Danish Gambit

Most beginners are encouraged to play the Danish Gambit, because it teaches so much about initiative. Who hasn't seen the following move order?

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2

I think that the advise to play this is good for learning, but this advice is incomplete. I think that it's far more important to remember ideas than move orders. Having an understanding of the ideas behind this gambit system (or any system) will help when your opponent strays from the book move orders. Instead of trying to remember move orders, ask yourself, "What am I trying to do?"

I think my opponent in this match failed to understand the ideas behind the Danish Gambit. I say this because anyone who understands the ideas behind this gambit would not have played 6. exd5. Perhaps he had never faced 5...d5, and just didn't know how to react. Nonetheless, an understanding of the system would have prevented him from closing his own light-squared bishop. Check out the match and tell me your thoughts:

Bxd5 is main line as you alluded to.  Though understanding the system is not the same as memorizing the lines. The Danish was my weapon of choice for many years and 've played a dozen games against strong opponents with the main line (all the way up to the Qd2 Bxd2+ Nxd2) and this is where my opponents freeze because the books say "Black has an endgame advantage" because of his queenside majority.

I've had fun with white here and there are even more traps for Black in a position as quiet as this! :)

I enjoy playing the danish gambit, as I often meet people not familiar with the opening. Using the queen early on can catch many off guard, and with the right combinations you can develop almost all your pieces before black for the mere cost of 2 pawns, which in my experience are easily won back.

ExD4 obviously destroys alot of the initiative you gain, and the white bishops lane is by far the most dangerous of the two. In the games I've encountered 5.d4 I've often been payed off on 6.Bxd4 Nf6? 7. Bxf7. Or with 6... Qe7 7. Qb3

Also in the game above, I'd possibly mark 8. Ngf6 with a ?.
I'd probably play Qe2+ or g3.

You make some good points about this gambit. The line you mentioned 7. Bxf7 continues 7...Kxf7 8. Qxd8, but then 8...Bb4+ (with a discovered attack on white's queen) 9. Qd2 10. Bxd2 Nxd2. In other words, 6...Nf6 is not a bad move, but this move is consistent with what BLACK wants to do: get rid of white's initiative.

Furthermore, I wouldn't call 8. Ngf6 a bad move, but an attempt by white to keep the initiave. From black's perspective, the primary reason behind 7...Qg5 is to prepare for a forced queen swap on d2; the attack of g2 is secondary. The move 8. g3? surrenders white's initiative, and plays right into black's plan.

I'll tell you what would have been interesting: 8. Qa4+.

As per Head_Hunter's suggestion, I've practiced with this Gambit and the pay off is clearly measurable by the jump in my rating since. Thanks.

isnt that the goring gambit?

Whie 6. e:d5 is not the best line perhaps your opponent is learning the opening or experimenting. I play the Danish regularly and try new stuff. Your 6....Bb4 is not a usual move in this position and I would have tried 7.Kf1. This is really the only way to try and get play out of the position and is a move I often play in the Danish. In fact Black now has to tread carefully as White's King is safe and how does Black continue?

 All even pieces, white has the centre, black can no longer castle and his king is poorly defended. Also BxN makes further worsens the condition of black, while white is free to castle. I'd prefer whites position, even if some of the initiative is gone.

10.Qxd2 is a mistake