Terrible complications in the Vienna defense

In my previous posts, I discussed some interesting possibilities in the Vienna defense occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 Bf5.

Black declines the gambit by developing a piece.

I showed that the "More than Hara Kiri" gambit occuring after 5.g5 Bg6 6.h4 should not pose any problem for the defender as 6...h6 is a simple and effective defense.

I also proved that white does not get full compensation in the alternative line 5.fxe4 Nxe4 6.Qf3 as 6...Nxc3 7.bxc3 e6 as both 8.Qxb7 and 8.Bd3 are insufficient.

So what should the attacker play in the Vienna ? Let's have a look at 5.g5 Bg6 6.g5. Black best option now is 6...Nd5 7.Nxe4, reaching the basic "Hara Kiri" position.

Let's explore black's most natural move 7...Nc6, threatening 8...e5 ( the alternative 7...e6 is answered by 8.h4 )

Untill recently, 8.c4 Ndb4 9.a3 was dismissed because of the simple 9...Qxd4

But, it seems to me that white can take the black knight after all, eg 10.axb4 Bxe4 11.fxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Kf2 Qxh1 13.Nf1

Now it is very worthwhile to investigate this position since this line is quite forced after 8.c4. Black's queen is trapped on h1 and black needs to be very carfeul to get some compensation for it.

a/ 13...h6 14.g6
...a1/ 14...fxg6 15.Qa4 (+-)
...a2/ 14...f6 15.Qa4 (++)
...a3/ 14...f5 15.Qd5 (++)
...a4/ 14...e6 15.Qa4 (+=)
...a5/ 14...Rd8 15.Qa4 (=)

b/ 13...e6 14.Qa4 (+-)

c/ 13...e5 14.Qa4
...c1/ 14...Bxb4 15.Bg2 Be1+ 16.Nxe1 Qxh2 17.Nf3 Qh5 18.Nxe5
......c1a/ 18...00 19.Nxc6 bxc6 20.Bxc6 (=)
......c1b/ 18...Qh4+ 19.Kf3 (+=)
...c2/ 14...e4 15.Bg2 Qxg2+ 16.Kxg2 exf3+ 17.Kxf3 Bxb4 18.Be3 (=)
...c3/ 14...Rd8 15.Be3 (=)


d/ 13...Rd8 14.Qa4
...d1/ 14...e5 transposing to (c3)
...d2/ 14...e6 (+-)


So I guess the suggested line Vienna defense line 7...Nc6 8.c4 Ndb4 9.a3 Qxd4 10.axb4 provides white with an interesting attack, in which black must choose very precise defensive moves in order to survive.

Other authors ( including Scheerer ) had given black a large advantage after 7...Nc6 8.c4, but this analysis proves the opposite and restores the Hara Kiri line as the main Vienna defense line.Consider that thought as my best christmas present ever !

Vienna defense - when black exchanges everything

Last post indicated that the "More than Hara Kiri" attack is wrong, and I recommended white to play the simple 5.fxe4.

Black now may wish to exchange the knight with 5...Nxe4 6.Qf3 Nxc3 7.bxc3.

After black's simple 7...e6 my book, I recommended 8.Qxb7, regaining the pawn, but I believe the continuation 8...Nd7 9.Nf3 Rb8 is better for black, eg

a/ 10.Qc6 Bxc2! 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 and both 13.Bb5 and 13.Rc1 fail to equalize

b/ 10.Qxa7 Bxc2! and 11.Bg5 and 11.Qa5 offer not enough.

c/ 10.Qa6 Bxc2! is even worse for white.

So I started looking for an improvement to 8.Qxb7 and believed 8.Bd3 might be better. After the simple 8...Bxd3, white has the choice between 9.cxd3 and Qxd3.

d/ 9.cxd3 and black has the killer move 9...Qd5! with obvious advantage

e/ 9.Qxd3 complicates things a bit more for black, but still does not address white's lack of pieces.

