The Budapest Gambit: Up-To-Date Coverage of a Dangerous Gambit

What is the location of the Budapest Castle? (a) On Castle Hill, overlooking the Danube (b) Just south of the Chain Bridge, next to the Matyas Church (c) It's right here, on my map of Budapest! In square C8 (d) On square a6 If you said that it starts out on a8, moves to a6, and then sails towards the kingside on the sixth rank, then get this book. You won't be rooked! This is an excellent book about the Budapest Gambit (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e5). My primary defence against 1 d4 is the Semi-Slav. But I've used the Budapest a couple of times as a second-string defence and won with it both times. So I was eager to see what Lalic has to say about it. He says it is playable. I've always suspected that the Budapest is not really sound. But Lalic supplies answers for all of White's serious options. After 3 dxe5 Ng4 (Lalic also analyzes 3...Ne4, the Fajarowicz gambit), White has plenty of possible moves: 4 Qd4 d6 5 exd6 Bxd6 4 Nc3 Nxe5 5 Bf4 Nbc6 4 e6 Bb4+ 5 Bd2 Qf6 4 e4 Nxe5 5 f4 Nec6 4 e3 Nxe5 5 Nh3 g6 4 f4 Bc5 5 e3 d6 The Budapest Castle variation starts with 4 Nf3 Bc5 5 e3 Nc6. White used to get an advantage with 6 Nc3 0-0 7 Be2 Re8 8 b3 Ngxe5 9 Bb2 Nxf3+ 10 Bxf3 Ne5 11 Be2. But then Black started playing 11...a5! 12 0-0 Ra6 (this is the infamous Budapest Castle). Black seems okay after that. That leaves 4 Bf4, White's most dangerous move. Lalic gives several ideas for Black here. One is 4...Bb4+ 5 Nd2 d6, which is risky but merits a look. The best idea is 4...Nc6 5 Nf3 Bb4+ 6 Nbd2 Qe7 7 e3 Ngxe5 8 Nxe5 Nxe5 9 Be2 0-0 10 0-0 and now Lalic claims Black can equalize with either 10...Ng6 or 10...d6. I think it requires plenty of work to play either of these moves against a prepared opponent. Just in case you are thinking about trying the Budapest and your previous main defence to 1 d4 has not been 1...Nf6, there is something really fundamental you need to know! Half the time, White won't let you play the Budapest! You'll find yourself on the Black side of 2 Nf3 or even 2 Bg5. Against 2 Bg5 (the Trompowsky) you can play 2...Ne4 and reply to 3 Bf4 with 3...d5 or 3...c5, but neither are the Budapest! Meanwhile, 2 Nf3 is a total transpositional swindle. You'll probably wind up in a Queen's Gambit Declined after 2...d5 or in some sort of Indian defence! Here, I play 2...e6 and after 3 c4 (if I don't want a Semi-Slav) I settle for a Queen's Indian with 3...b6. My choice is not between the exciting Budapest or the dull Queen's Indian. I have to know the Queen's Indian either way. The Budapest is my alternative to the Nimzo-Indian. I recommend this book.

My first by of a Batsford Opening Guide and I was pleased. I was a bit afraid that the book would be kind of too encyclopedia like. But in fact it tends to follow the quality of the Gambit Guide series. Chapters begin with an evaluation of the specific system it explains. A moderate amount of selected games with good commentaries. I feel secure now to be opposed to this opening.

This is a well written book with a lot of good annotation. However, the opening itself can often require giving playing black N & B vs. white's bishop pair in an open position, but black has had free developement in return (somewhat similar to the nimzo-indian). It is best used as a suprise weapon, but when ever you use it it will be a suprise. It is a good opening for speed games because there is a trap on move 8 & 9 of one line that opponents of mine have fallen into more than once, i.e., 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 Qe7 7. a3 Ngxe5 8. axb4? Nd3! mate. This book is worth buying but I would recommend learning more solid openings first. Try the nimzo, semi slav, king's indian, etc.

I personally spent about one and one half years trying to find a reply that I liked against queen pawn openings. I finally was convinced by this book that the Budapest was for me. The book is very well written. It helps you quickly find the variations that you would like to play and contains many subvariations in model games to help you against strong moves as well as unusual moves. And many club players don't encounter it often, so the opening has surprise value. The top scholastic players in this area use it on a regular basis. If you like to attack, and hate defensive positions against 1. d4, then try the Budapest Gambit.