I think I'm an average player for my level (say, 1600-1700 lichess), but I noticed I have problems defending when my opponent gains the initiative, i.e. I can't properly do prophylaxis. I only play casual 10+10.
My track record is especially bad against King's Gambit, maybe because I try to castle 0-0-0. I understand the consensus is to accept the pawn, but the one time I refused it was no better. In general, in tense positions I tend to screw up, also when doing tactics puzzles with defensive moves.
See for instance:
it.lichess.org/ebAjJqsl/blackit.lichess.org/sldNfuoM/blackit.lichess.org/6kO3qrR6/blackAnother bad gambit:
it.lichess.org/bE5WYhQY/blackAny tips on how to improve? Right now I do tactics on chesstempo, and I'm reading Seirawan&Silman book on Strategy. Thanks a lot for your suggestions.
well, best advice to you from me would be to take your games or positions and put htem into fritz, and see how you equalise on certain moves...because it is mainly chess theory, if your opponent plays those book moves when he gains the initiative,you will have prepared couple of moves to oppose them. if your opponent screws up and not retain the innitiative,just play logic chess,castle develop etc.i really hoped i helped you
I think every gambit has a chink in it's armor. The benefits of gambits are often the shock value which induces inaccurate responses, weak moves and blunders. If you take a little more time to think about your response to a gambit, usually the chink in the armor can be found. Take a deep breath, try to relax and calculate your way out of the situation. Often the opponent will be outside the prepared line and the game will quickly collapse. If you are tight for time then it is difficult but you need to try not to make intuitive and often rash moves which fall into the traps that underpin gambits. Your opponent is hoping and gambling on you not finding the correct response. I only wish I could follow my own advice more often! (:
In the King's Gambit, if you intend to play Fischer's Defence (1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d6), you should look up the theory. Bg4 (as you often did) is usually not played there.
The idea of Fischer's Defence is to meet the immediate 4. d4 with 4. ... g5 and then after 5. h4 g4!, white's knight really doesn't have a better option than going back to g1 (if 6. Ng5?! f6 traps the knight).
If white doesn't go for the immediate d4, but plays 4. Bc4 first, then 4. ... h6! 5. d4 g5 will keep your extra pawn and allow you to meet a future h4 with Bg7.
You can also use the database in the lichess opening explorer for more details (just make sure you're using the master's database!).
For the last game (the Scotch with 4. Bb5?!), I can only say: Don't hang your pieces (as on moves 7 & 8), always check out those in-between moves (especially if they come with check, as on move 10) and never walk into a fork - both in chess and in real life!
Edit: Let me add that a lot of gambits are only effective as long as the opponent tries to "refute" them by accepting the gambit pawn and trying to hold on to it. But a lot of gambits (esp. the ones for white) have a flaw in that they allow black some option to just equalize immediately. In the King's Gambit, 2. ... d5 or 2. ... exf4 3. Nf3 d5 are ways to do this.
Edit: In order to generally improve more quickly, I'd also recommend you to play more rated games. Once you have a somewhat stable rating, choose your opponents close to your own rating (or slightly higher) as there's usually more to learn from those games. ;)
Take a look at the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5). It's the defence I enjoy playing most of all - loads of opportunities for White to slip up within the first few moves if he doesn't know what he's doing.
besides the minor(!) technical details (hanging piece in one) I think your problem is basicaly psychological. From the point I see it it seems like you overvalue the initiative so when your opponent plays a gambit you tend to follow it up with hyper-aggressive moves(Bg4, f5) in order not to fall behind in the struggle for the initiative. But all these moves are garbage. Sometimes you don't need the initiative, you need to be solid. Especially with material up, solid and convert. Think about it
One last thing, just to clarify, solid does not mean passive
Honestly the only suggestion I can give against sharp gambits is to study the theory behind them.
Looking at the King_gambit games. If you choose the setup with g5 you should play it immediately without e6. Also you can't let white play Nxg5 you should've defended it with h6 befoer the Qb3 manoeuvre by white.
Thank you all for the suggestions, and for taking the time to look at my games.
@Dr_King_Schultz where is this "lichess opening explorer"? I am a bit blind:)
PS: Go Magnus!
