Opening Lanes

Opening Lanes is based in large part on readers' questions. Do you have a question about a particular opening line? Baffled by a branch of the Benoni or Budapest? Submit your questions (with you full name and country of residence please) and perhaps Gary will reply in his next Chess Cafe column...

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Funny Old World Opening Lanes

Gary Lane The start of the New Year gives me a chance to catch up on replying to questions wanting to know about daredevil openings which delight club players and baffle grandmasters. Amit Kureel from the USA has something on his mind and writes I know my question is, may be, slightly vague and general, still, if its interesting, I would like to ask you, in your opinion, which is the most wild opening you have come across (and is still playable!) ? I think regular readers will know I have a soft spot for the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit mainly because when I first joined my local club everybody seemed to play it successfully in blitz. However, I have to admit the daddy of all wild openings still regularly played has to be the Kings Gambit. First of all of those who still wondering about the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit it tends to occur after 1 d4 d5 e4 or 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 e4 fxe4 4 f3. The beauty of it is that White is rewarded with an attacking game that can be crucial in speed games. It has a faithful band of supporters who revel in the obscure variations and lines named after club players. A good introduction to the opening is a recent book by Alan Dommett called Emil
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Josef Diemer 1908-1990 A Life Devoted to Chess. This hardback publication is published by the Book Guild in England. Basically, it once again looks at the games of Diemer with an appreciation of his attacking play and with general comments. There is nothing new for connoisseurs but a lively introduction for those who want to play daring openings. By chance Jeffrey Reep from the USA has a problem with his favourite opening: In the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, Euwe Defense, 1d4 d5 2 e4 dxe4 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 f3 exf3 5 Nxf3 e6 6 Bg5 Be7 7 Bd3 Nc6!? What should white do from here? Your book recommends either a3 (seems like a waste to me) or Qd2. Rev. Sawyer also recommends O-O (a line he calls the Zilbermints Gambit). Perhaps you could highlight possible variations as the move Nc6 seems to crop up far more often than any of the alternatives for me. I recently lost a game that proceeded 8 O-O Nxd4 9 Kh1 Nxf3 10 Qxf3 h6!? 11 Qh3? (I believe this to be bad and perhaps Rad1 was better) 11e5 12 Qh4 when black was able to trade down quite a bit. Any thoughts would be of the greatest help before I give up on the whole gambit! (Not likely...) Thanks for the time! Well, as I mentioned earlier Blackmar-Diemer Gambit players are devoted to their tricky opening lines. Of course, the introduction of computer programmes has put a lot of gambit lines out of business because nowadays it easy for any correspondence player to choose the correct defence. This is why I only recommend it for rapid games. Lets take a closer look at the line you mentioned: Peter Leisebein-Wolfgang Hort e-mail 2002 1 d4 Nf6 2 f3 d5 3 e4 dxe4 4 Nc3 exf3 5 Nxf3 e6 6 Bg5 Be7 7 Bd3 Nc6

