Ruben Fine's advice was to take the pawn, forget defending your pawn, and
simply
develop. Let him waste time getting the pawn back while you develop.

The trap to most gambits is to have you defend the pawn which can only be
done by
ignoring your development while he proceeds with his development.

See the bust to the Danish gambit played in this fashion.

Jim

"Doug Wedel" wrote in message
...
There's this guy I play here in San Francisco at
the cable-car turnaround on the outside tables.
He's a old Russian master and if I can get into
the middle game against him I have a chance. But
lately he's been throwing these exotic opening
gambits at me and he is deadly.

Any rule of themb for playing against exotic
opening gambits? Or must I just study dreary
opening books until I die?

I know that guy and have played him many times (I live in San
Francisco). I am lucky enough to get him about 1 in 4 games.

What your up against is a rated strong expert (around 2150) but I heard
he was a strong master (2400) in his early days in Russia. He makes a
living by playing patzers at those tables...but he does not hustle (he
will play to win every game).

He is strong at speed chess and usually plays real conservative openings
(French, Queen pawn openings as white) etc. The fact that he is playing
gambits against you means he is toying with you. It does not make a bit
of diffence how hard you study the openings, if your tactics are not up
to snuff he is just going to wipe the board of you. I would stay way
away from openings and just work on your tactics by looking at chess
positions.

Here you will find 5,000 diagrams with answers:

http://www.academicchess.com/play/indexdiagrams.shtml

If you don't have a tactics book this is a good start.

The best tactics book I have found is the Middlegame combination
Encyclopedia (same makers as informant) volume 1 and the first printing.

My advice is either work hard on your tactics and treat your time with
him as paid lessons (he "charges" a dollar a game) or play someone else
at the cable car turn around. He is the strongest regular player, and
you will have better luck against any other guy. Believe me studying
gambits is not going to help you. He can play so much other stuff
against you.

..

See the bust to the Danish gambit played in this fashion.

Jim

Danish gambit busted? Wish Icould believe that.

EZoto

I don`t play King Pawn as White, and I respond to it with the Sicilian as
Black, but just out of curiosity, could you display the bust to the Danish
Gambit? I`d love to see your discovery, as I`m sure would many players of
Master strength and above.

Thanks,

Joshua B. Lilly




"Jim Roe" wrote in message
.. .
Ruben Fine's advice was to take the pawn, forget defending your pawn, and
simply
develop. Let him waste time getting the pawn back while you develop.

The trap to most gambits is to have you defend the pawn which can only be
done by
ignoring your development while he proceeds with his development.

See the bust to the Danish gambit played in this fashion.

Jim