Awesome video! Probably the most comprehensive analysis of the Latvian Gambit for the black side I've seen so far.

I am stunned by the amount of knowledge that went through this video. It's amazing !

Thank you, as a Kings Gambit player I find this opening very interesting. Appreciate the time you invested in this video

What a lecture on the Latvian Gambit! Excellent work!

Thank you for this informative vid!I'm a practitioner of the Latvian Gambit and won a lot of blitz games with it.

I have completely forgotten to say that I really appreciate that you are doing such a video and of course, it is impossible to cover everything in such a short spell of time. Please keep it up!

At 7:26 that “No! Actually, you’re better!” Had some malice behind it and I love it.

I love the honesty in your vids. Many other channels claim that black is "at least as good" after best play by white. Also, I never dreamed that I would consider playing the Latvian...until now.

You are just too good. Very very underrated channel.

Super lecture ! All 6 main lines are clearly explained . Thanks to this video , I add it to my opening booklet ...Thanks

You're my idol bro, I love crazy openings! Greetings from Venezuela :D

Thank you so much BigMio! I've been playing Vienna Gambit for White for a long time but I don't have a main opening for black. Thanks for the video

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Qg5 5. Nf7 Qxg2 6. Rf1 d5 7. Bxd5 Nc6 8. Qe2 Nf6 9. Bxc6 Kxf7 !!!!! Butcher this line is NASTY!!!! Thanks for putting me on to the D5, Nc6 idea. Engine says black is -3 after Nc6. Sick concept

Thank you, very helpful video. I love the Latvian and King’s Gambit.

Great vid for a very tricky opening, thank you!

I wish you would make a chessable course on this. Thank you for the hard work and upload! I am excited to dig in and study from you!

Great video man! I fell in love with the Latvian Gambit after reading Tony Kostens book on it! It's a fantastic weapon for 10min or less Chess.

The Latvian gambit is crazyyy

Was hoping to see Löwenthal's 3..Nf6 line theorized. That's been my main continuation. Great video!

2:15 Nice video. 😎 But I wouldn't say that the most logical move is 4. Nxe4. Instead, white can get into a stronger position after 4. Nxe5, as they immediately threaten with 5. Qh5+, so black should counter the threat by 4. ... Nf6, and white can continue attacking the weakened king's side. Either by 5. Bc4 or 5. Ng4.

Suspicious Lines: 0:48 d3 2:04 🐎c3 4:46 exf5 Reliable Lines: 9:30 d4 11:16 Bc4 16:05 🐎xe5

..And I absolutely love to "develop the king" :D This is awesome =D

underrated channel, top work

Latvian gambit got me into offensive openings ^_^

At 7.37 also possible apparently is Qh5, After the Q-swap the White Knight will struggle to get out alive. Even if 10g4 Nf6 11 g5 Nd5 12 g6 h6 13 Nf7 Bf5 the Knight is struggling to escape. Meantime Black's development is free-flowing and looking good.

Thank you for this. I've been playing the Latvian for over 15 years now. I know most lines and there are 2, that you clarified in this video, which I need to correct. ~ 2200 blitz/bullet/rapid on chessco/lichess.

Hey Mio, thanks as always for the great vidio. Your vidios are full of very useful and interesting ideas. I would have a request whether you can do a vidio about the knight attack in the italian 4. Ng5 and that in view of the black side. I find this variation quite interesting with the line 4. Ng5 d5! 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6. Keep up the good work!

i love this analysis

Great explanation! I hope the Latvian gambit is not out dated in 2024.y in low level rapid games!

I sincerely regret not training under you, your opening knowledge and flair for speculative sacrifices open the imagination for gargantuan chess essence meticulously carried out so all avenues of adventurous chess are indeed covered. Thank you, Butcher!

Paldies! : ) I do appreciate your useful explanation!

You should do more opening videos maybe on the london this was a AWESOME video

Thank you! Bigmoi.. For teaching. Greco counter gambit..

