Great improvement in the Teichmann Defense

In my book, "Attack with The Blackmar Diermer", I had suggested 10...Nh5 (diagram) as black's best choice in the Teichmann defense after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 e6 9.Qf3 c6 10.g5

White does not have an immediate attack anymore. In my book, I suggested both 11.Bd3 and 11.Be3 as potential continuations, but sticked to 11.Bd3 as the main move. However, I believed black could get the better play after 11...Qxd4 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Rf1 Nd7 14.Qxf7+ Kd8 15.Qxe6 Bb4 16.Be3. I classified this position as slightly better for black. But yesterday I discovered that 16.Bd2 (diagram) saves the day for white.

Black's strongest move 16...Re8 brings only equality after 17.Qxe8+ Kxe8 18.Bxg6+ and despite his material supremacy, black is fighting for equality, eg

a/ 18...Kd8 19.000
...a1/ 19...Qh5 20.Rf7
......a1a/ 20...Ng3 21.Bf4 (+=)
......a1b/ 20...Kc7 21.Rxd7+ (+=)
......a1c/ 20...Be7 21.Ne4 (+=)
......a1d/ 20...Bxc3 21.bxc3 (+=)
...a2/ 19...Kc7 20.Bxh5 Rf8 21.Bf4+
......a21/ 21...Rxf4 22.Rxd4 Rxf1+ 23.Rd1 (=)
......a22/ 21...Qxf4+ 22.Rxf4 Rxf4 23.Ne2 (+=)
...a3/ 19...Bxc3 20.Bxc3 Qe3+ 21.Bd2 Qxh3 22.Bf5 Qxh1 23.Rxf1 (=)
...a4/ 19...Ng3 20.Bf4 (+)

b/ 18...Ke7 19.000
...b1/ 19...Ne5 20.Bxh5 (=)
...b2/ 19...Rh8 20.Rfe1+ (=)
...b3/ 19...Ndf6 20.a3 (+=)
...b4/ 19...Nhf6 20.gxf6 Nxf6 21.Bh6 (=)
...b5/ 19...Bxc3 20.Bxc3 Qe3+ 21.Bd2 (+)
...b6/ 19...Bd6 20.Bxh5 (+=)
...b7/ 19...Rf8 20.Rfe1+ Kd8 21.Bxh5 Kc7 22.Re4 (+=)

Such is life in the Blackmar Diemer - black thinks he has the advantage, but actually he is fighting for equality.


There was another line that I believed gave black the advantage : 13...Qh4+ 14.Kd1 f5 15.gxf6 Nxf6 16.Bxg6+. There unfortunately it seems that white will have to play an endgame a pawn down after 16...Kd8 17.Ne4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Qxe4 19.Bxe4. But more on that line later.