The Cochrane gambit has always fascinated me. Sacrificing a Knight so early in the game and yet creating a lot problems for your opponent. It must be a very romantic idea... I just played the following 3 min. blitz game at chess.com. Any thoughts or comments about the opening or game?
Cochrane gambit
Sort:
Philipper
Aug 13, 2015
0
#1
Aug 13, 2015
0
#2
I play it against noobs OTB. It kicks ass. They usually just drop back their Knight and are down a pawn or two with the King floating around in the middle of nowhere.
Aug 13, 2015
0
#3
Personally I feel like a piece for two pawns is a much better advantage than a pawn advantage in the opening and middlegame. Even 3 pawns for a piece in many positions is iffy.
Aug 14, 2015
0
#4
Fiveofswords wrote:
i think your opponent probably misplayed the opening. i dont know about 6...nc6 i play 6...qe8 personally.
I don't think my opponent misplayed the opening since 6... Nc6 is the book move. Although 6...Qe8 is perfectly playable according to my computer. With 'romantic' I was referring of course to the nineteenth century when the style of chess was characterized by beautiful attacks, clever combinations and piece sacrifices. Cochrane was a very aggressive player himself.
Aug 14, 2015
0
#5
Levon31 wrote:
If black didn't have an advantage, then he misplayed the opening
Having an advantage in the opening doesn't automatically mean you play an opening right? You can always go wrong even when you think your position is much better. Making mistakes is human. Sure, he could have played it better but that doesn't mean he misplayed the whole opening.
Aug 14, 2015
0
#6
DrSpudnik wrote:
They usually just drop back their Knight and are down a pawn or two with the King floating around in the middle of nowhere.
That "middle of nowhere" is often on the e6-square, and it's an astonishingly safe square for the king in certain lines of this opening. I really dislike the following book, but it shows one line where Black's king safely ends up on e6.
----------
(p. 109)
16) 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nxf7
Cochrane Gambit
rnbqkb1r/ppp2Npp/3p1n2/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b - - 0 1
The Cochrane Gambit,
named after the British
master, dates from 1848. In
his 200 Open Games Bron-
Stein says: "In reply to 3...
d6, the knight retreats to
f3, although no weaker, in
the author's opinion, is the
bold 4 Nxf7!"
4...Kxf7
5. d4
"White, with his two mo-
bile pawns, has a long-
lasting initiative in the
centre (Bronstein).
Other move:
a) 5 Bc4+? and now:
a1) 5...Ke8? The short-
coming of this move is that
the king is not able to es-
cape quickly on either
wing, resulting in a lot of
trouble for Black.
a2) 5...d5! when:
a21) 6 ed Bd6!-+ Bilguer.
a22) 6 Bb3 and now:
a221) 6...Nxd4 7 Qh5+
Ke6! and Black defends
himself--Steinitz.
Gyozo Forintos & Ervin Haag. 1991. The Petroff Defense. New York, NY: Collier Books.
----------
Aug 15, 2015
0
#7
It wasn't asking anything. I was just making the point that having the advantage in the opening doesn't mean you will also win the game. I think Black already had an advantage after 4.Nxf7. Unless you're a computer of course and then you're right but I wasn't talking about that. Also, there is not one right line for Black. There are many right lines for Black such as there are for White. I think my opponent choose a good opening line. Was it the right line? I don't know and I don't care. Yes, my opponent went wrong somewhere in the opening but it had nothing to do with his advantage.
Aug 15, 2015
0
#8
Fiveofswords wrote:
well when he lost the piece he clearly wasnt doing well. i actually think the cochrane is sound...most people on this forum seem to think its not. i dont think black gets any huge advantage. i have no idea what book would say 6...nc6 i sortof thought 6...qe8 was the main move.
I'm glad you think so and to hear some positive words about it. The Cochrane Gambit is probably not completely sound in my opinion but at least you get an interesting game. Especially since the Petrov has a reputation for being dull and uninspired, despite some very sharp lines. Give it a try I would say!
Mar 30, 2016
0
#10
melvinbluestone wrote:
It is well known that Steinitz liked to take his king for 'a walk', so it's not surprising he considered the position after 7...Ke6 defendable. But after 8.O-O, black's game is problematic. Probably best is just bringing the knight back with 8...Nf6, but then 9.Re1+ Kd6 10.Qh4 or g5 keeps up the pressure. My opponent tried harrassing the queen with 8...g6, but it backfired.......
Interesting, I didn't know that about Steinitz, but it makes sense.
Yes, that ...Nxe4 capture and reluctance to retreat the knight back via ...Nf6 look risky to me. Nice game.
P.S.--Per one online database, Black wins 100% of the games with the alternative 6th move 6...Bd6 in that line.