Sharp & Aggressive: Mastering the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (D00)

 

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit
 A Sacrificial Dance for Aggressive Players

Why Play the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit?

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (BDG) is a dynamic chess opening known for its unorthodox pawn sacrifice on move two (1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4!). This gambit appeals to both new and experienced players for several reasons:

• New Players:
  • Exciting and Unpredictable: The BDG throws your opponent off-balance, offering a chance to surprise them with an unfamiliar position.
  • Fast Development: The pawn sacrifice opens lines and allows for rapid development of your pieces, leading to a quick attack.
  • Learn Tactical Motifs: The BDG is rich in tactical opportunities, helping you develop your tactical vision and calculation skills.
• Experienced Players:
  • Sharp and Aggressive Play: The BDG offers a chance to play for a win with an imbalanced position, appealing to aggressive players.
  • Test Your Opponent's Opening Knowledge: Many players are unfamiliar with the BDG, allowing you to potentially gain an early advantage.
  • Deep Strategic Ideas: While appearing reckless, the BDG has underlying strategic concepts like piece activity and central control to explore.

Whether you're a new player seeking excitement or an experienced player looking to sharpen your attacking skills, the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit offers a unique and rewarding path to victory.

 BDG Wikipedia Page 

Nice Wikipedia Page on the Main Variations.

 

It is one of the few gambits available to White after 1.d4

 

Main Line

After 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3, 

Black has five main options:

Gunderam Defence: 5...Bf5 

Teichmann Defence: 5...Bg4 
Euwe Defence: 5...e6
Bogoljubov Defence: 5...g6 
Ziegler Defence: 5...c6 

also 
Ryder Gambit: 5.Qxf3

 

Black's Options: It's important to note that Black has several ways to decline the gambit on move two (2...e6 or 2...c6), leading to more solid openings like the French Defense or Caro-Kann Defense. 

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Books (Courses) Free

 

• A beginner's blitz repertoire - FREE Chessable Course - 53 Trainable Variations - The core of the repertoire is a set of interpretations of the Blackmar-Diemer gambit - but more often than not castling queenside, rather than kingside.
  

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Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Articles

Delve into the theory, history, and key variations of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.

 

• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - Article on Gambiter Blog - History with a short Synopsis of all of the Variations.
  
  
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Declined - Vienna Defence 4...Bf5 [D00] - Chess Publishing Article on this Line.
  
  
• Ryder Gambit: An Aggressive Chess Opening Guide - Chess journal Article - Extensive Guide. How to play, How to play Against, Pawn structures, tricks and traps w/ several example games.
  
  
• Mission: Checkmate! the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - FM Eric Schiller - Chess.com Article w/ 5 example games.

BDG Blogs

• Blackmar Diemer Gambit -  Blog with over 200 Posts Specifically on this Gambit 
• Tom's BDG Pages   - Another Old Blog with Over 200 posts on this Gambit. (From the Creator of the BDG World magazine)
• Play Chess Openings - Tim Sawyer Blog  - This Link is to page with 53 BDG Posts

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LiChess Studies

Explore interactive training tools to solidify your understanding of the opening's concepts.

•  BLACKMAR-DIEMER GAMBIT  -  12 Chapter Study - (282 hearts) (Top of page) - Different Variations w/ Caro and French Transpositions.
  
  
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (In Progress)  - 44 Chapter Study (65 hearts)  Looks at all of Blacks Defenses.
  
  

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Games Databases

Analyze real-life games featuring the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit and see how it's played in practice.

  

365Chess.com

• D00: Blackmar-Diemer gambit 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 - 1274 Games
• A45: Blackmar-Diemer gambit 1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 d5 3. e4     - 191 Games

Chessgames.com

• Blackmar Diemer Gambits  - 8 Games (All 1-0)

Chess Tempo

• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, General (D00)  -  Over 170,000 Games (2200+ Rating with Popularity Graph)
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Gedult Gambit (D00) -  1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. f3   (400+ Games)
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Von Popiel Gambit (D00) - 1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5  (5100+ Games)

 

Extra Games

• Chess_Olympiads_1990_till_2012 - 9 Games Played 

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 LiChess Puzzles (Tactics)

Test your tactical skills with puzzles specifically designed for the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.

