It's a puzzle

I have been puzzled on my computer's suggestion of 7...a6 ( diagram ) in the Euwe defense, occuring after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bd3

Houdini seems to like this rather ugly-looking move that neglects all development.

It goes even further than that. After 8.00, Houdini suggests at depth 20 8...Nc6 with a whopping -0.23 score ( that is : in black's favour !!! ). Hmmm.

Let's look at the standard approach of 9.Qe1 after 7...a6 8.00 Nc6. Houdini gives 9...Nxd4 and if now 10.Qh4, black prevails after both 10...c5, 10...Nc6 and 10...Nxf3+. The reason for this is simple : black has not yet castled, making the white queen on h4 look rather ridiculous.

So now I start understanding. 7...a6 is a non-committal waiting move, waiting for white to show his intentions first.

So white should refrain from playing commital moves himself, and develop quietly with moves that leave black also in the dark, eg 8.Qe2 ( diagram )

8...Nc6 is now answered by 9.000 an white has everything he hoped for. As an exmaple 9...00 10.Rhe1 ( diagram ) and white is doing fine.

So dont show your cards too quickly when the defender tries to play smart !

Why dont you capture that #&%!*? pawn ?

Every gambiteer has seen this before : you offer a pawn and your opponent refuses to capture it. You make a waiting move, and still he refuses. And finally you find yourself without waiting moves in a considerably worse position.

That's what happended to me some time ago in my match in the Belgian league a few weeks ago.

Guido De Bouver - David Molina Gomez
1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 e6
Refusing to take it

5.Bg5
Ok, no worry, I have a waiting move

5...Bb4 6.a3
Not wanting to take it again. But I have another move.

6..Bxc3 7.bxc3 h6 8.Bh4
Why don't you take that stupid pawn !!!

8...Qd5 9.Rb1
Please, I cant stand it anymore

9...exf3 10.Nxf3
Ahhhh, finally

10...Ne4 11.Rb3
And I went on to win the endgame in 47 moves, but I can hardly say my opening was successful.

But where could I have improved ? Guess the position after 4...e6 occurs often.

5.fxe4 is probably the best move, but 5.Bg5 is more consistent with Blackmar Diemer play, after which 5...exf3 transposes to the Euwe defense.

After 5...Be7, white is forced to play 6.fxe4 whilst 5...Bb4, as played by my opponent, also calls for 6.fxe4 ( and not 6.a3 as I played in the above game ).

5...h6 is answered by 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 and now both 7.Nxe4 and 7.fxe4 are possible.

The black counterattack in the centre 5...c5 equalises after 5...dxc5 6.Qxd1+ Rxd1

5...Nbd7 is also answered best by 6.fxe4.

5...Nc6 ( diagram ) seems to be the best move for black, as it attacks the d4 pawn.

White has 6.Bb5 and 6.fxe4. We will look here at the last option. 6...Nxd4 can be met by the surprising 7.Nf3, but 7...h6 gives black a small advantage

So white has to be very carefull when black declines to take the free f3 pawn. It is an area that gambiteers have not looked at very closely in the past.

All in all, I think the straightforward 5.fxe4 ( diagram ) is simpler and easier than 5.Bg5. In fact, white has already achieved what he hoped for : opening the f file. On the other hand, white didnt get the development advantage, but still has the pawn.

The Blackmar Diemer forces the opponent to make mistakes.

I said it before, the Blackmar Diemer gambit forces your opponent to make mistakes. Playing our beloved gambit against a perfect opponent is difficult, but humans tend to react strangely when faced with the fierce attacking lines. And then they make mistakes. Why ? I dont know - I am not into chess psychology...

That's what happenened yesterday to me into my game in the Belgian league. I had to win as our team was avoiding to be transfered to a lower league. Luckily my young ( and promising ) opponent was not immune to chess psychology.

Guido De Bouver - Sander Devriendt
1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5
The Gunderam defense.

6.Ne5 Nbd7
Black challenges the knight on e5 immediately.

7.Qf3 e6 8.Qxb7 Bd6 ( diagram )
Ah, chess psychology at work. Black realizes he should develop quickly, but doesnt see the hole at c6. 8...Rb8 or 8...Nxe5 ( see my earlier blog ) are correct.

9.Nc6 Qc8 10.Qxc8
Ah, now I make a mistake also. 10.Ba6 would win, but luckily black is so impressed with my play that he makes a second, decisive mistake.