Bottomline - exchanging all pieces in the suggested Vienna defense is a strong defense and leaves white with a bad position.

The "More than Hara Kiri" gambit

The Hara Kiri gambit in the Vienna defense is characterized by 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 Bf5 5.g4

White can follow up with the "More than Hara Kiri gambit" ( I name that I just made up myself... ) with 5...Bg6 6.h4

Black's best reply is obviously 6...h6 after which the attacker needs to come up with a good move. Scheerer suggests 7.Bg2 in his book, but it seems to me that 7...Nc6 wins easily, as black has the luxury of choices after 8.Be3 .

So I guess I will stick to my old faithfull 5.fxe4, which gives white a simple equal game.

The main line now runs 5...Nxe4 6.Qf3 Nd6 7.Bf4 with white having a nice development for the pawn. Be assured that this line is simpler for the attacker than the "More than Hara Kiri gambit".

Goering gambit

I recently got an old book on the Goering gambit in the Scotch game, occuring after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3

Seems to me this awfully looks like a Blackmar Diemer gambit ??

Unfortunately the main line is 4...dxc3 5.Bc4, but 5.Nxc3 seems also quite good.

From Wikipedia :
The Göring Gambit is a relative of the Danish Gambit that starts with 4.c3. White sacrifices one or two pawns in return for a lead in development, and typically follows up by putting pressure on f7 with Bc4, Qb3 and sometimes Ng5, while Nc3-d5 is another common motif. The Oxford Companion to Chess notes that the gambit was first played at high levels by Howard Staunton in the 1840s, and the earliest game with it was probably played in 1843. The first game with the gambit accepted may be Meek vs Morphy, New York 1857. Carl Theodor Göring introduced it into master play in 1872, but while Göring's name is most often associated with the one-pawn gambit (5.Nxc3) Göring invariably used the double-pawn gambit with 5.Bc4. The gambit has been played by Ljubomir Ljubojevic, David Bronstein, Frank Marshall, and Jonathan Penrose. In casual games Alexander Alekhine often transposed to it via the move order 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3, when ...Nc6 for Black and Nf3 for White often followed. In general, the opening is unpopular at master level but is more popular at club level. It is recommended to study the Göring Gambit in connection with the Danish.

No country for old men

Some time ago, I looked at the "normal" Teichmann Defense occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 e6 9.Qf3 c6 10.g5 Nd5 11.Bd3 Nd7 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.00 Qe7 14.Nxd5 cxd5.

I suggested that 15.Rf2 is the best move, effectively putting this line to rest. I also indicated that 10...Nh5 is a better black defense.

Now there is also the akward 10...Ng8, deliberately giving white the initiative ( and attacking the pawns at d4 and c2 ).

Scheerer describes 11.Bd3 rather extensively. However, when creating my book more than a year ago, it seemed to me that white is worse after the simple continuation 11.Bd3 Qxd4 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Rf1 Qh4+

But today, I have been looking deeper in this hugely complex gambitline and I believe it provides white with at least an equal game.

Let's start our analysis by noting that black has no alternative to 11...Qxd4, as 11...Nd7 is effectively met by 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Rf1 Qe7 14.Bf4 (+=), for example 14...000 15.Qxc6+ bxc6 16.Ba6#.

Also 11...f5 is met by 12.gxf6 Qxf6 13.Qf3 (+-)

That brings us to 11...Qxd4 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Rf1, the starting point of my analysis

a/ 13...f5 14.gxf6 Qh4+ 15.Rf2 Nxf6 16.Bxg6 Kd8 17.Bf4 (+=)

b/ 13...Qe5+ 14.Be3 (+-)

c/ 13...Qd7 14.Bxg6 (++)

d/ 13...Qh4+ ( the main move ) 14.Rf2 Bc5 ( the only move to obtain a potential advantage ) 15.Qxf7+ Kd8 16.Ne4 Bxf2+ 17.Nxf2

