i play this opening regularly as black. i don't play in tournaments. just online. it catches people of my strength off guard, but the main line usually follows.
after 3. Nxe5. Qf6 4. d4. d6. 5. Nc4 i think black has okay play. most opponents dont seek out the weeknessed that refute the latvian gambit.
I have created a new 3 day move tourney for any who wish to experience the Latvian Gambit from both sides of the board. Would love to see ye there if yer interested. Cheers
http://www.chess.com/tournament/latvian-gabmit-fun-and-frollics
The moves below show the starting position of the games we will play.
For your interest and info, Wikipedia has this to say about this opening:
"The Latvian Gambit is an aggressive chess opening, which often leads to wild and tricky positions. This opening is uncommon at the top level of over the board play, but in correspondence chess some players are devoted to it.
It was formerly known as the Greco Counter Gambit. The original name commemorated the Italian player Gioachino Greco (1600-1634), who contributed to the early theory. The new name 'Latvian Gambit' was made official by the FIDE Congress of 1937. The name was a tribute to the Latvian players, notably Karlis Betins, who analyzed it in the early part of the 20th century. The opening is characterized by the following moves which give it the appearance of a King's Gambit with the colours reversed.
It remains to be seen if the ! or the ? is the correct one for each of our gameplays! ;P