Abby Marchall on chesscafe on the Blackmar Diemer

I am so glad that Abby Marshall discusses the Blackmar Diemer gambit on her blog on chesscafe.com. She really makes my day !

The line she suggests as a defense to the Blackmar Diemer is the Bogoljubow 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.00 00 8.Qe1 Nc6 9.Qh4 and now 9...Bf5 (diagram).

Now we all know that the Bogoljubow is a difficult animal, not only for the attacker, but also for the defender. I covered an earlier blog on this "For those that do not believe" where I suggested 10.h3. Abby only briefly discusses 10.h3 and focuses on 10.Kh1. I agree with her that white gets a difficult game after 10.Kh1, but I do not agree with her in her comment on 10.Kh1 :

"...10.h3 is a useful move, preparing g4, while preventing any black pieces from going to g4. 10...Nb4 The first we get to see of ...Nb4 in action. 11.g4 (11.Bh6 is less reckless and better. 11...Qd6 taking on c2 is possible, though why not make White think about it on every move? Black is already up a pawn.) 11...Bxc2 12.Be3 Bd3 13.Bxd3 Nxd3 14.Ng5 h6 White's aggression is rebuked and Black is up another pawn...."

Hmm, let's look at 10.h3 Nb4 (diagram) ( in my earlier blog, I only discussed 10...Bxc2 11.Rf2 and proved that white is doing very well )

I agree with her that 11.g4 is reckless and that 11.Bh6 is better. Let's now take a look at 11...Qd6 that she suggests. After some assistance of Houdini, it seems 12.Rad1 (diagram) fully equalizes and perhaps even more !!!

a/ 12...Nxc2 13.Rd2 (+=)

b/ 12...Bxc2 13.Ng5 (+=)

c/ 12...Bxh6 13.Qxh6 (+)

d/ 12...Nbd5 13.Bxd5 Nxd5 14.Ng5 (+=)

e/ 12...Nfd5 13.Ng5 (+)

f/ 12...Nh5 13.Bxg7
...f1/ 13...Kxg7 14.g4 (+=)
...f2/ 13...Nxg7 14.Ne4 (+)

g/ 12...Nc6 13.Ng5 (+=)

h/ 12...e6 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.g4 (+=)

i/ 12...c5 13.Be3 (+=)

j/ 12...b5 13.Nxb5 (+=)

k/ 12...Rad8 13.Ng5
...k1/ 13...Qb6 14.Na4 Qc6 15.Bb3 (=)
...k2/ 13...Nxc2 14.Nd5 Nh5 15.Rxf5 gxf5 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nxe7 (=)


So Abby, welcome to reality !! The line you suggested as winning for black is certainly no win for black. On the contrary, it is black who is struggling to stay in the game as white is winning in all but one lines. If black can find all these moves behind the board - he has a chance of levelling the game against a well prepared attacker !