Greetings once again, players and fellow patzers.

I wanted to make a thread about this opening.
Up until the game below, I cannot recall ever playing this variation before,
so was on unfamiliar grounds to say the least.

I don't think I messed up too badly anywhere at all, but I am aware there may have been better moves in the opening (for both white and black).
For example, for my 2nd move I perhaps should have taken the "free" pawn offered on e5,
but my conservative nature made me play a relatively weaker/more passive move.

If anyone has played with, or otherwise has good general logic with regards to this variation, your thoughts and input are most welcome.

Game 9616905

EDIT: my pgn wasn't working for some reason... which is strange, I didn't do anything differently (?)

It's a two-trick pony opening. Black hopes to catch you with one of two 7th move traps:

1. d4 d5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Bf4 Qb4+ 5. Bd2 Qxb2 and now White must play 6. Nc3 and not the blunder 6. Bc3?? which loses to 6. ..Bb4. White loses at least a piece after 7. Bxb4 Nxb4, or occasionally gets mated after 7. Qd2 Bxc3 8. Qxc3 Qc1#. I reckon the most commonly played blunder by White here is 6. Bc3. White's first 4 moves are often played in a mainline of the Budapest Gambit (with c4 thrown in), but the big difference in that opening is that dxe5 is played with tempo; Black never gets time for Qe7 and Qb4+. Here it is a deliberate part of his plan.

But the pawn should be taken on the second move; White gains a very pleasant position after 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Rb1 Qa3 8. Nd5, when the threat to c7 leads to 8. ..Ba5. White then plays 9. Rb5 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2, and finally Black can only save c7 with Kd8. The game is not won here for White by any means but positionally Black is in dire straits; his position is cut in two by White's central control (which is enhanced with e4 coming), Ng5 is in the air, and his king is stuck in the centre. Once you get to this position OTB Black players start getting twitchy in my experience, particularly if you've rattled the 10 moves off in less than 5 minutes! Get the White king into safety and crack open the centre.

There are offshoots and various sidelines which Black can try, but OTB when I've had 1. ..e5 played my opponents have always played down the line above. I've faced it three times and have used the above line for White in all three. 3-0.

HI if you want to see some games from Gambit Fantasy (Club 236):

Tournament 14657
Tournament 12665
Tournament 11521

Tournament 13945

Its probably time for a new one....

Thanks GP for posting the game, I had originally added annotations to the game but, alas no luck.

And thanks also burnsider for the insight. I understand now that I must take the offered pawn, and be weary of that blunder..
I guess I was lucky this time