THIS brevity from 500 Master Games Of Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont caught my eye for its instructional worth as well as its entertainment value.
The authors' notes, algebraicised, are in italics.
Gustaf Nyholm - Richard Réti
Baden (Austria) 1914
Danish Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 d5
As in all open games (1.e4 e5), this move means for Black the emancipation of his game. Other methods of declining the third pawn (such as 4...Bb4 or 4...c2 or 4...d6 or 4...Nc6 or, finally, 4...Nf6) are far less effective.
Nevertheless the text is only the 10th most-popular move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database.
5.Bxd5
After 5.exd5, closing the bishop's diagonal, Black can develop without difficulty.
At the same tournament the game Nyholm - Rudolf Spielmann saw 5.exd5 cxb2 6.Bxb2 Nf6 7.Nc3 Nbd7 8.Nf3 Bb4 9.0-0 0-0, which the analysis engines Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon is at least slightly better for Black (0-1, 26 moves).
5...cxb2 6.Bxb2 Nf6
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
7.Nf3?
7.Nf3?
The following stratagem would be insufficient: 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8, on the score of 8...Bb4+ 9.Qd2 Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 c5 followed by ...Be6 and ...Rd8, and Black's pawn-majority on the queenside will tell in the endgame.
The engines reckon the position after 10...c5 favours, if anyone, White. The game Nyholm - Algot Ahlberg, Nordic Congress (Gothenburg) 1919, continued 11.Ngf3 Be6?! 12.Ng5+ Ke7 13.f4 Rd8, when the engines reckon 14.f5 Bg8 15.e5 would have given White a large advantage. Instead the game continuation, 14.Nxe6 Kxe6 15.0-0-0 Nc6, divides the engines, Stockfish14.1 giving White the upper hand but Komodo12.1.1 calling the position equal (0-1, 34 moves).
A possible improvement for Black is 10...Re8, as played in Nyholm - Tartakower, Baden 1914, which continued 11.f3 Nc6 12.Rc1 Be6 13.a3 Rad8 14.Ne2, which also divides the engines, Stockfish14.1 again giving White the upper hand but Komodo12.1.1 again calling the position equal (0-1, 39 moves).
It is probably fair to say Nyholm's poor score with the Danish Gambit, at least in Mega22. has more to do with his opponents' superior skills than with the opening's intrinsic value. Certainly, despite the verdict in the book, 7.Bxf7+!? is a major improvement on the text.
It is probably fair to say Nyholm's poor score with the Danish Gambit, at least in Mega22. has more to do with his opponents' superior skills than with the opening's intrinsic value. Certainly, despite the verdict in the book, 7.Bxf7+!? is a major improvement on the text.
7...Bb4+ 8.Kf1
Or 8.Nc3 Nxd5 9.exd5 Qe7+, and the simplification of the play is in Black's favour. After the text move, however, White's position is disorganised.
8...0-0?!
Evading the threats 9.Qa4+ or (after 8...c6) 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ followed by Qxb4. Henceforth Black will have the initiative.
A better way to safeguard the bishop seems to be 8...Na6.
 |
| What should White play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
9.Qb3?
White can restore material equality with 9.Bxf7+ as 9...Rxf7?? loses to 10.Qxd8+. Instead the engines reckon Black should play 9...Kh8, retaining a large advantage but one much smaller than in the game.
9...Nc6!?
Very subtle indeed! If now White were to be tempted by the lure of a piece to be won, the sequel would be: 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Qxb4 Rb8 12.Qd4 (12.Qxb8 Ba6+) Rxb2 13.Qxb2 Qd1+ 14.Ne1 Ba6+ 15.Kg1 Qxe1#.
10.Nc3 Qe7 11.a3 Bd6 12.Re1 Ne5
The manner in which Black now proceeds to gain more and more territory is instructive.
13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.Bc4 c6 15.h4 b5 16.Be2 Be6 17.Qc2 Qc5 18.Rc1 Rfd8 19.g3 a5 20.Qb1 Rd2!?
In effecting this occupation of the seventh rank, Black had to make exact calculations regarding the effect of a "discovery" by the white knight (21.Nd5 or 21.Nxb5).
21.Nd5
If 21.Nxb5 the engines give 21...Bc4 22.Rxc4 Qxb5 23.Qc1 Qxb2, when Black has won a knight.
21...Rxb2 22.Qxb2?
This loses a piece, Black's rejoinder being most ingenious, but after 22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Qxb2 Bxb2 24.Rxc5 a4 25.Rxc6 b4 26.axb4 a6 White's cause is equally lost.
But after the book's line White is the exchange and a pawn up, so 27.Kg2 a2 28.b5 a1=Q 29.Rxa1 Bxa1 30.b6 is not so clear - Black has a bishop for two pawns but the b pawn is dangerous, especially bearing in mind Black's vulnerability on the back rank.
22...Qxd5 23.cxd5 Bxb2 24.Rc2 Bxd5 0-1
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