...d1/ 17...Ne7 18.Bd2 Nd7 ( only move that does not loose ) 19.000
......d1a/ 19...Rf8 20.Qxe6
........d1a1/ 20...Rxf2 21.Bxg6 Nd5 22.Qe8+ Kc7 23.Qxa8 (=)
........d1a2/ 20...Qxf2 21.Bxa5+ (+=)
........d1a3/ 20...Nd5 21.Ne4 (+)
......d1b/ 19...Nd5 20.Ne4 (+=)
......d1b/ 19...Re8 20.Bxg6 (+)
...d2/ 17...Nd7 18.Bd2
......d2a/ 18...Ne7 transposing above
......d2b/ 18...Kc7 19.Bf4+ (+=)
......d2c/ 18...Qa4 19.Qxg7 (++)
...d3/ 17...Qb4+ 18.Bd2
......d3a/ 18...Qe7 19.Qxg6 (+=)
......d2b/ 18...Qxb2 19.Qf8+ (++)

So black can only obtain a draw in this hugely complex line if he is able to find the correct moves again and again... The Blackmar Diemer is indeed no country for old men, as the movie goes.

Transposing to the Rasa-Studier gambit

I had some blitz opponents defending the Rasa-Studier gambit lately after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.e4 c6 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3

The Rasa-Studier gambit often transposes to a regular Blackmar-Diemer, but there are some other lines.

a/ 4...e5 5.dxe5 Qxd1+ 6.Nxd1

The game is completely equal

b/ 4...exf3 5.Nxf3

This will often transpose into a Blackmar-Diemer, but there are some independant lines

...b1/ 5...Nf6 transposing to a Blackmar-Diemer
...b2/ 5...Bf5 and the attacker has various choices
...b3/ 5...Bg4 6.h3 seems like a Teichmann defense without Nf6
...b4/ 5...e6 6.Bd3 tranposing most likely into an Euwe defense
...b5/ 5...g6 6.Bc4 tranposing most likely into a Bogoljubow defense
...b6/ 5...Nd7 6.Bc4 making way for an Euwe or Bogoljubow

c/ 4...Nf6 5.Bc4 The O'Kelly defense

d/ 4...Bf5 5.fxe4 with white advantage

e/ 4...Nbd7 5.fxe4 with a white development lead


An interesting overview of the Rasa Stdier lines can be found here

In fact, the site hosts an important number of opening analyses, including some on the Blackmar Diemer - great information - check them all out !

Master analysis on Belka-Neumeyer lines

In a previous post ( New exciting Belka-Neumeyer line ) I discussed a line of the Belka-Neumeyer gambit, occuring after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.g4 Be4 8.Nxf7 Kxf7 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.Qxb7 Nxg4 12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.Qxa8 Nd5

I indicated that white could settle matters with 14.h4. I showed this move to an IM friend the other day. This master analysed the position for some time and indicated that black was better ! Of course, I was astonished, but my IM friend was formal - he would most likely draw this position with black in an over-the-board-game as he suggested 14...Qf6 or 14...Be7.

He explained to me that white has given away the initiative for the exchange in a wide open position and white will have to choose very precise defending move for the remainder of the game - not the kind of stratgey the Blackmar Diemer gambiteer likes.

Returning home after this bitter lesson, I realised my IM friend was more than right. The Blackmar Diemer gambiteer should strive for the initiative and force black in a difficult position, at the expense of material ! The suggested line just does the opposite !!!

It is really good to get some IM or GM reality check from time to time when analysing gambit lines !

What a great day

I am quite lucky lately as several of my over-the-board opponents are accepting my Blackmar Diemer gambits lately. So did my opponent last sunday in the Belgian teamcontest.

Guido De Bouver - Yves Cornille
1.d4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe5 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Nf6 6.Bc4 e6

My opponent had ventured ( and won ) 6...Bf5 against me a couple of years ago.

But what should white do now ? The bishop on c4 is rather misplaced and actually belongs on d3.

7.Bg5 Be7 8.00 00 9.Qe1 Nbd7 10.Bd3
Pointing the bishop back onto h7.

