boring if i have to study the scotch, four knights.zzzz italian..-----   i´m not an elite player.  Vienna game and 2.d4  is the only problem in my system against e4. 

Well, your "new" 8...Nh6 was suggested some six years ago by Spanish correspondence player Alejandro Melchor Munoz, although the idea should be attributed to an unknown (currently inactive) German corr. player, Mario Wagener.

About the 8.Nxe4 d5 suggestion: You gotta love those Latvian devotees with their "hey, I am just a pawn down, and I am not losing by force, so I am doing great!" mentality. Or should I say sympathize them?

For the record, after 8.Nxe4 d5 9.Ne5 Qb6 any normally functioning engine after a while (reasonably) tries to stop Black's one and only useable idea (...c5) by something bold like 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.Na4!? which I initially found quite odd, but after all, why not? Black is not in a position to threaten anything at all. Nor that normal development (11.Bg5 c6 12.a3, indirectly protecting b2) can be bad...

But as I said a few posts ago, I like 7.Ne3! much better than 7.f3, since white wants to play f2-f3 after he has castled by Be2 etc (the bishop on e2 also makes some unpleasant questions to the Qg6).

My analysis on 7.Ne3 concludes that Black is dead lost, but I won't publish anything here- if you are interested, you can work it out by yourself.

Ne3  Be2 is one of the critical lines,   I'm still searching  a reasonable antidote .   In blitz you always can play the move Bd6?  after Bxf3 ,  with the hope  if he does not  take the pawn in d5 ( refuting Bd6)  equalizing the game quickly. 

In my blog   filosochess.blogspot.com   i will publish my analysis of this line .

Anyway, good luck to your searches, but I think that the only move which offers chances to Black after 7.f3 is 7...Nc6 8.fxe4 Be7, when white is of course much better after both 9.Ne3 and 9.Be3 (I prefer the latter), but Black has some play. Try analysing that instead, 7...Be7 8.Nxe4 is simply bad for Black (although certainly better than 7...exf3? 8.Qxf3, which is totally lost).

I'm sorry, but to summarize the opening strategy of the Latvian, it is that it is OK to be a pawn down in an inferior position because you are going to play better than your opponent because you know the lines better. The variations change over the years, but the general theme does not. Interesting that Qg6 has been ressurected from the dead of former years.

The reaction of ALL Latvian affficonados when they are one or two pawns down for nothing, is fairly standard: "White might have a tiny advantage, but Black has a few significant improvements. I do not want to reveal my analyses here, since I have a pending game- have a good day". That "pending game" usually does not exist at all, and when it does exist the opponent is rated some 1,000 points lower. When you win against the poor patzer, you can freely boast about resurrecting the Latvian/ revealing its huge potential.

I am curious about how you would respond to the traditional idea of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 which is much more commonly played.  There have been some improvements, but theory has absolutely crushed some of the main lines completely. 

A very real problem in the Latvian Gambit is in the number of problematic lines for black who has to tightrope through a minefield only to still have to fight uphill to survive.

Latvian Gambit players can be similar to the "Merely a Fleshwound" guy from Monty Python.

That guy's name is "The Black Knight."

How do you not know his name is "The Black Knight?"

This is chess.com for God's sake.

Seriously, Reptilian, you are an embarrassment.

Anyone who is anyone here knows The Black Knight.

The Black Knight likes to sink in on the d3 square.

Next time any discussion comes up about The Black Knight stay out of it.

You are a loser, Reptilian.

Go sun yourself on a rock and try to catch up with the rest of us.

hello guys, i ´ve got a new  KGB variation in the Dutch Defense , check it out here

Interesting line but 14. dxe6 is a mistake, white should play 14. O-O and win this game.