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8 a3 This pawn move designed to stop ...Nb4 is a little slow but has the merit of preserving the useful bishop on d3. It really depends who you are playing because at least it maintains the tension but if Garry Kasparov is opposite you then just take back your moves until you can try a Queen's Gambit. 8 Qd2 is probably the best of the bunch: A) 8Nb4 9 000 (9 Bc4?! is not so impressive. Mark Huba is renowned for taking excellent chess photos but in this game against F.Steggink,Groningen 1999, he fails to create an attack after 9Nbd5 10 a3 00 11 Bd3 c6 12 Nxd5 exd5 13 00 Ne4 14 Bxe4 dxe4 15 Bxe7 Qxe7 16 Rfe1 f5 17 Ne5 Be6 and Black has the better chances) 9Nxd3+ 10 Qxd3 h6 11 Bh4 c6 12 Rhf1 Qc7 13 Ne5 b5 14 Ne4 Nxe4 15 Rxf7 g5 16 Qxe4 Bb7 17 Qg6 Rf8 18 Rh7+ Kd8 19 Bg3 Qc8 20 Qg7 Re8 21 Nf7+ Kd7 22 Nd6 Qd8 23 Nxb7 Qb6 24 Nc5+ 10 Niels-Jorgen JensenW.Jurack, Correspondence 1991. B) 8h6 9 Bh4 (9 Be3!? is a better bet 9...Nd5 10 Nxd5 Qxd5 11 00 intending c2-c4 with some decent compensation for the pawn) 9Nd5 10 Bf2 Bg5 11 Nxg5 Qxg5 12 Qxg5 hxg5 13 Nxd5 exd5 14 Kd2 Be6 15 Rae1 000 16 Bb5 g4 and a draw was agreed in G.Kenworthy-A.Walton, Blackpool 2003, but Black is better. 8 Bb5 is a littleplayed option but is worth investigating. H.EvansA.O'Toole, Southend 2000, saw it being played but White failed to impose herself after 8Bd7 9 00 a6 10 Bd3 (10 Bc4!?) 1000 11 Qe1 h6 12 Bxf6 Bxf6 13 Qe4 g6 14 Ne5 Nxe5 15 dxe5 Bc6 16 Qe3 Bg7 when Black's defence looks solid and he remains a pawn up, H.Evans-A.O'Toole, Southend 2000. I don't like 8 00 which just seems to lose a pawn after 8Nxd4 with zero compensation. I think White at a certain level can get away with being a pawn down but two is a more serious matter of concern. For instance: 9 Kh1 Nc6 10 Qe1 Bd7 11 Rd1 h6 12 Qh4 Kf8 13 Be4 Kg8 14 Bxf6 Bxf6 15 Qf2 Qe7 16 Nb5 a6 17 Nbd4 Nxd4 18 Nxd4 c5
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19 Ne2 Bb5 01 V.Drueke-T.Sawyer, Correspondence 1997. 800 9 Qd2 Re8 10 000 h6 11 h4!? One has to admire Leisebein's commitment to attack at every opportunity. 11hxg5 12 hxg5 Nd5 13 Nxd5 exd5 14 Qf4! The simple idea of transferring the queen to the hfile reveals why White was content to sacrifice the bishop in order to open the h-file. 14Qd6 15 Rh8+! This is the reason why the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is so popular because it gives the opportunity to finish like a champion. Instead 15 Qh4 is not so clear upon 15 f5 16 Qh7+ Kf8 when the position is complicated but White has no forced mate. 15Kxh8 16 Qxf7
The threat of Rh1+ dictates Black's fate. 16Bxg5+ 17 Nxg5 10 These lines for White look tame when you compare it to the Kings Gambit.