10...Re8 11.Qh4 Nf8 12.Ne5 Qc7
A fatal mistake.

13.Nxf7 !!

I was feeling like Diemer himself when sacrificing this piece. At home I realise that 13.Bxf6 might even be stronger due to the bad placement of the black queen.

13...Kxf7 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qh6 Qd8 16.Ne4 Qxd4+ 17.Kh1 e5
Desperately trying to make some escape room.

18.Nxf6 Bxf6 19.Rxf6+ Kg8 20.Bxg6 !!

Another critical move that settles matters. Black played on for another few moves before resigning. 1-0.


Interesting to note is that in the same match ( a team in the Belgiam competition consists of 8 players ), my teammember and friend also got a Blackmar-Diemer, also sacrificed on f7, and also won.

Thomas Schurins - Oleg Knyazkov
1.e4 d5 2.d4 e6 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Nf6 6.Bc4 Be7 7.00 00 8.Qd3 Nbd7 9.Bf4 a6 10.a4 c5
11.d5

11...exd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Nf6 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Rae1 Bf8 16.Ng5 Nd5?? 17.Nxf7

Black wisely resigned here 1-0.

So two Blackmar-Diemer sacrifices on f7 in one single team contest - talking about an interesting day !

Solving Behting's study

I got a mail saying that the engine "Patzer" has been known to resolve Behting's study ?!

I could not find any weblocation on this engine. Anyone can help finding more details on this engine. Is it freeware ?

Behting's study

I loaded Behting's study today in my computer, wanting to see if any of my loaded chess engines would be able to find the solution of this famous problem.

For those who dont know this famous study - it dates from 1906 and was created by Karlis Betins ( Karl Behting in German ) from Latvia who worked a lot on the Latvian gambit.

White must try to secure a draw in this exciting position

Can you find the drawing move ?

If not, dont feel depressed - none of the chess engines could find it either...

But it is remarkable that the human mind could conceive this puzzle in 1906, and no computer is able to break it in 2011. Food for thought, no ?

Maybe we should all start playing the Latvian gambit, as the author ( Behting ) was the key contributor of this opening - as a sort of tribute, saying "I am playing an opening invented by a human that is smarter than any computer !".

If you, or your computer, can find the correct move ( without looking it up on the internet ), you are really a miracle man !

Transposing to the Winckelmann-Reimer gambit

I have been strungling for some time with a rather unorthodox line in the Euwe defense occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf2 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Bb4 7.Bd3 Nc6

Several experts have called 6...Bb4 a "weak" move, but to me it seems that the combined Bb4 and Nc6 is actually a very strong black defense. In fact, Houdini suggests the continuation 8.Qd2 with several black moves, such as 8...h6.

Is there no better white reply to 6...Bb4 than 7.Bd3 ? Scheerer surely does not mention anything else, but I believe the immediate 7.a3 is far better.

If black retreats 7...Be7, white has effectively won an important tempo after 8.Bd3 ( this move comes in handy against a potential 8...Nc6 )

If black captures 7...Bxc3 8.bxc3 then we effectively reach a position from the Winckelmann-Reimer gambit

For the interested, I can suggest the excellentr analysis at http://studimonetari.org/edg/latex/winckelmann.pdf

After 7...Ba5, white has an immediate continuation in 8.b4 Bb6 9.Ne4

Black's best reply now 9...Nbd7 can then be countered in various ways, the strongest being 10.c4 a6 11.c5 Ba7 12.Bd3 with an obvious white advanatge.

After 7...Bd6, the black bishop is misplaced somehow but it seems difficult to show any immediate white advantage, eg 8.Ne4 Nbd7 9.Bd3

Black's last try might be 7...h6, allowing the exchange 8.axb4 hxg5 9.b5 with complete equality

Bottonline : I believe 6...Bb4 is an important move that must be addressed carefully, since the standard 7.Bd3 Nc6 might not be easy for white. I believe 7.a3 ( in the spirit of the French Winawer ) gives white the better chances.

