I know how you feel, I spent ages trying to find an opening against 1.d4 that would produce wide open attacking games before I finally settled on the Hartlaub-Charlick.
At my level, alot of people play the annoying line 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 d6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bg5, which is a pain to face. For that reason I prefer to play ...d5 instead of ...d6. Most of the time white captures on d6 and it transposes to a regular Hartlaub-Charlick, and if white doesn't capture then I get to play a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit with colours reversed.
I QUIT chess around 2010 because I couldn't stand getting confined by 1.e4 d5 2.e5 in the scandinavian (with no theory available) as well as DESPISING the "stonewall straightjacket" no matter how good my results were because it's soooo anti-tactical and all those pawns are a NIGHTMARE!
I've researched and researched trying to find EXACTLY this opening I think! I hate fianchettos, so indians, benonis & benkos etc. have ALWAYS looked fugly to me. the albin countergambit would require an entire REPERTOIRE to play, and the englund main line is ugly and more unsound than the charlick I bet. I can remember even thinking about and/or asking about a 1.d4 counter gambit where I trade BOTH of my center pawns for activity, and THIS gambit does exactly that! it gets a HUGE lead in development, and I have serious lust for the bishop PAIR lined up against 0-0 without even getting into a few trap lines!
I looks at the formation, and I can SEE activity and the attack potential I crave (despite the 2 points down) to make things happen and win and lose ON MY TERMS (preferably ASAP... I'd ALMOST prefer to lose in 10 than win in 80. I hate long positional slogs!
It took 3 days, but FINALLY someone played 1.d4 and accepted the gambit AND I won in under 20 despite an ugly middlegame. I'm so proud that DESPITE getting sidelined early I still played either the best SF move or whatever performs better the first 10 moves!!! I get tripped up bad in unfamiliar openings, but I think THIS ONE was made for me because it thinks like me.
Now if only I could get rid of the scandinavian and start playing "reverse king's gambits" (rousseau, calabrese, & janish/schliemann etc.), I can get rid of the scandinavian and those POSITIONAL lines i hate so much
here's my first game:
YES, my opponent blundered his queen, but I'm proud that I got through all 10 of my opening moves with either the best SF move or the best OTB performing one! that's HUGE for me. I got rattled by the knight pair and missed the correct take because i was sweating discoveries and forks, but I've also analyzed this SIDE LINE and will do better next time, though I'm worried that EVERYONE will try to dodge this gambit because it seems like MOST 1.d4 players are also gambit coward french players who'll do ANYTHING but take a free pawn.
I consider it a good omen that I got the job done quickly my first time out and outside my prep. I think I can REALLY get into this opening ESPECIALLY when I master the trap lines and build up my sideline theory as needed. either way, it LOOKS like the sexiest queen's pawn counter gambit ON THE PLANET!
here's the video that opened my eyes to this wish granted:
If anyone else wants to try this sexy opening out, I'd be glad to share theory. I took a break because the video kept tripping me up when it back tracked and I think I corrupted my original book I haven't went back & verified after getting too frustrated to keep building the book I'd already started before returning to the video.
Other videos use a slightly different line. THIS is the one for ME! It just feels like comfy shoes ALREADY