• BLACKMAR DIEMER GAMBIT - 2846 Puzzles
• von Popiel Gambit - 193 Puzzles

 

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Blackmar Diemer Gambit Videos

FREE ELO With The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit  - 25 Min Video - Gotham Chess - The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, a great aggressive chess opening for beginners and intermediate players. Very tricky and full of tactics. Theory w/ 2 games analyzed.


GM Boris Alderman

• Alterman GGuide Blackmar Diemer gambit part1 - 28 Min
• Alterman GGuide Blackmar Diemer gambit part2 - 24 Min
• Alterman GGuide Blackmar Diemer gambit part3 - 27 Min

Most Aggressive Chess Opening for White | Powerful Gambit - 11 Min - GM Igor Smirnov - You will learn about the Halosar Trap which happens after the following moves: 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Qf3. This variation is so aggressive that Black can get checkmate in just about 10 moves.
Brilliant Blackmar-Diemer Gambit | Journey to GM #5 | GM Moulthun Ly - 9 Min - One of my favorite attacking game I played with this unusual Gambit.

Blackmar–Diemer Gambit: Openings Explorations - 13 Min - NM Bryan Tillis - We investigate a game in the Blackmar–Diemer Gambit.
Opening Basics #40: Blackmar-Diemer gambit - 43 Min - Jim's Chess Channel - Video explains the gambit’s origins, key moves, and strategic ideas w/ some game examples.

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit · Chess Openings - 34 Min - Hanging Pawns - Nice Guide w/ Basics, plans ideas and lines .

How to refute the Blackmar Diemer Gambit  - 15 min - Robert Plunkett's Chess Lab - A simple refutation to the Blackmar Diemer gambit and why the Blackmar Diemer Gambit is unsound.

Traps

• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Opening Trap - Sacrifice Queen - Checkmate in 7 moves - Chess Opening Tricks - 3 Min - NM Nelson Lopez
  
  
•  Amazing Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Tricks | Tricks, Traps And Blunders - 7 Min - Chess School
  
  
• Chess Opening Traps #5: Halosar Opening Trap - Blackmar–Diemer Gambit - 15 Min - kingscrusher

Ryder Gambit (DBL Pawn Sacrifice)

•  GM Ben Finegold's Gambit Series: The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - 7 Min - Introduces the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, specifically the Ryder Gambit, in this video. He explains the move sequences, strategies, and potential traps for both white and black players.
  
  
• Kill with 1.d4 | The Unorthodox Ryder Gambit!! - 22 Min - IM Modrag Perunovic -  Explores the Ryder Gambit, an unorthodox opening in chess that begins with 1.d4. detailed analysis and examples of how to play this gambit effectively, especially against opponents who are not well-versed in theory or prefer positional play.
  
  
• Ryder Gambit - Chess Opening - 14 Min - theChessWebsite -  It covers various responses and strategies for both white and black.
  
  
• Unbelievable Traps in the Ryder Gambit! Fire Upon Fire! - 15 min - Kaspachess - some of the most interesting traps you may use in the queen's pawn opening after 1. d4 d5. The gambit in discussion is called the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Accepted: Ryder Gambit.
  
  

von Popiel Gambit  (A New Twist on the Blackmar-Diemer )

 Von Popiel Gambit!! Playlist   - 7 Video Playlist - FM William Graif

• Win every time as White with the VON POPIEL GAMBIT!! - 32 Min - FM William Graif - An improvement on the Blackmar-Diemer that you can get every time with White! And it's not just traps -- the opening is very dangerous on the whole
• Universal & Aggressive Chess Opening for White | Powerful Gambit - 17 Min - GM Igor Smirnov
  
  
• The NEW Blackmar-Diemer Gambit?  - 24 Min - Johnathan Schrantz - Learn the von Popiel Gambit which is a little know variation of Blackmar-Diemer Gambit that is quickly becoming popular.
• The von Popiel Gambit Trap Nobody Knows About - 6 Min - Johnathan Schrantz

Blackmmar - Diemer Gambit Game Videos (W/Analysis)

• 2 PERFECT Von Popiel Gambit wins in Titled Tuesday - 19 Min - FM William Graif
  
  
• Blitz Game #23 Chess Opening: Blackmar-Diemer Gambit (Black) - 6 Min - IM Miodrag Perunovic
  
  
• Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Nazarenus vs Besson-Switzerland 2004 - 5 Min - Chess School
  
  
• All Out Attack Using Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - 7 Min - Chess School
  
  
• Master Class | Blackmar–Diemer Gambit | Chess Speedrun | Grandmaster Naroditsky - 24 Min

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