New exciting Belka-Neumeyer line

I was playing in the Belgian interclub competition yesterday in Gent ( the city in Belgium where Diemer played several tournaments ) and faced a tough Gunderam defense. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the correct continuation.

De Bouver - Van Den Bossche, 23-OCT-2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5 6.Ne5 e6 7.g4 Be4 8.Nxf7 !!

The start of the hugely complex Belka-Neumeyer line.

8...Kxf7 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qf3+ Nf6 11.Qxb7

It is widely known that the Belka-Neumeyer line is incorrect against correct play, but here my opponent played something new, a line that did not appear in my book, so it must be inferior, I said to myself, right ...?

Now my opponent played surprisingly 11...Nxg4 !!
The purpose of this move is to give room for the queen check on h4.

12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.Qxa8 Nd5 !!
A second surprise. Black could have played this move already on move 11, so black effectively won the g4 pawn for a tempo.

I now played 14.Be2 (?? - 14.h4 should have won) but came under heavy fire after 14...Qh4+ 15.Kd1 Qxd4+ 16.Bd3 Be7 17.Rf1+ Bf6 18.Qb7. The game eventually ended in a draw, which was a very lucky result for me, since I was completely outplayed by black.

But how should white proceed after 11...Nxg4 or 11...Nd5 ?

After 11...Nxg4, I believe the right move is 12.Qxa8 (diagram), since 12.Qf3+ Nf6 13.Qxa8 allows for 13...Qxd4 with a small black advantage.

a/ 12...Qh4+ 13.Kd2
...a1/ 13...Qf2+ 14.Kc3
......a1a/ 14...Bc5 15.a4 (+=)
......a1b/ 14...Nd7 15.Qc6 (+-)
......a1c/ 14...Na6 15.Kb3 (+-)
......a1d/ 14...Qe1+ 15.Bd2 Bb4+ 16.Kb3 Qxd2 17.Qf3+ (+-)
......a1e/ 14...c5 15.Qxb8 (+-)
...a2/ 13...Nf2 14.Qf3+ (+-)

b/ 12...Qxd4 13.Qf3+ Nf6 14.Be2 (+=)

The other option 11...Nd5 12.Qxa8 is better for black :

c/ 12...Qh4+ 13.Kd1 Qxg4+ 14.Be2 Qxd4+ (=), transposing in the game I played

d/ 12...Bb4+ 13.c3 Qh4+ 14.Kd1 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Qf2 16.Bd2 (=)

Still, I have to note that this Belka-Neumeyer line is quite dubious, since it is actually refuted. The simple 8.Nxe4 Nxe4 9.Qf3 is probably a much better continuation for the attacker.

Update on Welling's line

After last weekend's Ziegler game, where I did not dare to play Welling's line as black, I have been looking in this fascinating line, starting after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 c6 7.Ne5 e6 8.00 Bxc2 9.Nxf7 Kxf7 10.Qxc2 Qxd4+ 11.Be3 Qxe3 12.Kh1

But does black really have no resources ? Scheerer gives a lengthy analysis by Bucker from Kaissiber, but this is 13 years ago...

The first option is 12...Bd6 13.Rae1 Qh6 ( 13...Qd4 is punished by 14.Ne4 )
Scheerer now indicates 14.Bxe6+ as the main move ( as per Bucker ), and suggests 14.h3 might even be better. Houdini conforms this and gives black a huge advantage after 14.h3.

Black is indeed completely lost as Houdini gives an advantage of +2,9 to white.

Secondly, what about 12...Ke8 ? The simple 13.Rae1 Qg5 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 and Houdini gives 15...Nd7 as the best defense, but still a whopping 2.6 advantage for white.

