Years ago I had a nice message from the winner of this game, Pierre Théon, thanking me for giving him the taste for playing the BDG. "I hope you like the game," he wrote. "The opening is maybe not correct (I'm a beginner with BDG and played 1 e4 for 15 years) but the sacrifices 13 Nxf7 and 15 Nd6 are worth a look (and it's mate in 21 moves)." Yes, indeed.
Théon,P (2145) - Marzolo,C (2435)
French Team Championships (11), 1999
BDG, Euwe Defense
1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bd3 c5 7.Bg5 cxd4 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Ne4 Qd8 10.0-0 Be7 11.Ne5 0-0 12.Rxf7 Rxf7 13.Nxf7
13...Kxf7
With Kxf7 Black's last chance was gone. 13...Qd5 14.Qf3 Qf5 15.Nh6+ gxh6 16.Qg3+ Kh8 17.Nd6
14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Nd6
15...Qxd6
15...Bxd6 16.Qxh7+ Kf8 17.Qh8+ Kf7 18.Qxd8
16.Qxh7+ Kf8 17.Qh8+ Kf7 18.Qh5+ Kf8 19.Bg6 Bg5 20.Qxg5
20.Rf1+ Qf4 21.Rxf4+ Ke7 22.Qxg5+ Kd6 23.Rxd4+ Kc6 24.Be4+ Kb6 25.Qd8+ Kc5 26.b4+ Kb5 27.Qa5#
20...Nd7??
A blunder, but mate is forced anyway, e.g., 20...e5 21.Rf1+ Kg8 22.Qh5 Qxg6 23.Qxg6 Be6 24.Qxe6+ Kh7 25.Rf3 g6 26.Qe7+ Kh6 27.Rh3#
21.Qd8# 1-0
Did anybody get the license number of the truck???
Here's another of Théon's wins I came across today. Black avoids the BDG, entering a Hübsch Gambit, not an easy line for White to meet (although Théon makes it appear easy in this game).
Theon,Pierre (2170) - Girard,Eric (2265)
Besancon ch-FRA sf (9), 1999
BDG Avoided, Hübsch Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 Nxe4 4.Nxe4 dxe4 5.Bc4 Bf5 6.g4 Bg6 7.Ne2 e5 8.Be3 Nd7 9.h4 h5 10.Ng3
10...Nf6
Two strong masters fought from this position with 10...hxg4 11.h5 Bh7 12.Qxg4 exd4 13.Bxd4 Nf6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.0-0-0 Bd6 16.Kb1 Qf4 17.Qh3 f5 18.Be6 Rf8 19.Ne2 Qe5 20.Qb3 Rd8 21.f4 Qf6 22.Rhg1 Qe7 23.Nd4 c6 24.Bc4 b5 25.Nxb5 Bxf4 26.Nd4 Qd7 27.Be6 Qc7 28.Nxf5 Rxd1+ 29.Rxd1 Rxf5 30.Bxf5 Bxf5 31.Qg8+ Ke7 32.Qxg7+ Ke6 33.Qg8+ Ke7 34.Rf1 Qe5 35.Rd1 e3 36.Rd8 Bd7 37.Qf8+ Ke6 38.Qg8+ Ke7 39.Qf8+ Ke6 40.Qg8+ Kd6 41.Qg4 e2 42.Qxd7+ Kc5 43.Qxa7+ Kc4 44.Qa4+ Kc5 45.Qa5+ Kc4 46.b3# 1-0 Diebert,C (2360)-Rao,V (2490) Ohio State CS 1989, Game 693 in BDG World.
11.gxh5 Nxh5 12.Qg4 Qd6 13.0-0-0 Nxg3 14.dxe5 Ne2+ 15.Bxe2 Qe6 16.h5 Bh7 17.Qxe6+ fxe6 18.h6 gxh6 19.Bh5+ Ke7 1-0.
Black resigned, since 20.Bc5 is mate.