I remember 9 years ago when we had a 60cm set.... at Liverpool Plaza NSW. Old Serbian man "Mick" pawn stormed many noobs with the Latvian. Even after Lossing his rook right at the beginning and moving his king with no regards of casting, he would still turn the tables by chasing off his overconfident opponents with pawns.

Many thanks. I just tried this gambit and I won !

HELL Yes . subscribed.

In the 3.d4 line there is a dangerous gambit line for White with 3..fe4 4.Ne5 Nf6 5. Bg5 d6 6.Nc3!? which is something Black should definitely be aware of since it looks so innoccuous ...

As a Latvian I approve this lesson.

After 3. Bc4 I much prefer the Svedenborg gambit, with 3. fxe4 Nxe5 and then ...d5, as I think White usually has at least a draw and often a win in the Poisoned Pawn variation you suggest as shown in many correspondence games although the hair-raising variations are certainly fun.

I love it this material! perfect gambit! by the way #3:20 is not beter He7 instead of Nd7?

good video

At 18:24, after Kd1, Black should follow a well-known game that Capablanca lost to Enrique Corzo: 9. ...Ng4! 10. Qh5+ Kxf8 11. Qxf5+ Kg7 12. d3 d5! with a winning attack for Black (I think d6 might also work)

Thank you for excellent learning material, I love latvian. Just having one question: what if instead of Qxh8 --> Qxg6+ (2:45 min in the video) with following threats d3 and g3? Wouldnt black king get into trouble? Thanks in advance!

Rausis, of course is a name from Latvian dictionary and au spells like in one sound :) Rausis is a Round Bread!! :D

Hi! Ive just discovered your videos which are wonderfully helpful. A question though... can you play the Latvian if white does not go Nf3? If not, what do you suggest? Thank you in advance!

How do people remember all this, tried playing this in blitz and was instantly lost lol so many variations

Thank you for this awesome video, first time i tried this and completely anihilated oponent xd

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I’ve watched this video a lot, but this is one thing I’m wondering. At 7:41 do you have compensation for the lost rook? We can take the knight by queen once we move the bishop but won’t our knight on H5 be captured as well?

At 5:20 4 ...Qf6 is more fun for Black ;-) sometimes you even get to sac a rook for a huge centre after 5. c3 c5 6. Nb5 d5 !?

PS If Whites plays 3 Ne5 Qf6 4. Nc4 (instead of 4. d4), they are likely to mobilise rapidly and be dangerously well 'booked'!

BIG MIO ALMOST AT 1,000 SUBS!!!!!

E4 e5 nf3 f5 nxe Nc6 d4 has been giving me headaches

Practical survival instinct:)

I am new to this channel. But very complete analysis

Hi, GM Permunovic, thank you for this amazing lesson. But let me try something. At 17:42 it's not easy to understand how can black continues after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.d4 Qe7 5. Nc3. All continuation looks bad. What can you say about it?

Do you recommend the LG for classical games or just for rapid, blitz or bullet? I think that you overlooked a strong line for White after 3. Nc3 fe4. Instead of the natural 4. Ne4, there is the creative and attacking idea 4. Ne5! Nf6 5.Bc4 (or 5. Ng4!? is annoying) d5! 6. Nxd5 Nxd5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 9.Qxg6+! Kd7 10 Bd5. Stockfish 14, d=30 to d=35, says it's +0.8 to +1, but it's a fight. I played LGs postally in the mid-1970s and 80s, and this line was known then. For every leak that we closed, two more would open up, so with sadness I gave it up. At 7:25, Black is not better, but it's fun to play and it's hard for White to prove the advantage that the books claim. Certainly White should not play 3. Bc4 over the board as this walks into sharp lines for which Black is prepared: a) fxe4 4.Nxe5 4...Qg5 5.d4 Qxg2 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Bf7+! Kd8 8.Bxg6 Qxh1+ 9.Ke2 Qxc1 10.Nf7+ Ke8 which requires deep preparation and good memory from White to get an advantage [White has some forced draws!] or b) 3...fe4 4. Ne5 d5!? 5. Qh5+ g6 Ng6 hg6!. Alas, 3 Nxe5 both kills Black's fun and gets White a large and stable plus in several lines, which makes the LG of limited use (a surprise weapon) in classical games.

