Ian Heppell (182) - Spanton (171)
Göring Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5
George Botterill in Open Gambits (Batsford, 1986) stated: "Although it is really stronger to accept the gambit, over the board the gambit is declined more often than not, which is quite understandable if Black has not come fully prepared for all the complicated tactical play that may result from acceptance."
One problem with 4...dxc3 is that White has two almost equally popular replies in 5.Nxc3 and 5.Bc4, with both moves scoring more than 60% in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database.
A repertoire book recommending acceptance is Larry Kaufman's The Chess Advantage In Black And White (McKay, 2004). He wrote: "Black can equalise by 4...d5, but I think he should try for more. Like its cousins the Morra Gambit and the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, the Göring Gambit does not give White enough lead in development to fully offset the pawn sacrificed. That's why these gambits are almost never played by top grandmasters."
Perhaps he should have added "in modern times," because the list of strong players who have essayed 4.c3 includes Staunton, Paulsen, Blackburne, Anderssen, Tarrasch, Nimzowitsch, Lasker, Reti, Schlechter, Tal, Stein, Bronstein, Spassky, Ribli and Ljubojevic. The list since Kaufman's book was published is rather less impressive but includes several 2500+ players.
In a more recent repertoire book, Bologan's Black Weapons In The Open Games (New In Chess, 2014), Viktor Bologan rejects 4...dxc3, writing: "I was very interested in capturing the pawn (and another if White continues with 5.Bc4). However, I wasn't able to find any advantage for Black in one sideline."
It should be noted that as well as 4...d5, Black has two other important ways of declining the gambit, viz 4...d3 and 4...Nf6.
5.exd5 Qxd5 6.cxd4 Bg4 7.Be2 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxf3
First played, as far as is known, by Capablanca against Marshall at Lake Hopatcong, 1926. The idea soon becomes clear.
9.Bxf3 Qc4
Preventing early castling by White.
 |
| How should White react? |
Marshall preferred 10.Be3, when Capablanca grabbed a pawn after all by 10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+. The game was quickly drawn after the further moves: 12.Kf1 Qc4+ 13.Kg1 Nge7 14.Rc1 Qxa2 15.Ra1 Qc4 16.Rc1.
Much more popular than 10.Be3 is to seek an immediate queen-exchange by 10.Qb3, but the text is most popular.
10...bxc6
Blacks originally played 10...Qxc6, but Bologan says "it very quickly became clear the blockade of the d5 square is worth doubling the c pawns."
11.Qe2+ Qxe2+ 12.Kxe2 0-0-0 13.Be3 Ne7
Bologan writes: "It's easier for White than for Black to lose this position. Why is this so? Mostly because White (often) fails to play his main trump - installing his king on c4."
14.Kd3
IH in the postmortem said this is recommended in a book he has, although he could not recall the title. Judging from Bologan's comments, the book is probably Danish Dynamite. Even so, 14.Kd3 is only fourth-most popular in Mega19.
IH said his only loss with the text came against grandmaster Oleg Korneev, and that was due to a blunder late-on.
14...Bxc3!?
This seems to be a novelty.
Bologan says 14...c5 must be played "if (Black) wants to equalise in a relaxed manner." However, my move also seems satisfactory.
15.bxc3
15.Kxc3 Nd5+ gives the knight a fine central outpost.
15...c5 16.Kc4 cxd4 17.Bxd4 Nc6
Protecting the a7 pawn as the g7 pawn is effectively taboo.
18.Rhe1
Not 18.Bxg7? as Rhg8 leaves the bishop without a useful square, eg 19.Bf6 Rd6 20.Bd4 (20.Bh4?? Rg4+) Nxd4 21.cxd4 Rxg2 with much the better game for Black.
IH regretted not playing 18.Be3, which at least keeps the game going.
18...Nxd4 19.cxd4 Rhe8 20.Rad1 ½–½
Updated statistics
Battersea 2018-19
Event...Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL.........B..........167...….........196..............…D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..159...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..161...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...167...………..190...………….D
LL...…….W...…..167...………..161...….………W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..148...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..165...………….W
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..160...………….D
CLL...…..W...…..167...………..159...………….D
LL...…….B...…...167...………..168...………….D
LL...…….W...…..171...………..159...………….W
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..198...……….….L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..169...…………..L
CLL...…..B...…...171...………..196...…………..L
LL...…….B...…...171...………..182...…………..D
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +4=8-3 for a grading performance of 175.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9, also for a grading performance of 175.
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