How to play the Urusov Gambit?

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AngryPuffer

im asking about 2 openings

both of these opening seem appealing because of how far ahead in development you are, but i want to know if anybody here knows how to play it and can tell us here?

chessterd5

They look like a combination of petrov and bishops opening ideas.

AngryPuffer

can you give some examples?

sidespaghetti
I think the mainline Ponziani-Urusov Gambit (the second one) goes 4… Nxe4 5. Qxd4 Nf6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Nc3

In general the Ponziani-Urusov Gambit tends to be quite aggressive, but not overly so, intending for quick development while constantly impeding the development of your opponent while also gaining a spatial advantage. That is of course only of they accept the gambit. There are a few ways for black to decline the gambit, the most notable being Nc6, which if I recall correctly transposes into some variation of the Scotch Gambit

I have no knowledge on the Urusov Gambit in the Petrov Defense however
AngryPuffer
AngryPuffer

bg5 to start seems a bit bad

chessterd5

The first diagram, I would probably play 3...,be7 instead of Nxe4. And 4..., Be7 in diagram #2. Followed by o-o. Black needs to protect f7 first then develop.

AngryPuffer
chessterd5
AngryPuffer wrote:
 

I think that I should have been more specific. I was in a hurry. What I was trying to suggest was some key moves by black that could put this variation into Exchange Philidor waters. those moves consist of exd4, d6, h6, Be7, and 0-0. In whatever order that fits the position.

AngryPuffer

white gets too easy of a game

chessterd5
AngryPuffer wrote:

white gets too easy of a game

I will have to go look up the Exchange Philidor mainline. But, from what I remember 5. Qxd4 is a line. the other line is 5. Nxd4 which is usually played. 5..., Nc6 is normally not played. most people play Nbd7 so c6 can be played to support the d5 push at the right time. c6 also limits the movements of the c3 Knight. In the Nxd4 line the knight usually goes to b3 and white castles Queenside very much like a open Sicilian. Black can continue with Re8, Bf8, and I have forgotten how the c8 bishop gets developed. its either to e6 before Nbd7 but after Re8 or the Nbd7 knight goes to b6 and the c8Bishop goes to d7.

newbie4711

It is dangerous for Black to accept the gambit. I think most players will transpose in Two knights defense.

There's an old article on https://web.archive.org/web/20120402130602/www.rci.rutgers.edu/~goeller/urusov/gambit/index.html

badger_song

I play it occasionally, it's a cousin to the Danish gambit and has similar ideas and positions. Since I play the Danish, I enter the Urusov differently with 1 .e4 e5 2. d4 exd 3.Bc4 rather than 3.c3.The 2.Bc4 I think is the modern line for the Urusov. Someone mentioned the Petrov Defense, the Urusov is used to undermine the Petrov. You can arrive at the Urusov Gambit from various transpositions; If you play the Danish, Scotch, or Goring Gambits its a natural step to adopt it. If you want to learn it, start learning the Bishop's Opening, which is simple and direct and along with the Center Game, the best beginner's opening.

SamuelAjedrez95
badger_song wrote:

I play it occasionally, it's a cousin to the Danish gambit and has similar ideas and positions.

The Urusov Gambit and Danish Gambit are nothing like each other.

The Urusov Gambit aims to quickly develop and castle queenside. The Danish sacrifices the entire queenside structure for development with the bishops on the two diagonals.

badger_song

lol...I can't recall the last time anyone asked me a serious question about an opening I play.

Ok,in short ,say you want to play the Lopez and you get 2...Nf6---- the mainline Petrov starts with 1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6

For move 3... white has a wide area of choices,so a good move by white is to go Old Steinitz and set up the Urusov with 3.d4 and attack e5

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4---this is the actual starting point of the gambit. Black will capture either with 3....exd or Nxe or play d5.

if 3. d4 exd then 4. Bc4 and white is playing the Urusov aiming to use his better development to attack f7 and force black to make a tactical blunder/weaken his position before black can catch up. Black accepts the gambit via 4.Nxe4...then 5.Qxd4 and the game proceeds like a drunken cavalry charge.

However,if black doesn't 3....exd but rather Nxe, and you do not wish to stay in the mainline petrov,which would be 4.Bd3,white still plays 4.Bc4...4.Bc4 d5 5.Bb4 exd 6.0-0....

White now is positional similar to the Danish, Scotch and Goring gambit,the ideas are the same; white is down two pawns but ready to attack before black can castle....black needs two moves to 0-0; white needs to retain his bishops and play aggressively to deny black the chance to free up his game. There is a target at d4, a bishop pointed at f7, and an open file to blacks uncastled king for starters. This is how the Urusov is used vs the Petrov. Even though white is down two pawns I'm pretty sure he has the makings of a strong attack. BTW I play the Petrov as my main defense vs 1.e5... so I see the Urusov gambit infrequently ( maybe 15% of the time) but more often than the Cochrane, in my opinion it is more troublesome to deal with than the Cochrane Gambit. So this is my evaluation from being a primarily a Danish -Scotch-Goring, and some Urusov player as white and a Petrov player as black. Hopefully I'm not to far off the mark

user6783645

The Urusov Gambit is from the bishops opening. If you want to learn how to play it, just go to chessable and download the short and sweet bishops opening. (its free). In there it will have multiple lines and explain when you can use it and how to proceed based on what move they play. The idea is you are giving up the pawn. 

The other one is the petrov.

You will only be able to play bishops opening once in a while. Most people are going to play the french, caro kann, sicilian, scandi. Maybe you will get an e5. Then you have to get past the petrov people.

Check out the ponziani too. I have a feeling you will like that one as well. Its a very tricky opening.

badger_song

Thanks,user67,o7.

badger_song

The Urusov Gambit is sound.

badger_song

Thats completely possible,whats the line?

badger_song

Really,ok,thats -1.00.If thats the case,that the eval is -1.00 for white giving up a pawn.Then that means that gambit line is a fail.What's the eval of the entire line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe 4.Bc4 d5 5.Bb4 exd 6.0-0 ?