Here is an especially sparkling game that caught my attention.
Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book.
Julius Perlis - Joseph Blackburne
Ostend Masters 1907
Danish Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3!?
There are almost 5,000 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, with White scoring a respectable 55%.
3...d5!?
This reply reduces White's score to 48%, whereas accepting the gambit with 3...dxc3, which has been played by Magnus Carlsen, results in White scoring 58%.
4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4!?
This game was played in round 22(!), whereas 18 rounds earlier Jacques Mieses - Blackburne saw 6...Nf6 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Be2 Ne4 9.Bd2 Bxc3 10.bxc3 0-0 11.0-0 Bg4 12.Be1!?, when Black's lead in development probably neutralises White's bishop-pair (but 1-0, 37 moves).
7.Be2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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7...Nf6
Here the novice should avoid the frightful blunder 7...Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Qxd4 9.Bxc6+, and Black loses the queen.
8.0-0
Better is 8.Nc3, and if either 8...Bb4 or even 8....Qa5 [then] 9.0-0. If 8...Qh5 [then] 9.h3.
My main analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon 8...Qd7 is an adequate response to 8.Nc3.
8...Bd6!?
Black preserves the option of castling on either wing.
The engines strongly dislike the text, preferring 8...Qd7 or 8...0-0-0.
9.Nc3 Qh5!?
This is also doubtful, according to the engines, which prefer 9...Qf5 or 9...Qa5.
10.Re1
This is enough for an advantage, but even stronger, according to the engines, is 10.h3, which had been played the previous year by Paul Leonhardt, albeit in a loss to Rudolf Spielmann.
10...0-0 11.h3
Now that White is definitely threatened with 11...Bxf3 followed by ...Qxh2[+] it is for him a choice of evils, namely either the text move or 11.g3, which equally weakens the king's position, or 11.Ne5, which loses material by reason of 11...Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bxe5 13.h3 (or 13.Bxg4 Bxh2+, followed by ...Nxg4 , with an advantage of two pawns) Bxe2 14.Qxe2 Qxe2 etc, and Black has the better game.
The engines agree with much of this analysis, but disagree that the text is weakening.
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11...Rad8?!
The beginning of a grand combination.
Unfortunately the combination is almost certainly faulty. Best, according to the engines, is 11...Bxf3 12.Bxf3 Qf5, when White seems to have a good IQP position.
12.hxg4 Nxg4
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| How should White proceed? |
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13.Bg5?
Correct, according to the engines, is 13.g3, eg 13...Nxd4 14.Nh4! Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Bc5 16.Be3 or 13...Rfe8 14.Nh4! Nxd4 15.Kg2 Nxe2 16.Rxe2. Less clear is 13.Be3, although both 13...Bh2+ 14.Kf1 Be5! 15.Bd3 and 13...Rfe8 14.Bd3 Bh2+ 15.Kf1 seem good for White.
13...Bh2+ 14.Kf1 Be5! 15.Bd3?!
If 15.Bxd8 there is the beautiful combination 15...Qh1+ 16.Ng1 Nh2#.
But probably better than the text is the engines' 15.Kg1, when 15...Bxd4 16.Ne4 f5 17.Bf4 fxe4 18.Nxd4 leads to complicated play, eg 18...Rxf4 19.Qb3+ Rd5 20.Bxg4 (20.Qg3+!?) Nxd4 21.Bxh5 Nxb3 22.axb3 Rxh5 23.g3! Rg4 24.Rxa7, which results in a double-rook-and-pawn ending that is clearly good for Black but not necessarily winning.
15...Rxd4?
Missing a win by 15...Qh1+ 16.Ke2 Qxg2, eg 17.Kd2 Nxf2 or 17.Rf1 Nxd4+ 18.Nxd4 Rxd4 19.Qd2 Re8 20.Kd1 Rxd3! 21.Qxd3 Bxc3 22.bxc3 Nxf2+.
16.Nxe5?
If 16.Nxd4 [then] 16...Nxd4, cutting off the king's retreat, but clearly not 16...Qh1+ 17.Ke2 Nxd4+ 18.Kd2 etc.
The engines give 16.Bh4, eg 16...Nh2+ 17.Nxh2 Qxh2 18.Re3!
16...Re8?
Another quiet move, but how powerful! It needs, however, a great deal of self-possession to make such a move when, temporarily, two pieces down. Of far less value would be the plausible continuation 16...Ncxe5 17.Rxe5 Rxd3 18.Qxd3 Bxe5 19.Qg3 Qh1+ 20.Ke2 Qxa1 21.Qxe5 Qxb2+ 22.Kf3 and the fight would still be an open one.
The engines reckon the above line greatly favours Black after 22...Qb6 or 22...f6. But even better, according to them, is 16...Qh1+ 17.Ke2 Qxg2, eg 18.Be3 Ngxe5 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Bxd4 Qg4+, as 21.Kf1 runs into 21...Nf3 22.Re4 Qg1+ 23.Ke2 Ncxd4+.
17.Re4 Rxe4 18.Bxe4 Ncxe5 19.Bf4 Ng6 20.Bg3 Qh1+ 21.Ke2 Qxg2
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| What should White play? |
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22.Qh1?
The strongest resistance would result from 22.Qd4 Nf6 23.Kd3.
The engines continue the above line with 23...Nxe4 24.Nxe4 c5! 25.Nxc5 Qf3+, which seems good for Black but is not completely clear. They reckon White needs to find 22.Qa4!, when Black needs to find 22...b5! 23.Qxb5 Rxe4+ 24.Nxe4 Qxe4+, which they agree is dead-equal after 25.Kd2 Qd4+ 26.Kc2 Qe4+.
22...Qxh1 23.Rxh1 f5 24.Kf3 N4e5+ 25.Kg2 fxe4
Black regains his piece and will emerge two pawns up.
26.Nxe4 Nf7 27.Re1
With the threat of 28.Nf6+.
27...Re7 28.f3 Nd6 29.Bxd6 cxd6 30.Rd1 d5
Very pretty! Not only would it be unsafe to take the pawn (31.Rxd5 Nf4+), but the pawn itself is to play the biggest part in the final struggle.
31.Nc3 Rd7 32.Kf2 Ne7 33.Ke3 d4+ 34.Ke4
Not 34.Rxd4 Nf5+, but he could have held out longer with 34.Ke2. Now a fresh 'finesse' puts an end to the fight.
34...dxc3! 0-1
[White resigns] because of 35.Rxd7 c2 36.Rc7 Nc6.
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