Greenpoint Chess and Go Club

After spending some time revisiting From's Gambit, I thought I'd be prepared to play 1 f4 against my roommate. However, instead of playing either the Lasker variation (4…g5) or the Mestel variation (4…Nf6), Greg played 4…Bg4! Faced with this suprise variation and given Greg's strength, I crumbled in 17 moves (download this embarrassing game in PGN format).

Since Taylor doesn't mention this variation in Bird's Opening, I decided to do a little research. ChessGames.com only has seven 4…Bg4 games in their database: two wins for White, four wins for Black and one draw.

So I plugged the position into Fritz 9, ran infinite analysis and it gave the following two lines:

Unclear, but with a 0.38 advantage to White: 5 e3 Qd7 6 Be2 Nc6 7 0-0 0-0-0 8 Na3 Nf6 9 Nc4 Be7 10 d3

Equal, with a 0.24 advantage to White: 5 e4 Nf6 6 d4 Nxe4 7 Bd3 Nf6 8 Qe2+ Be7 9 0-0 0-0 10 Nbd2 Re8

There is only one 5 e3 game at ChessGames.com, Albin vs Marshall, and Marshall wins (though they don't play the line recommended by Fritz). Since Marshall is the only player represented twice in ChessGames.com collection of seven 4…Bg4 games, I've decided to call this the Marshall variation.

The move that I want to play, 5 g3, Fritz sees as equal, but with a very slight edge to Black. So for now, 5 e3 seems to best way to respond.

Clearly, more research remains to be done on this line…

Related tags: birds, froms-gambit, gambits

From Bird's Opening by Timothy Taylor. Everyman Chess. 2005.

From's Gambit is a blunt attempt to refute Bird's Opening.

After 1 f4 e5 2 fxe5 d6 3 fxd6 Bxd6, White's only good move is 4 Nf3. 4…g5 is the Lasker Variation and 4…Nf6 is the Mestel Variation.

Lasker Variation

According to Taylor, this variation is not sound. It's a succession of one move threats that leave holes in Black's position.

After 4…g5, White plays Bent Larsen's 5 g3, which meets the mate threat. 5…h5 is too slow with the knight out: 5…h5?! 6 d4 f6 7 Qd3 h4 8 Qg6+ Kf8 9 Kxg5! J. Horvath-P. Velvart, Hungarian Women's Championship 1993.

5…g4 is the usual move to remove the defending knight. The main line continues: 6 Nh4 Ne7 7 d4 Ng6 8 Nxg6 hxg6 9 Qd3! This defends against the threats and maintains White's advantage. The other main try for Black is 6…Be7 7 Ng2, which is better for White. The position is uncomfortable, but Black doesn't have enough compensation for the pawn.

Illustrative game: Timothy Taylor (2297) vs Julio J Becerra-Rivero (2552). HB Global Chess Challenge 2005. Bird Opening: From Gambit. Lasker Variation (A02). 1-0. http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1339115

Related tags: birds, froms-gambit, gambits

Much has been said about gambits on this blog in the last few months—and in general I find myself attracted by the appeal of sacrificing material for positional advantages. There's something dangerous and sexy about gambits, and the larger the sacrifice, the more exciting and lascivious the gambit. Honestly, is there any better way to get into the mood with that special someone than a well-calculated sacrifice over board before a tumble in the 'sac'? In any case, there is one gambit that has never been covered on this blog—and so let me take a moment to introduce the brain-child of Captain William Davies Evans. Supposedly, the captain and scholar thought of this innovation while at sea, and was unable to put it into practice until sometime later while in London. The classical setup is the Italian game, or Giuoco Piano (quiet game). The b4 sacrifice pays off three fold:

1. When Black accepts the gambit he pulls his bishop forward to take the pawn, and then has to pull it back immediately after c3. This stolen tempo adds to White's initiative.
2. The thematic Qb3 is prepared by both the pawn sacrifice and the tempo stealing c3. The threats created by this move forces Black to contort his position further with the move Nh6.
3. The pawn thrust in the center, d4, threatens to nudge Black out of the center and topple him off the board.

Of course, there are plenty of satisfactory answers for Black, and his defensive resources are numerous. However, Black often has to find the "correct" move early in order to not be squashed immediately—so, if you find yourself sitting across the board from an unbooked patzer who learned how to play chess by watching the YouTube show Chess Now, the Evans gambit is a line you may want to consider with the White pieces.

Bobby Fischer was an exponent of the gambit and used it often in simuls to quickly rid himself of the patzers in order to be left with fewer games on which he could then concentrate. The following game is an example of Fischer's success in a simul with the sensual Evans.

