What do you think of the Soller Gambit? (I have played it to great success)


The compensation for the pawn is close to none.
But for your level (1700-1900 on line) it doesn't matter what you play in the opening as long as you don't blunder.
compensation is BIG as my F-file is opened up and it usually surprises white. The engine gives an evaluation of +0.6 .....this is hardly an advantage, sir.

The compensation for the pawn is close to none.
But for your level (1700-1900 on line) it doesn't matter what you play in the opening as long as you don't blunder.
compensation is BIG as my F-file is opened up and it usually surprises white. The engine gives an evaluation of +0.6 .....this is hardly an advantage, sir.
I don't care about engine evaluation but let me tell you this.
+1.00 advantage means a pawn up without compensation.That is a theoretically winning position(Nakamura has said that the position becomes untenable at +0.9).
+0.6 is closer to theoretically winning(only -0.3 from what Nakamura considers untenable) than to no advantage.
The problem is that +0.6 on move 3 might mean nothing and might mean a lot.
Obviously you need to evaluate the positon yourself but to do that you need to understand chess.
Let's see what happened in tournament chess.
The best guy that has played this nonsense is a 2215 player.And even he didn't play it again(I wonder why).
Now here is the thing about engine evaluations that you don't understand.
There is a +0.6 that might be a highly unpleasant position which is difficult to defend accurately forever.And there is a +0.6 which might be a complicated position that can easily change to -0.6(or more) in just one move.So if you don't understand the position ,the number can't help you.
The specific position is a pawn down with minimum compensation.Engine can defend accurately forever but against a good opponent that will develop normally and then put pressure on you , you will be lost around move 20 (if not sooner).Try it if you don't believe me.I'm sure many will gladly accept to play white in this position.
Against your 1700-1800 on line opponents and with the time limit you use(15/10) that doesn't allow too much thinking , it's more than ok.
That master who played the soller gambit as black played horribly.

The only way Black's f-file actually matters is if White falls for some ...Rxf3 cheapo. Otherwise it's not relevant. Just because you have something doesn't mean it's going to always be useful. After all Black can have an advantage in development and a space advantage too. But it's still not enough. Chess is just more complicated than that.
But ok you're 1800 and playing bullet. Why not play it?

The only way Black's f-file actually matters is if White falls for some ...Rxf3 cheapo. Otherwise it's not relevant. Just because you have something doesn't mean it's going to always be useful. After all Black can have an advantage in development and a space advantage too. But it's still not enough. Chess is just more complicated than that.
But ok you're 1800 and playing bullet. Why not play it?
I am 1800 in bullet, 1800 in blitz, 1800 in USCF rating....2100 tactics. I play lightning fast in Rapid games while my opponents take their time forever and ever, that is why I am just 1743 in Rapid, at the moment.

The soller gambit is not nonsense at lower than expert level.....also engine evaluations barelyyy give white an advantage.

The only way Black's f-file actually matters is if White falls for some ...Rxf3 cheapo. Otherwise it's not relevant. Just because you have something doesn't mean it's going to always be useful. After all Black can have an advantage in development and a space advantage too. But it's still not enough. Chess is just more complicated than that.
But ok you're 1800 and playing bullet. Why not play it?
I am 1800 in bullet, 1800 in blitz, 1800 in USCF rating....2100 tactics. I play lightning fast in Rapid games while my opponents take their time forever and ever, that is why I am just 1743 in Rapid, at the moment.
I'd tell you the same thing if you were 2000 in everything.