A New Gambit in the Alekhine Defense

This gambit is sound on a practical level; however, against Fritz 10 any gambit is suspect. Here Fritz hangs on to the extra pawn and emerges with the

opposition in a King and pawn ending.

According to Tim McGrwew's Gambit Cartel articles this is the omega gambit, and realy is one of the worst gambits ever made :P white gets absolutly nothing for the pawn! black just playes 2...Nxe4

Agreed with ACG.  After 2.d4, it's just a blundered pawn in a botched Alekhine's.  After 2...d6, it's a Pirc/Philidor by transposition.  After 3.c4, it's a blundered pawn in a botched Pirc/Philidor.

The game looks lost for white on move 4. Im sure there are many games w/ the Alekhine in Fritz's database (I don't have Fritz so I don't really know. I have CB 10 though). Instead of playing some 'gambit', why not just look up the first few best moves.

Well I would just take the pawn and say thank you.

Interesting comments. If the gambit is so unsound, why did Fritz 10 a 2750 computer only wind up with that pawn 40 moves later after an incredibly complicated middlegame? In the hands of your typical GM, this would likely result in a win for White. The only reason that I didn't win here was because Black prevented me from getting in the d5 break. If I had gotten in the d5 break, Black's position would have collapsed like a house of cards.

     None of you have noticed that White had a greater than 3 tempo lead in development for the pawn. In case you didn't notice Black played d5 in two moves instead of one, had to spend time to play a6/b5 just to survive and then had to push the a-pawn to a4 and the b-pawn to b4---this takes time.

     The standard rule of the thumb is that the attacker get at least three tempos for the pawn in an open position (This position would have been wide open after the d5 push; I get more than that here when you factor in all the time Black has to fight to get space). In case you didn't notice Paul, Black had nothing better than e6/Be7, two very passive moves because any aggression by Black would have been met with swift punishment.

     Also I won the battle for the tempo; you will notice that I forced Fritz to play d5/dxc4 when I replied with simple move Bxc4 winning a tempo compared to the Queen's Gambit Declined where White typically loses the battle for the tempo i.e. White has to move his King Bishop before Black captures on c4.

     As for my critics---I will send you the results of the review of my gambit by Grandmaster Lev Alburt, a World renowned expert in the Alekhine Defense. Or would you care to favor your opinion of my gambit rather than his?

     As far as being a good practical opening did you miss the fact that Fritz had to win a simple King and pawn ending? Would you like the defensive task of Fritz 10? Your typical 2500 level GM would have a real tough time equalizing when faced with the pressure I got from that Gambit. It took the defensive skill of a 2750 computer to barely survive the attack---and there is inadequate compensation for the pawn???

Here are the facts:

1. Your Fritz 10 is suffering from a hang over.

2. Pawns are not developing moves, unless you are threatening f6-f7#.

3. The term 'attacker' has no more meanings if you refer to a position with a pawn on c4 and d4, a pawn down, and nothing else developed.

You read but do not comprehend. Look up the definition of long-term positional compensation. I got the initiative for 40 moves against a 2750 computer at the investment of one pawn. Did any of you notice that I forced Fritz to give up the minor exchange to relieve the pressure, or, haven't you heard this is worth 1/2 pawn? Perhaps the gambit would be considered sound by the class players.

We'll see what Lev has to say. For now I will correspond with stronger players than those on line. Gentlemen it has been fun, but you have managed to ignore the obvious---only a half dozen players in the entire world are rated higher than Fritz 10 yet I got a really good game against it.

None of you know the difference between 1.e4 Nf6 2.d4 d6 3.c4 Nxe4 and 1.e4 Nf6 2.d4 Nxe4.(If my gambit is unsound why didn't Black just grab the pawn on move 2? 2...d6 is book yet 2...Nxe4 was not in Fritz's book!! Why is a pawn grab not good on move 2 but is forced on move three? If Black doesn't play 3...Nxe4?, then after 4.Nc3 protecting the e-pawn, the position is +/-. Or would you like to try to play e5 or d5 after White gets in 4.Nc3?

Fritz 10 suffering from a hangover? if you analyze the position with a strong computer, you will find that Fritz missed no tactical shots 7-8 moves deep---neither did I.

Too bad the World Chess Championship has already been decided...! Can you imagine if either Topalov or Anand had discovered this gambit in time? Oh, the battles we would have seen...

Somebody must tell them (and all the other Super GMs) of this novelty, because (somehow) they seem completely oblivious to this ground-breaking development.

Right, because Fritz 10 will ignore the free pawn on move 2.

All your assessments are way off.

I agree with RainbowRising

 So, in other words, the computer was too good to fall for your cheap traps. But very well done for refuting yet another opening. You're on a roll, sloughterchess. You're too good for me.

OH GAWD PLEASE DON'T FEED THIS TROLL.  If you haven't been around much you'll notice this guy constantly comes up with one crappy "opening" after another. Then he feeds it into his puter and challenges all takers to prove that he's "wrong" about his latest brilliant discovery.  

But above all things remember look in and laugh if you like please, please,

Please don't feed the troll.

You are right that once Black blockades on d5 he is better so White has to create random tactics with 15.d5!

I feel horrible for throwing bread crumbs at the openings maven and seagull that is sloughterchess, let alone the meanness of the following statement (no sarcasm!), but I feel as though the minor exchange you tout is weak in this position. Yes, it's open, in a sense. On the other hand, your DSB is locked in by Black's Knight and isn't going anywhere soon, taking a few contortions to extricate and make active. Your LSB isn't particularly strong either, facing the strong pawn chain without any real options.

Just my two cents, sorry if that came off abrasively!

As for your observation that Black is better after 2...Nxe4. Not according to Fritz. Here is one, but not by the only means, plausible play by both sides leading to advantage White

so . . . I'm curious, what did it sound like when Fritz started laughing at you?

PLEASE DON'T FEED THE FREAKING TROLL

Interesting you call my openings "crappy". World Champion Garry Kasparov looked at on of my "crappy" openings, a gambit in the third move of the King's Gambit Accepted, 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Qe2, and stated that after 3...Be7 4.Nf3 Bh4ch 5.Kd1 Be7 indicated that the opening was = to unclear.

One of my "crappy" openings was published in its entirety in "Inside Chess", a magazine devoted to top professional.

One of my "crappy" openings is considered significant enough to be quoted in several data bases. This involved the opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Qe2 Nc6 4.d4 N.

You're right Paul; I assumed that because I could get decent positions against Fritz 10 the opening was sound. Maybe it was in spite of my openings. I'll look at an Alekhine line I played in the Golden Knights that I played in 1994 where GM Alburt said I had the advantage.