English Chess Forum

It goes 1.d4, Nf6 2.e4. I don't need to be told that it's dubious, but has anyone heard it called by this name?

Also works against the Alekhine.

Was it by any chance played by a Palestinian at an Olympiad?

A major drawback of the opening is that Black can avoid the critical 2 ... Nxe4 by playing 2 ... d6. I imagine that that would be more likely after 1. d4, Nf6; 2. e4 than after 1. e4, Nf6; 2. d4.

Is anyone really turning down that juicy, free, central pawn?

David Sedgwick wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:32 pm

Was it by any chance played by a Palestinian at an Olympiad?

Yes, and his family think it should officially ( whatever that means ) be named after him. Nobody else seems to have claimed it.

Don't openings get named simply by common useage? Creating a page on Wikipedia, calling it the Arafat Gambit would be a good start..

It is also known as The Omega Gambit, Reynolds Gambit, Bo Gambit

National Master Robert Reynolds, Grandmaster Hellers, Grandmaster Nick DeFirmian, Master Tim McGrew have also played this gambit.

http://web.archive.org/web/201210141447 ... tPart1.htm

As Nick mentioned. 1.d4, Nf6 2.e4 is the Omega Gambit.

Apparently 2....Nxe4 3. is the Arafat Variation.

"Is anyone really turning down that juicy, free, central pawn?"

It has cost two opening tempi.
You have an undefended Knight on the board.
You have accepted the responsibility of holding onto a pawn.
You are out of your KID/Nimzo Indian book on move 2.
If you lose to this you will be the butt of jokes from your colleagues.
If you win they will say 'big deal, he gave you a pawn for nothing.'

Best to take the pawn then sac the Knight on f2.

I did run into 1. Nf3 e5 (followed by 2. Nxe5 Nc6 3. Nxc6 dxc6) in a Rapid game.

No idea if it has a name, but it's like this gambit, but played by Black!

John Hickman wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:18 pm

No idea if it has a name, but it's like this gambit, but played by Black!

There's also 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Nc6 which is sufficiently "respectable" to have been played by the late John Littlewood against Owen Hindle at Hastings. It's safest to just play 4. Nxc6 and play a game where Black has activity and development, but probably not enough for a pawn. For a madhouse there's 4. Qh5 g6 5. Nxg6

1.Nf3 g5!! is the Herrstrom Gambit

Your opponent simply played a reverse Omega. Old hat nowadays - it's long since been analysed out to a draw.

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 12, 2018 5:39 pm

There's also 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Nc6

I played this as Black in the last round of a tournament in 1996. The game continued 4.Nxc6 draw agreed. My opponent got his third IM norm and I got my first FIDE rating.

I think its pushing it a bit to call that a gambit.

I think the Arafat Gambit should be met by the Gollum Heights Rejoinder
1 d4 Nf6 2 e4 Nxe4 3 f3 Qh4+

MJMcCready wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:27 pm

I think its pushing it a bit to call that a gambit.

What, the Latvian? There are several lines where Black gives up material long term.