Honestly, game over in 12 moves—how many gambits can boast such simplistic attacking ideas that are so difficult to defend against? Evans gambit would seem to be the thinking man's scholar's mate and a nasty little arrow you need in your repertoire quiver.

In fact, the game of the day today on chessgames.com (2/12/2008) is an Evans gambit blowout that finishes with a beautiful queen sacrifice.

Anther Gambit worth mentioning on this blog since it appears in our games so often is the Milner-Barry Gambit in the French Advance. This gambit is not nearly as intricate or deadly as the Evans Gambit, though it does have some explosive tactical chances for White if Black missteps.

Milner Barry Gambit

In this game, the move 12…Be7 lost a tempo, since on the very next move Black was forced to either play Bd6 or lose the exchange. After Bd6-Bxd6 Qxd6, it would seem that Black is ok, though the lost tempo may still be a factor deep into middle game.

Related tags: evans-gambit, french-defense, gambits, giuoco-piano, milner-barry

Chess, says Garry Kasparov in the introduction to his book of analysis covering 1993 matchplay, is a careful balance between two forces. At its highest levels, well played chess is not holding an equal position, which inevitably leads to a drawish endgame, but rather knowing when and how to imbalance a position; to enter into an unclear continuation and come out of the dark waters of uncertainty somehow better than your opponent. Often, this involves the sacrifice of material to gain a subtle positional edge, such as the gambit of a pawn or even a piece in the opening. Opening gambits require uncommon prescience on the part of those who play them. The Muzio Gambit, Fried Liver Attack, and Halloween Attack are particularly near and dear to my heart because they give up an entire knight in the first few moves in exchange for sharp play. In order to turn such extreme imbalances into victories, a player must possess a præternatural understanding of tactics, otherwise, the defending player may consolidate his position quickly and grind the gambiteer down to a losing endgame.

From's Gambit, which arises after the moves 1.f4 e5?! 2.fxe5 d6 3.fxd6 Bxd6 leads to play that is so sharp even a king's gambiteer may a feel a bit queasy with the White pieces over the board. An example of the shortest possible checkmate in chess (two moves) can be found in a similar line, where White has pushed the f pawn in the opening (e.g. Lance Darling v Richard Wood Grob Attack 1983 NWC 1. g4 e6 2. f4 Qh4#; see also, Barney v. Mccrum Dayton 1969 1. f4 e5 2. fxe5 d 3. exd6 Bxd6 4. Nf3 g5 5. h3 Bg3#; see also, NN v DuMont 1802 1.f4 e5 2. fxe5 d6 3. exd6 Bxd6 4.g3 Qg5 5.Nf3 Qxg3+ 6.hxg3 Bxg3#; see also, Mogusar v Trippe St. Louis 1984 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.b3 Qh4+ 5.g3 Qxg3+ 6.hxg3 Bxg3#; see also,Warren v. Bill Wall North Caroline 1975 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 h5 5.g3 h4 6. Nxh4 Rxh4 7.gxh4 Qxh4#).

The danger posed to White's king by pushing the f pawn on move one is exacerbated by accepting From's Gambit, when the raking bishops and queen can come careening across the board in numerous blistering mating patterns that are created by this weakness. The careful player with the White pieces can eschew all of these threats of course, but only with extremely precise positional play. In lines such as this, the imbalance leaves both opponents dangling one move from disaster. As per usual, the information provided in the MCO on this line is woefully inadequate. It provides a necessary but insufficient base of knowledge for a Bird's player who is confronting this gambit. Personally, when I play 1. f4 and am met by e5, I play 2. e4 making it a king's gambit. However, Jeffrey insists on accepting the gambit all the way—and so this line is one that I think I will be looking deeper and deeper into until one of us gives in and plays another opening.

Related tags: birds, froms-gambit, gambits

Hobbs Gambit

While studying Bird's Opening (and discussing variations), I ran across this offbeat one, which immediately made me think of Greg. I don't think I'd play it, though, and I doubt he would either, but here it is regardless:

Another aggressive (but much rarer) response is 1. … g5?!, the Hobbs Gambit, with play usually continuing 2. fxg5 h6, a sort of mirror-image Benko Gambit. White can simply return the pawn with 3. g6, leaving Black with a weakened king-side after 3. … fxg6. A variant is the Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit, 1. … h6 intending 2. … g5; against this, White does well with 2. e4 g5 3. d4!

Source: Wikipedia

Related tags: birds, benko-gambit, gambits, hobbs-gambit