Thirdly, 12...b5 attacks the bishop and wins a bunch of pieces after 13.Rae1 Qxe1 14.Rxe1 bxc4

White can get an nice advantage after 15.Ne4 Nd5 16.Ng5+ Ke7 17.Qxc4 Kd7 18.Qe4

All other lines after 8..Bxc2 9.Nxf7 Kxf7 10.Qxc2+ simply loose, so I guess black's only try for equality is 9...Bxd1 10.Nxd7 Kxd8 11.Rxd1

It is said that this line is good for white, but Houdini gives only a slight 0.28 advantage for white at depth 21, so I guess this leaves black sufficient room for defending.

So I guess I should have taken the risk in last friday's game by taking on c2 - there is always an important chance that white won't know the correct move 9.Nxf7.

Winning a "refuted" BDG position is not always easy.

Yesterday evening, I played in my local chessclub and my opponent ventured a Blackmar Diemer against me. It's the second time this month, seems like my efforts to promote the gambit are well received...

Lesage - De Bouver, Mechelen 14-OCT-2011
1.e4 d5 2.d4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 ex3 5.Nxf3 Bf5
I had never played my opponent, but I knew he had an agressive style. I choose the Gunderam defense

6.Bc4 c6
Transposing in the Ziegler ( aka O'Kelly ) defense

7.Ne5 e6 8.00

I was considering to play Welling's line, 8...Bxc2, but what if my opponent knew about the refutation 9.Nxf7 ? So I choose to chicken out and play on the safe side.

8...Bg6 9.Be3 Nbd7 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Qf3 Qc7 12.h3

12...000 would have been great now, but I choose the inferior plan

12...Nb6 13.Bd3 Nd5 14.Nxd5 exd5

My supposed opening advantage has completely evaporated.

15.Bg5 Be7 16.c4 000
Choosing once again the inferior option. 16...00 is better.

17.c5 Rde8 18.b4 Nh5 19.Bd2

19...Qg3 20.Qxg3 Nxg3 21.Rxf7 Bf6 22.Bxg6 Bxd4+ 23.Kh2 Bxa1 24.Kxg3 Be5+ 25.Kg4
The start of white's king odyssee - but this time not to glory, but to potential doom.

25...Rhf8 26.Bf5 Kb8 27.Rd7 Rd8 28.Re7 Bf6 29.Bf4+ Ka8 30.Re3 Rde8 31.Rd3 Re2 32.g3 Rxa2 33.b5 Rb2 34.bxc6 bxc6 35.Ra3 Rb4 36.h4 Rb5 37.Bd6 Rb4+ 38.Kh5

A blunder of my opponent.
38...Rh8+ 39.Kg6

Due to a lack of time, I failed to see the (easy) win after 39...Rh6+ 40.Kf7 Rb7+ 41.Kg8

and I could have ended the game with the simple 41...g6!!!

But alas, I failed to see the line and had to agree to draw after 39..Rb7 40.Bf4 as white's bishops proved to be great defenders.

Bottomline - beating a so-called refuted (?) Blackmar Diemer line is not that easy as the right moves need to be played again and again.

No Blackmar Diemer for Kasparov

I was invited yesterday evening into the television studios for a broadcast of the Belgian national television for "De Laatste Show", featuring chess legend Gary Kasparov.

He talked mostly on children and chess, indicating that schools with chess lessons performed far better on all topics. He explained that chess is a kind of bridge that links the old world of traditional playing and the new computer era.

He also covered Russian politics and expressed his sadness on the Russian democratic process.

My two children Caroline and Penelope ( 6 and 9 years ) were hoping to get an authograph of him, but after the show, he rushed away, leaving them disappointed. I has been hoping to give him a copy of my Blackmar Diemer book - maybe even trying to get a few comments from him on our beloved gambit. But no luck this time - guess he had more important things on his to do list.

Copyright

I got an interesting mail yesterday on the copyright on the material listed on this blog.

Be assured, you can play the moves that I recommend in any of your chess games !!!

But, as usual, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the autor. That's obvious.

As far as quoting the moves I suggested here, it implies that clear references should be added to this blog/author when including my ideas and moves in any publication.

So, hope that is clear now.

guido.

