The Zilbermints Gambit in the Euwe Defense

The Yahoo Group "Chess Unorthodox UON" has released UON 25, a special edition which is devoted solely to Lev Zilbermints' line in the Euwe Defense, which Lev calls, well, the Zilbermints Gambit, not to be confused with the Zilbermints Gambit in other openings.
The line goes 1 d4 d5 2 e4 de4 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 f3 ef3 5 Nxf3 e6 6 Bg5 Be7 7 Bd3 Nc6 8 00! Nxd4 9 Kh1, resulting in the diagram on the cover. (Correction: 9 Kh1 is the Z Gambit, but the cover diagram extends it with 9...Nxf3 10 Qxf3).



This is one way to solve the problem of White's weak d-pawn. Give it up. After all, Diemer did it in the 5.Qxf3 variations. So maybe we could call this Lev's Classical Double Pawn Sacrifice?

This is not a small effort. There are 56 pages here, and it's only part 1 of 2!

The price is right--it's free. You need to join the Yahoo Group, which you can do here, and then download the PDF document.

The Trouble with the Blackmar Gambit

We posted an earlier game by W. S. Fazan, a nice little win with the Blackmar Gambit, but here he discovers the trouble with the Blackmar: 3...e5.

Fazan,W. S. - Ryan,L. A.
South of Thames vs North of Thames
London, 1896
Blackmar Gambit Declined

Played at the Cannon Street Hotel, London, on Saturday, May 9, 1896, and published in The British Chess Magazine, Vol XVI, 1896, p. 235. Notes from the original.

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.f3 e5




4.c3 exd4 5.cxd4 Bd6 6.g3 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.Be3 Nf6 9.Nc3 Bb4 10.0-0-0




"White's position is already deplorable." 10...Bxc3 11.bxc3 Nd5 12.Re1 0-0 13.Qb2 exf3 14.Bd2 Qf6 15.Nh3 f2




16.Re2 Bxh3 17.Bxh3 Qf3 18.Bf1 Qxh1 19.Rxf2 Qg1




20.Bf4 Nxf4 21.Rxf4 Qe3+ 22.Kb1 Qe1+




23.Kc2 Rab8 24.Qb5 a6 25.Qf5 Ne7




26.Qh3 b5 27.a3 Nd5 28.Re4 Qxc3+




and wins. ["Black could also play 28...Qxe4+ 29.Bd3 Qg2+ etc."] 0-1

Play through the game and download PGN here.

A BDG in Chess960?

I'm probably too much of a traditionalist or whatever to have developed much interest in Fischer random chess, or Chess960, as I understand the idea is known these days. However, a reader sent this game which I found interesting. A BDG in Chess960? Sure looks a lot like one.

White: friscodelrosario (2110)
Black: pkramam (1520)
Event: Online Chess, Chess.com
Date: 2009-08-30

 
1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Ng3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3

5...c6 6. c3 Ne6 7. Bf5 Bd7 8. Bd2 O-O 9. Ne5 Nd5 10. O-O

10...Bxe5 11. dxe5 f6 12. Qc2 h6 13. Rae1 fxe5 14. Rxe5 Rf6 15. Ne4 Rf8 16. Qc1 Nec7 17. Ng3 Bxf5 18. Rexf5 Rxf5 19. Nxf5 Qe6 20. c4 Nb6

21. Bxh6 gxh6 22. Nxh6+ Kh8 23. Qc3+ Kh7

 
24. Rf7+ Kxh6 25. Qg7+ Kh5 26. Qh7+ Kg5 27. Qg7+ Qg6 28. h4+ Kh5 29. Qe5+ Kh6 30. Qf4+ Kh5 31. Rh7+ 1-0

Thanks to Frisco for sending this in. Here it is in PGN. 

[Event "Online Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2009.08.30"]
[Round " "]
[White "friscodelrosario"]
[Black "pkramam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2110"]
[BlackElo "1520"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[Variant "wild/fr"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rbqkbnnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RBQKBNNR w - - 0 1"]

1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Ng3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 c6 6. c3 Ne6 7. Bf5 Bd7 8.
Bd2 O-O 9. Ne5 Nd5 10. O-O Bxe5 11. dxe5 f6 12. Qc2 h6 13. Rae1 fxe5 14. Rxe5 Rf6 15. Ne4 Rf8 16. Qc1 Nec7 17. Ng3 Bxf5 18. Rexf5 Rxf5 19. Nxf5 Qe6 20. c4 Nb6 21. Bxh6 gxh6 22. Nxh6+ Kh8 23. Qc3+ Kh7 24. Rf7+ Kxh6 25. Qg7+ Kh5 26. Qh7+ Kg5 27. Qg7+ Qg6 28. h4+ Kh5 29. Qe5+ Kh6 30. Qf4+ Kh5 31. Rh7+ 1-0

That New Blackmar-Diemer Book

The new book on the BDG from Everyman Chess is now due out in the United States in October, in Europe in November, according to this announcement on Everyman's website:

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: A modern guide to a fascinating chess opening
Christoph Scheerer (previously Wisnewski)

Do you wish to set your opponents problems from the very start of the game? Are you happy to roll the dice and take some risks? Then enter the intriguing world of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit!

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is a dangerous attacking opening which has amassed a cult following amongst club players, a loyal band of supporters like no other in chess. White sacrifices a pawn in return for a strong initiative which tests Black’s defensive capabilities to the limit. Some experts have questioned its objective soundness, but there’s no doubting its success and popularity over the board, where pressure and a ticking clock often means it’s impossible to find the right defence.

In this book, openings guru Christoph Scheerer takes a modern look at the gambit. He covers in detail the most promising lines for White and the most resilient defences for Black, discusses the key ideas for both sides and highlights the many tricks and traps awaiting the unsuspecting player.

* Covers everything White needs to know
* Packed with original ideas and analysis
* Ideal for improvers, club players and tournament players

Published November 2009 EU, October 2009 US | ISBN 9781857445985
Format Paperback, 192 pages"

I look forward to the promised original ideas, and I certainly can't fault the subtitle. Yes, the BDG is a fascinating chess opening. 

I'm Baaaack...

Last week I celebrated my 73rd birthday with a short stay in the hospital. The food was good, but posting anything on this blog was out of the question.

I hope to resume now with regular postings, although they may be a bit less frequent.

For a hospital the food was really good.