Anatoly Zajarnyi-Victor Geru Kishnev 2001 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 g5 4 Bc4 g4 5 00 The Muzio Gambit looks absolutely bonkers but I still can't decide if I would want to be White or Black. 5gxf3 6 Qxf3 Qf6 7 e5 Qxe5 8 Bxf7+ Kxf7 9 d4 Qxd4+?! There is an argument for accepting material but this might be one pawn too many. I prefer 9Qf5 when 10 g4 Qg6 11 Bxf4 looks crazy but Black should survive. 10 Be3 Qf6 11 Bxf4 Ke8 Or 11Ne7 12 Nc3 Nf5 13 Nd5 Qg6 14 Nxc7 d6 15 Rae1 Be7 16 Qd5+ Kg7 17 Re6 a spectacular move but (17 Nxa8 is just good) 17Bxe6 18 Nxe6+ Kf7 19 Nd4+ Ke8 20 Nxf5 Nc6 21 Re1 Ne5? (21Rd8 offers the best chance
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in the circumstances) 22 Nxe7 Kxe7 23 Bxe5 dxe5 24 Rxe5+ Kf8 25 Rf5+ Ke8 26 Qe4+ Kd7 27 Qxb7+ Kd6 28 Rd5+ Ke6 29 Qd7+ Kf6 30 Rd6+ with a winning position, P.Hartmann-M.Pac internet 2000. 12 Nc3 Bc5+ The game A.Shirov-J.Lapinski, Daugavpils 1990, is a clear indicator why White has emerged as one the most aggressive players around. That game went: 12Nc6 13 Nd5 Qg6 14 Rae1+ Be7 15 Bd6 Kd8 16 Qf8+ Bxf8 17 Bxc7 mate. 13 Kh1 d6 14 Nd5 Qg7 15 Rae1+ White has managed to activate all his pieces in his quest to attack. 15Kd7 16 b4 Nc6 Black wants to catch up on development but it is hardly the refutation of White's play. 17 bxc5 Nge7 18 Nxc7! The decisive breakthrough and Black's position promptly collapses. 18Kxc7 19 cxd6+ Kd8 20 dxe7+ Nxe7 21 Be5 Qg8 22 Bf6 Zajarnyi is looking for mate. 22Be6 23 Qxb7 Bd5 24 Bxe7+ Ke8 25 Bg5+ 10 It is of course possible to play the Kings Gambit in a more reserved manner without having to sacrifice half your pieces: Andrei Vinokurov-Nikolay Tolstikh Voronezh 2001 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 Ne7 This line is known as the Bonsch-Osmolovsky Variation. 4 d4 Ng6!? This is the sort of move, which is rarely mentioned in the books but looks perfectly sensible. Black defends the extra pawn and waits to see how White will respond. 4d5 is considered the main line. 5 h4 A direct approach which is what you might
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expect from a King's Gambit player. The h-pawn is advanced as a way of ousting the knight on g6. 5 Bc4 is a perfectly good alternative and has a good record in tournament play. For example: 5d6 A) 6 00 Bg4 7 c3 Nc6 8 h3 Bh5 9 Qb3! Nge7 (or 9Qd7 10 Bxf7+! Qxf7 11 Qxb7 and White is better) 10 Bxf4 Na5 11 Qa4+ c6 12 Bd3 Nc8? 13 b4 when Black is busted, A.GorbovV.Kovalchuk, Kiev 2002; B) 6 Nc3 Be6 7 Qd3 Nd7 8 h4 (this theme is echoed in the main game) 8Be7 9 h5 Nh4 10 00 Nxf3+ 11 Rxf3 Nf6 12 Bxe6 fxe6 13 Bxf4 Qd7 14 h6 g6 15 e5 dxe5 16 Bxe5 Rf8 17 Raf1 Nd5 18 Nxd5 exd5 19 Rxf8+ Bxf8 20 Qf3 000? 21 Qxf8! 10 D.Mason-D.James, British Team championships 1997. 5Be7!? 5h5 has the merit of stopping Vinokurov from carrying out his plan of pushing the h-pawn. 6 h5 Nh4 7 Bxf4 d5 Black gets around to challenging the centre although White is now able to handle the prospect. 8 Nxh4 Bxh4+ 9 g3 Bg5 10 Qd2 Bxf4 11 Qxf4 dxe4 12 h6 Qxd4?! There is nothing obviously wrong with grabbing the pawn but any experienced King's Gambit player would be happy to end up with a lead in development. 13 Nc3! Nc6 14 Rd1 Qf6 Or 14Qe5 15 Qxe5+ Nxe5 16 hxg7 Rg8 17 Nd5 is winning. 15 hxg7! Qxg7 16 Nd5 White's initiative allows him to dominate play and black's king in the middle of the board is under a lot of pressure. 16Kf8 Alternatively 1600 17 Nf6+ Kh8 18 Rd5 intending Rg5 is crushing. 17 Nxc7 Rb8 18 Qd6+ Kg8 19 Ne8