Can you recommend a chess program that is good for practicing specific openings? Thanks

Great video, I’m just starting using Latvian gambit. What would be black response to play against Bg6 in the line with 3.d4? Meaning 3.d4 fxe4 4.Nxe5 Nf6 5. Bg6 ...

At 17:37 you say this looked completely ok for Black? Why isn´t that somewhere between groveling for a draw and completely lost? Isn´t Black just a very healthy pawn down?

I like kings gambit and i want to learn this latvian..... aggressive black

How did you learn this opening in great depth and detail? Opening books don’t show what you are showing

good vid but not the first to go into detail on the latvian. GM Tony Kosten did a extensive work as well.

In the 3.Nxe5 variation, there is certainly Löwenfish´s 3..Nf6 to be considered, and after 3..Qf6 4.d4 (Leonhard´s 4.Nc4 is generally be thought to be stronger nowadays) d6 4.Nc4 fe4 I have always found Bronsteins 5.Be2 most annoying. (You only cover the main line 5.Nc3 which is uncomfortable enough.) Theory says that 5..Qd8 is best here, but the resulting position is practically almost losing - somehow I managed to save almost all of them in my games but I really wasn´t enjoying the games.

Is the Latvian gambit sound ? I had always thought that it was a bad opening for black.

Sir what if he brings his nknight back at c3

Question: Supposing that you play the Vienna game and your opponent plays 1...e5 2....f5 is it still called the Latvian gambit?

I'm intrigued to watch. I can't imagine any favorable lines for black. I never understood why it would be considered a gambit 😂. What's the gamble? Watching now

I am not second guessing you or pretending to be smart but at 2:40 why 7...hxg6? Why not 7...Nf6 followed by 8...Rg8? I know you know about this possibility but chose to sac your Rook instead.

I Play 3... nf6 after 3.nxe5. you shouldnt be afraight to Play the ending after 4. exf5 ...Qe7 5.Qe2 ...d6. Also i dont get the Point, bringing the Queen Out early with 3....Qf6, Just Like in the scandinavian. Someone enlighten me?

5:00

Interesting but visualization way too fast for a patzer like me..slowly please! We are not all masters here

lol, you go through that line at around 13:00 so fast, it's basically impossible to follow.

20:30 IGOR RAUSIS ... THE Igor Rausis, who was infamously caught cheating with his phone??? LOL

Wasn't Igors Rausis caught for cheating?

At 7:23: Sorry, no, you are *not* better in this old line, although maybe you do not lose by force (btw, 5..d6 is not forced, there is also Gunderam´s old idea 5..Be7 which could be better - his idea is that in some lines you want to be able to play ..d5 in one move). 8..Nxh5 is interesting, it had been discarded by everybody from Thiemann to Kosten and Lein, but it definitely deserves a second look.

on 5:28 opponent just plays Nb5 instead of Nb3 and you lose

Sorry, but your 3.Bc4 line is very sloppily researched. I have never had an opponent going for this who was not knowing what they are doing (those who play 3.Bc4 on general grounds usually play 4.Nf7) and you can find the winning line for White in Tony Kosten´s book after taking on c1. ..c6 also seems busted right now. If you have managed to repair any of this I would be very grateful if you would disclose it to us. AFAIK, only 4..d5 is really playable here.

Your analysis of the Mlotkovsky-Variation is unfortunately skipping the main variation which goes 3.Nc3 fe4: 4.Ne5, and now the natural 4..Nf6 unfortunately fails to 5.Ng4! Fortunately, in over 35 years of playing the Latvian (most of the time as my main defense to 1.e4) nobody has ever played this against me, but this is mainly due to the fact that 3.Nc3 is being mostly played by players who do not know the Latvian. But I would strongly contest your view that 3.Nc3 gives Black an easy game.

You're not conviced by this opening for black. It looks obvious! Some lines are doubtful: for instance at 13:22 how can you defend the position for Black whereas White has a winning continuation after 20.Qe6+?

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Sir this is not a vedio. This is suiside.