Old photos again

Paul Motta has played many Blackmar-Diemer Gambits, and I published quite a few of them over the years in BDG WORLD. Today I was prowling through some old photos and came across this one.

Fortunately, there are some identifying notes on the back of the photo. It was taken at the Montana Open in Missoula, in May 1988. Paul has the white pieces, and his opponent is Bill Greer. A quick check in my database of 14 trillion BDGs turned up the game. The clock indicates it’s Black to move; but what is the move number? 

A mixed bag

Mondays are fun days here. I look forward to the crop of games from The Week in Chess. Today’s issue brought forth more BDGs and close relatives than usual, but a mixed bag of wins, losses, and draws (how chess-like). I didn’t find anything especially of interest: no theoretical innovations, no spectacular combinations, not even an entertaining blunder of note. See if you agree.

Ignoring the Langeheinecke Pawn

The Langeheinecke Defense to the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is named after a German doctor who lost a 47-move correspondence game to Diemer in 1940. In fact it is not so much a defense to the gambit — if that name is reserved for lines where the gambit is accepted—as it is a declination.

In the line's most direct form, after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3, Black passes on the gambit pawn with 4...e3. White is not obliged to take the pawn immediately with 5.Bxe3, although he usually does. Scheerer, in his recent book on the BDG, doesn't consider games where White leaves the e-pawn alone for a while. But here are a couple of such games, including one played a couple of weeks ago, in which the passed pawn survives to the bitter end.

"The BDG, a natural brilliancy"

From the October 1965 issue of Nick Kampars' Opening Adventures:

In the July,1965 issue of "Chess", edited by B.H. Wood, a contest for brilliant games was terminated with the following comment: "Our second great contest for brilliant games of 25 moves or less drew 129 entries from all parts of the world.... we have decided to divide the two cash prizes between three competitors,all from overseas: Dr. R. Cherubim,Saarland, Germany; D. Gedult,Paris,France ; and K. Winterton, Ottawa,Canada" . The following game from this contest was a BDG., a "natural" brilliancy. It was played at the Cercle Cassia, Paris,in March, 1965. Notes are by the winner.

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H

Gedult, David - Mazzoni, Dr. N.

1-0 (Cercle Caissa, Paris) 3/1965

[#] 1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 Transposing into the BDG, which I never fail to employ--at least for the first time--when playing against a master; and it has scored at least 90% for me. 3...dxe4 4.Nc3 e3 A master knows when to hand back the pawn--which he does not need for winning a game against an obscure opponent... 5.Bxe3 Now see how the bishop and f-pawn are badly placed, aren't they? 5...Bf5 6.Bd3 Not because I really intended exchanging pieces, but, as in most such games, when I castle queen's side, I didn't want his bishop staring at my c2, which after 0-0-0 becomes a weak point... 6...Bxd3 7.Qxd3 g6 8.O-O-O Bg7 9.Qd2! Just to disquiet him a bit. 9...h6 10.Nge2 Nbd7 11.Kb1 e5 12.d5 g5 After all, he would like to castle. 13.Ng3 O-O 14.Nf5 Nh7 He smells a rat and would be glad to change the bishop for that damned knight, but I'm not in a hurry. 15.h4 f6 16.g4 Nb6 17.Qd3 Qd7 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.Rxh7 Kxh7 20.Ne7+ f5 21.Rh1+ Bh6 22.Nxf5 Resigns. [1-0]

Generated by Aquarium

Two BDGs from the Netherlands

The Blackmar-Diemer Gambit appears to have a certain affinity for The Netherlands. Diemer completed Vom Ersten Zug an auf Matt there, and the book was also first printed by an Amsterdam publisher. The country seems to have more than its share of BDG players as well. 

Years ago I printed several BDGs by the Dutchman Theo Hommeles. Shortly thereafter I established contact with Theo and elicited a promise for more of his games. Here are two of those games, played against stiff competition. These and several more of Theo's games appeared in BDG WORLD 76.

Notes by Theo Hommeles

2308 / BDG, Langeheinecke Defense
Theo Hommeles
IM Gert Ligterink (2435)
Netherlands KNSB 1992

Gert Ligterink was champion of Holland about a decade ago and a member of the strongest team in Holland, the team of Volmac/Rotterdam. For eleven years they were almost invincible.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e4 dxe4 4. f3 e3 5. Bxe3 e6 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. Nge2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe1 c5 10. Rd1 cxd4 11. Bxd4

The same stratagem as in the game against Chuchelov is displayed. White doesn't want to lose his white-square bishop.

11. ... Qc7 12. Qh4 Bc5 13. Ne4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 15. Qh4 e5 16. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 17. Kh1 Be6 18. Nc3 h6 19. a3 Rad8 20. f4 Rd4 21. Ne2

With 21 ... Ra4 22. Nc3 in mind I offered a draw.

21. ... Rd7 22. b4 Qc7 23. fxe5 Qxe5 24. Nf4 Bg4 25. Rde1 Qg5

Not 25 ... g5? 26. Qxh6.

26. Qf2 b6

Either this or 26 ... a6 Gert thought.

27. h4 1-0.

I still remember Korchnoi's roaring laughter when he heard Ligterink's explanation. 

2309 / BDG, Vienna Defense
Theo Hommeles
E. Skoblikov
Netherlands KNSB 1992

Another game played in the highest class of the Dutch team championships. Skoblikov was also playing for Rotterdam since that year they had two teams competing on the highest level (in a total of ten). The combination in this game is the finest I have ever played.

1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 Bf5 5. fxe4 Nxe4 6. Qf3 Nd6!

I'm convinced that 6 ... Nxc3 7. bxc3 Qc8? 8. Bd3 is very good for white.

7. Bf4 e6!

Stronger than the unnecessary 7 ... c6

8. O-O-O Nd7 9. g4 Bg6 10. Qe3 Be7 11. Nf3

Or 11. d5 e5 12. Bxe5 Nxe5 13. Qxe5 and black is better.

11. ... h6 12. Ne5

Here 12. d5 was an alternative

12. ... Bh7 13. h4 c6 14. d5

Something has to be done.

14. ... exd5 15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. Bxd6 Nf6 17. Bc5 Ne4!

It seems that white will remain a pawn down. But that day I was in a very creative mood.

18. Nxe4 Bxe4 19. Bd3! Bxh1 20. Re1!! Be4

An equal endgame arises after 20 ... 0-0 21. Bxe7 Re8 22. Bxd8 Rxe3 23. Rxe3 Rxd8 24. Re7 a5 25. Rc7

21. Bxe4

And now again black can enter equality with 21 ... dxe4 22. Qxe4 0-0. There seems to be a way though in which black maintains a pawn up. When I started anticipating black's next move my heartbeat accelerated and even became audible. I quickly moved away from the board for I didn't want my opponent to notice my excitement. And yes he did it! He made the best move which would turn out not to be good at all, but instead lose instantly!

21. ... Kf8!??

22. Bh7!!

A silent move. So hard to find for humans. I have been testing the position on anyone with ears. Utter simplicity for a computer though. Mine needs about zero seconds!

22. ... Qd7(?)

Relatively best was 22 ... Bd6 23. Qe8+! Qxe8 24. Bxd6+ Qe7 25. Bxe7+ Ke8 26. Bf5 (threatens mate starting with Bb4+) f6 27. Bb4+ Kf7 28. Re7+ Kg8 29. Bg6 etc.

23. Bxe7+ Ke8 24. Bf5 Qb7 25. Bb4+ Kd8 26. Ba5+ 1-0.

These games appeared in BDG World 76.