10...Rxc8 11.Ba6

Now 11...Nb8 would have equalised, but the continuation 11...Nb8 12.Bxc8 Nxc6 13.00 Nxd4 14.Bf4 is hard to see across the board.

11...Ra8 12.Bb7 00 13.Bxa8 Rxa8 14.00 Bxc2 15.Bf4

And I went on to win in 45 moves.

Question. In what opening is the game decided in the first 10 moves ?
Answer. The one and only Blackmar Diemer.

When one piece is not enough

I played a nice, short game yesterday evening as I crashed my opponent in a fierce Smith Morra. That's a just punishment for refusing to play my Blackmar Diemer gambit.

Guido De Bouver - Jan Staes.

1.d4 c5 2.e4
I used to play the Smith Morra for years, so I do know a bit on the main lines

2...cxd4 3.Nf3 g6 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bg7 6.Bc4 e6

A bad move, with important consequences.

7.Nb5 d5 8.exd5 Nf6 9.Bf4 Na6 10.Nd6+ Ke7
Black is already lost after a mere 10 moves. But how to win the full point in style ?

11.Ng5 Rf8 12.00 h6 13.Re1 !!

Black can now win a piece, but all other options also loose quickly.

13...hxg6 14.dxe6 Bxe6 15.Bxe6 fxe6 16.Rxe6+

The final blow !

16...Kxe6 17.Qe2+
With a mate in 16. But my opponent apparently wanted to go home faster...

17...Kd5
Black resigned without waiting for 18.Qc4#.

I'm actually quite proud of this one - I had to sacrifice two pieces. Often it is easy to see the first sacrifice, but then most players "chicken out" when the next sacrifice has to be made. It's just too bad this nice win didn't come from a Blackmar Diemer !

When two pieces beat a queen

I got the title from Tim Harding's column "The Kibitzer" on chesscafe.com.
Really interesting stuff after 1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Ng5 Nf6 5.Bc4 where terrible complications occur after 5...Bg4.

White now has 6.Qxg4 Nxg4 7.Bxf7+ Kd7 8.Be6+

The gambit is called "Bryntse gambit" and leads to a great white attack. The complete doc is at chesscafe.com.

Anyway, maybe an alternative if you were to consider dropping the Blackmar Diemer.

Why not another great line for white ?

Last sunday ( yes, on the first anniversary of my blog ), I participated in a blitz tournament and I was able to put in some Blackmar Diemer's successfully. Unfortunately, the winner, a strong IM, crushed me with a Pirc - I would loved to see his response against my Blackmar Diemer.

One opponent played an obscure line in the Teichmann against me that I had covered in my my book "Attack with the Blackmar Diemer". I suggested the move 11.Be3 as best in a line 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 Bxc2 (diagram).

Unfortunately, 11.Be3, as suggested in my book, allows black to exchange a piece for three pawns, eg 11...Nbd7 12.Rh2 Bg6 13.gxf6 Nxf6 (+=) (diagram) and the position is far from clear as black has no weaknesses.

During the game, I played the simple 11.gxf6 ( diagram ) and now, during the analysis, I find it to be far stronger than 11.Be3.

a/ 11...gxf6 12.Nc4
...a1/ 12...Bg6 13.h4 (+)
...a2/ 12...Nd7 13.h4 (+)
...a3/ 12...Rg8 13.Bf4 (+)
...a4/ 12...Bb4 13.Rh2 (+)
...a5/ 12...Bd6 13.Nxd6+ Qxd6 14.Qxf6 (++)
...a6/ 12...Be7 13.Bf4 (+)
...a7/ 12...Na6 13.Ne3 Nb4 14.Rh2 (diagram)

......a7a/ 14...Nd3+ 15.Bxd3 Bxd3 16.d5 (+=)
......a7b/ 14...Bg6 15.a3 Nd3+ 16.Bxd3 Bxd3 17.d5 (+)
......a7c/ 14...Bd3 15.a3 Bxf1 16.axb4 (+)
......a7d/ 14...Qxd4 15.Rxc2 Nxc2+ 16.Nxc2 (+)

b/ 11...Qxf6 12.Bf4 (+)

c/ 11...Qxd4 12.fxg7 Qxe5+ 13.Kd2 (+)

So it seems I stumbled by ignorance into an improvement ! And guess what, yes I won that game !

Happy anniversary

Today, March 11th is the anniversary of my blog. I started it on Match 11th 2011 and I have been posted here on a regular basis.
I am quite happy with the penetration so far - hoping to sprad the word that the Blackmar Diemer gambit is a regular opening. But then again, not too regular...