From the Dutch to the BDG

One chess blog that is high on my reading list is IM Mark Ginsburg's Personal Chess History. Yesterday, in a post about the Manhattan CC 1990 International he reviewed a game he won in round one of that tournament (Mark Ginsburg - Alexander Fishbein). It was a Dutch Defense which he called the "4. Bf4 gambit line," and began with 1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 d5 3. e4!? dxe4 (diagram) 4. Bf4. "Just another weird anti-Dutch gambit, not allowing 4. f3? e5!," noted Ginsburg.

After 3...dxe4

Blackmar-Diemer Gambit players will recognize this as a position that can also result from the normal BDG sequence 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 when Black plays to hold the e4 pawn with 3...f5. Diemer called this line in the BDG the Pöhlmann Defense, after one of his correspondence opponents. When I first began to play the BDG I thought this was a pretty lame defense--until I saw how strong players handled the same line in the Dutch. But if Black is a little careless, White can still get some quick wins. (When is that not true?) Here are a couple of examples. White is a Hungarian player who also plays the BDG now and then. Meszaros,Guyla - Weteschnik Kecskemet, 1994 Dutch Defense [A80} BDG, Pöhlmann Defense by transposition 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Bf4 e6 5.f3 Nf6 6.fxe4 fxe4 7.Bc4 Bb4?!

7...Bd6 Correct--Meszaros.

8.Nge2 0-0 9.0-0 Bxc3? 10.Nxc3 Nd5 11.Nxd5 exd5

12.Bxc7! Qg5

12...Rxf1+ was better.; 12...Qxc7?? 13.Bxd5+ Rf7 14.Qh5 (Or 14.Rxf7 )

13.Rxf8+ Kxf8 14.Qe2 Be6

14...dxc4? 15.Rf1+ Ke7 16.Qxe4+ Be6 17.Qxb7+-

15.Rf1+

15...Kg8?

15...Ke7 16.h4 Qh6 17.Bf4 Qg6 18.Bg5+

16.Qxe4! 1-0 Just for fun, another miniature: Meszaros,Guyla - Kriszany IM Bern, blitz, 1994 Dutch Defense [A80} BDG, Pöhlmann Defense by transposition 1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Bf4 g6 5.Be5 Nf6 6.f3 Nbd7 7.Nb5! Nxe5 8.dxe5 Nd7 9.e6 Ne5 10.Qxd8+ Kxd8 11.0-0-0+ 1-0

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Blackmar's Second Gambit

I've always reserved a special place in my gambiteer's heart for the Staunton Gambit, given its affinity to the Blackmar-Diemer. You don't see it that often in "serious" play, but a nice little game turned up recently in the Michigan Senior Championships.

Santiago,Ray (2000) - Kitts,Gary (1931)
2008 Senior Championships, Michigan (2), 31.05.2008
Staunton Gambit [A82]

1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 Nc6 5.Bg5 e5 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Nge2 Nxd4?! 

8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Qxd4 Bxb5 10.Nxb5 fxe4 11.0-0-0 Be7 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qxe4+ Kf8 14.Rhe1 g6 15.Nd4 Qd7 16.Ne6+ Kf7 17.Nc5 Qf5 18.Qc4+ Kg7 19.Ne6+ Kh6 20.g4 Qxf3 21.Rd3 Qf2 22.Rh3+ Bh4 
 

23.Rxh4+! Qxh4 24.Qf4+ 1-0

Blackmar’s thematic f2-f3 is also found in a line in the Staunton Gambit against the Dutch Defense (1. d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.f3). This 1ine, which often results in BDG-like positions, is referred to, appropriately enough, as Blackmar's second gambit. An example from Blackmar himself:

Blackmar,AE - Labry,A 
Staunton Gambit [A82]
(Game 0366 in BDG World)

1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.f3 exf3 4.Nxf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 e6 6.Ng5 g6 7.Nxh7 Rxh7 8.Bxg6+ Rf7 9.Bg5 Be7 10.0-0 Kf8 11.Bxf7 Kxf7 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qh5+ Kf8 14.Qh8+and White wins.