king's gambit

Should I learn kings gambit?

Yep.

You'll learn the value of initiative versus material.

Also, you'll win alot of pretty games, which will encourage further study.

If you like to learn the King's Gambit, why not?

I've been there. Id reccomend the Danish Gambit, Goring Gambit Complex instead with the sacrificed pawn on d4 instead of f4.

You dont weaken your kingside ( which creates counterplay for black ) and get fast and easy development in return.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_5Ro13JXhM

Because even if you don't play KG as white, you *will* eventually see it as black. Knowing what positions your opponent is looking for and what squares they want to occupy is good info.

Studying an opening isn't always just because you want to play it...

Well said!

Well, Sir then please do. Show us.

I don't really do too well with it.  I'd personally learn a pet defense to the KG and stick with it.  I wouldn't adopt it as a main weapon as white but rather 1.e4,e5 2.f4?! is a surprise weapon.  Articles such as, "From the Sickbed of the King's Gambit" to, "A Bust to the King's Gambit" aren't simply written because an opening is unanimously good keep in mind.  No one ever called into question the Giuoco Piano or Ruy Lopez's soundness.  

Modern chess is strategically sophisticated where long term advantages such as space, piece differences (knight vs. bishop, etc.) and such are valued and players seek positional rather than tactical benefits from an opening.  

If both sides play perfectly then equality is maintained, but if one side makes a mistake then the equilibrium is disturbed, and it is here when one should think about embarking on an attack.  Look at your advantages (active pieces, coordination, color complex control and control over weak squares, eternal knight, etc.) and look at your opponent's disadvantages (weak pawns on open files, bad bishop, weak king, hanging pawns so c3+d4 with no e or b pawn, etc.) then utilize both in formulating your attacking plan.  Things such as center type however complicate the process and getting the hang of it is simply the path to mastery.  

The King's Gambit can be a lot of fun, from both sides. But Black has so many possible defences and sometimes all you can hope for with white is a draw.

If you feel tempted, you could give it a try. Should you do so, don't give up that opening too early! You might learn a lot in the process.

I'd recommend to watch a few videos first. Like e.g. this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of44HLmqRgI

@ thyriaen: I quite like that introduction to the Göring gambit by IM Andrew Martin. Nice attacking game by Yu Yangyi.

Well MatejPro, this was merely an article published in American Chess Quarterly [now available on the internet], not a book, and even though the Fischer's Defence is an excellent one, you can't say anymore that this refutes the King's Gambit. White could choose to follow John Shaw's suggestion in his mega-opus: play 5.g3!? instead of the classical 5.h4 (after 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf 3.Nf3 (White could prefer 3.Bc4, as recommended by Simon Williams) d6 (Fischer's move) 4.d4 (4.d3 is interesting too) g5

In 2 words: there is more to the King's Gambit than Fischer's interesting but short article.

And who said that we have to play perfect openings? World Champions! From a practical point of view, even a dubious opening that you understand could grant you better results.

...which does not exist.

It's an article Fischer wrote in 1961 after losing to Spassky, who played the King's Gambit against him.

It was a rather short, rather inconclusive and surely outdated article.

Interestingly, Fischer was actually quite successful using the King's Gambit as White.

GM John Shaw has some really interesting lines in his King's Gambit book "A Grandmaster Guide". 

KG is definitely totally playable, although, yes, some of the lines are a little 'loose' for the white king and pieces. Oddly, quite a number of the lines, if played properly, lead to a positional battle rather than a checkmatefest, although at levels 1000-1250 on chess.com 5-min blitz, it'll likely be more of a tactical checkmatefest than a positional struggle.

Funny you posted this when I have heard it said that King's Gambit is not any good.  I have no idea where I read it. I've been destroyed by clever players when I played white and accepted the gambit. Openings are just beautiful. 8) I love the different theories and such. I find it interesting tha QP openings are not as popular as they used to be.

I will add that if you haven't studied specific lines in the Kings Gambit and are facing a capable black player, your odds of getting destroyed quickly are significant. It's far easier for white to blow himself up in the KG opening compared to black due to the loose king, but if you know what you're doing as white, you can punish black by central counterpunches at the right time in response to his attacks on your loose kingside.