RIP : the "normal" Teichmann Defense

In my book "Attack With the Blackmar Diemer", I had given an "equal" assessment of the "normal" variation in the Teichmann defense occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 e6 9.Qf3 c6 10.g5 Nd5

I showed in an earlier column that 10...Nh5 is much stronger than 10...Nd5, however the latter is more natural and will me played more often by a Teichmann defender.

In my book, I gave the line 11.Bd3 Nd7 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.00 Qe7 14.Nxd5 cxd5 ( diagram ) as the best option for black, and gave it equality after 15.Bd2

However, it seems that the quiet 15.Rf2 gives white a distinct advantage, eg :

a/ 15...f5 16.gxf6 gxf6 17.Bxg6+ Kd8 18.c4 (+=)

b/ 15...000 16.Qxf7
...b1/ 16...Rxh3 17.Qxg6 (+=)
...b2/ 16...Rh4 17.Kg2 (+=)
...b3/ 16...Qxf7 17.Rxf7 (+-)
...b4/ 16...Rh5 17.Qxg6 (+-)
...b5/ 16...e5 17.Qxg6 (+=)
...b6/ 16...Qd6 17.Kg2 (+-)

c/ 15...Rh5 16.Qg4
...c1/ 16...000 17.Bf4 (+=)
...c2/ 16...Rc8 17.Bd2 (+=)
...c3/ 16...e5 17.Bd2 (+-)
...c4/ 16...Kd8 17.Bd2 (+=)

d/ 15...Rh4 16.Be3
...d1/ 16...e5 17.Qxd5 (+=)
...d2/ 16...000 17.Qg3 (+=)
...d2/ 16...Rh5 17.Kh2 (+=)

e/ 15...a6 16.Bd2 (+=)

f/ 15...Nb6 16.Bf4 (+=)

Interesting to see is that Scheerer gives 15.c4 as the recommended move, as in a Leisebein correspondence game, but Houdini believes 15...Nb6 (=) is better than the suggested 15...dxc4.

So, 15.Rf2 clearly puts the "normal" Teichmann line 14...Nd5 to rest. May it rest in peace.

Nightmare on e4-street

Yesterday evening I played an interesting Blackmar gambit in our local chess club. I defended the black pieces and my opponent "wanted to play something aggressive". Now there is a slight difference between aggressive and correct. But this wont be an issue for the average Blackmar Diemer player I guess.

1.e4 d5 2.d4 exd4 3.f3
The Blackmar gambit, invented in 1882 by Armand Edward Blackmar.

3...e5
This countermove was quickly found by Oskar Cordel and buried the Blackmar gambit.

4.Be3 exd4 5.Bxd4 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Be3
Wanting to hold on to the bishop, interesting, but too slow

7...Bd6 8.Nc3 Nc6 9.Qd2 Qe7 10.000 000 11.Bg5 Bb4

My pawn at e4 is obvioulsy a huge problem for my opponent

12.a3
Obviously a mistake, as it weakens his kingside

12...Bf5
An even bigger mistake from my side. As soon as I played the move, I saw white's punishment

13.Qf4 Bxc3 14.Qxf5+ Kb8
A difficult situation has come up. White cant take the piece, but realises he has to develop quickly, but how ? My pawn on e4 becomes a real nightmare.

15.Rxd8+ Rxd8 16.Bxc6 bxc6 17.Ne2
Finally the white pieces get mobilised - but too late.

17...Rd5 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Qh3 Bxb2+ !!
This morning, I see that my computer announces mate in 12 - impossible to see for me, a mere woodchopper - but I just sensed a mate was in the air as white's pieces are far away from the battlefield. Sometimes you just have to follow your instincts behing the chessboard.

20.Kxb2 Rb5+ 21.Ka2 Qc5 22.Rc1 Qd5+ 23.Ka1 Qe5+ 24.c3 Qc5 25.Ka2 Qd5+ 26.Ka1 Qb3 0-1

So dont try the Blackmar gambit, as the pawn on e4 is there to cripple your game for ever !!