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A little dance with the knight begins with the intention of forcing Black to abandon the game. 19Qg5 20 Nf6+ Kg7 21 Nh5+ Kg8 22 Rd5 Qe3+ 23 Be2 10 What are your thoughts about dealing with the Tennison Gambit (1 Nf3 d5 2 e4)? It comes up a lot in club play and on the internet. Carl Seele, Chico, California, USA. I have to admit when I first read this question I wrongly assumed that it was 1 Nf3 f5 2 e4 which is fairly well known. However, apparently the Tennison Gambit is named after Otto Tennison who published an article about this line in the New Orleans Times Democrat in 1891. Guenter Strozewski-Horst Krause Dresden 2001 1 Nf3 d5 2 e4?! If you are wondering how Tennison was inspired just think of the Budapest Gambit which occurs after 1 d4 Nf6 c4 e5. 2dxe4 Instead 2 ..e6 is a meek response and Black merely transposes to a French Defence upon 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7 5 d4 O.ValakerT.Svensen,Bergen 2001. 3 Ng5 Bf5! Or 3Nf6 4 Bc4 e6 5 Nc3 Bd7 6 Ngxe4 Nxe4 7 Nxe4 Bc6 8 Qe2 Qd4 9 f3 Bd5 10 Bb3 Bxb3 11 axb3 Nd7 12 d3 led to equal chances in the game P.Keres-Luck,Tartu 1935. However, it was a training game so it is difficult to decide if Keres really thought the opening had much merit. 4 Nc3 Nf6 5 Qe2 A concession to try and win the pawn back. The difference with the Budapest Gambit
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with colours reversed is that Bb5+ is futile when 5...c6 is possible. 5e6 I think 5Nc6! is even stronger when White is struggling to justify his opening choice. 6 Ngxe4 Nd4 7 Qd3 e5 is very good for Black because White has run out of decent moves already! 6 Qb5+ Nbd7 7 Qxb7A very risky venture because Black's consequent lead in development will allow his to create dangerous attacking chances. 7Rb8 8 Qxa7 Bc5 9 Qa6 Bxf2+ Black decides to seize on a tactical opportunity. 9h6 10 Nh3 00 also looks good for Black. 10 Kxf2 Ng4+ 11 Kg1 Qxg5 12 d4 12 Bb5! keeps White in the game although Black is still favourite to win. 12e3 13 Qe2 Nf2 Can you spot the threat? 14 Bxe3?? Well, White didn't think too long on his move. 14 h4 is necessary but Black is still on top. 14Nh3 01 I have to admit that when I add comments to the games I try not to be too mean about players making blunders or missing the right defence because the pressure in a tournament game can make anyone make a mistake. I also avoid it on the grounds that I dont want to bump into any angry players at a tournament! I just hope that George Kilgus from Vienna, Austria is in an agreeable mood if I see him. He has read the December column and noticed a game of his in the section on the Grand prix Attack. He sends an e-mail to say You published my losing game against Lau, I want to give you my opinion, supporting the black side. Without the patzer 21Bh6? which made the attack possible there would be no f5-break and a pleasant Black position for my taste). The Lau -handling of the opening is interesting (Bd2, Nd1-f2...) but not dangerous. Black cant make progress, as you put it, but White cant either, if Black doesnt commit hara-kiri moves as Bh6. Instead 21...Rc8 or 21...Rfd8 couldnt cause black headache.

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I suspect it is easier for all of us to repeat the moves: Ralf Lau-George Kilgus Ansfelden 2003 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 f4 Nc6 4 Nf3 g6 5 Bc4 Bg7 6 0-0 Nf6 7 d3 0-0 8 Qe1 e6 9 Bd2 Nd4 10 Nxd4 cxd4 11 Nd1 Bd7 12 Kh1 d5 13 Bb3 dxe4 14 dxe4 Bc6 15 Nf2 a5 16 a4 b6 17 e5 Nd7 18 Bc4 Nc5 19 b3 Qh4 20 Qe2 h5 21 Kg1 I think George has a good point but I imagine that when you play a German grandmaster unfortunately one mistake is enough for the position to collapse. It has to be admitted that 21Bh6 is a clear blunder and that the rook moves 21Rac8 or Rad8 offer equal chances rather than imminent defeat. 21Bh6? 22 g3 Qe7 23 f5 Bxd2 24 f6 Qc7 25 Qxd2 Kh7 26 Rae1 Rad8 27 h4 Ba8 28 Nh3 Rh8 29 Ng5+ Kg8 30 Kh2 Rd7 31 Rf4 Qb7 32 Rg1 Qc7 33 Rxd4 1-0 Finally, on the topic of last months column music trivia fan will be intrigued to hear that Jon Manley from Ilford, England points out that the pop band A Flock of Seagulls derived their name from a song by the Stranglers. Yes, Jon has too much spare time!

Copyright 2003 Gary Lane. All Rights Reserved. This column is available in Chess Cafe Reader format. Click here for more information.

Gary wants your questions on openings!! Send it along and perhaps it will be answered in an upcoming column. Please include your name and country of residence. Yes, I have a question for Gary!

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