King's Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.f4 Bc5 3.Nf3 d5!? 4.Nxe5!?
More common in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 4.exd5, but the text has been recommended in several books and is preferred by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.
4...dxe4!?
This used to be regarded as refuted, but has been revived.
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| How should White respond? |
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5.Qh5!?
The mainline in Mega24 runs 5.Bc4 Nh6 6.Qh5 0-0 7.Nxf7 Bf2+!? 8.Kxf2 Qd4+ 9.Ke1, and now 9...Nxf7 gave equality, according to the engines, in Anthony Milnes (2019) - Spanton (1969), Guernsey 2016 (½–½, 34 moves).
5...Be6 6.Nxf7 Bf2+!? 7.Kxf2 Bxf7 8.Qe5+ Ne7 9.Qxg7!?
This must be the critical continuation. Two games reach the position in Mega24, one continuing 9.Bb5+?! and the other 9.b3!? I have additionally faced 9.Qxe4!?
9...Rg8 10.Qe5
White can grab a third pawn with 10.Qxh7!?, when 10...Qd4+ 11.Ke1 Rh8 12.c3 Qf6 13.Qxe4 leaves White four pawns up. Komodo14.1 reckons Black has enough compensation; Stockfish16 reckons Black has more than enough.
10...Nc6 11.Qc5
After 11.Qxe4, going three pawns up, the engines recommend 11...Qd6, followed by ...0-0-0, claiming the upper hand for Black.
11...Nd5 12.g3?!
The engines suggest 12.Nc3!?
12...Nxf4! 13.d3
Not 13.gxf4? Qh4+ 14.Ke3 (or 14.Ke2 Bh5+ etc) 14...Qe1+ 15.Be2 Qxh1.
13...Ne6 14.Qc3 Ncd4 15.dxe4 Qf6+ 16.Kg2 0-0-0 17.Bc4 Nf4+ 18.Bxf4 Qxf4 19.Bxf7
The engines prefer 19.Re1 or 19.Nd2, but agree Black is winning.
19...Qxe4+ 20.Kh3 Qf5+ 21.Kg2 Qxf7
Black is still winning after this, but even stronger is 21...Qe4+ 22.Kh3 Rd6 (this could also have been played at move 20), after which Black has a forced mate.
22.Nd2
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| Black to play and win |
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22...Qd5+?
The easiest win is probably 22...Ne2, eg 23.Qe3 Qd5+ 24.Nf3 Rde8 25.Nd4!, threatening both 26.Qxf3+ and 26.Re2+.
23.Nf3 Rgf8 24.Rhf1?
The engines reckon White is, at worst, only slightly inferior after R(either)d1.
24...Nxf3 25.Rxf3
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| Black to play and win |
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25....Qd2+?
Winning is 25...Qxf3 26.Qxf3 Rd2+ and 27...Rxf3.
26.Kg1 Rxf3 27.Qxf3 Qxc2 28.Qg4+ Kb8 29.Qg5 Qd3
The engines prefer 29...Rf8!?
30.Rf1 b6 31.Qf5 Qd4+ 32.Rf2 Rd7 33.Kg2 Kb7 34.b3 a5
I offered a draw.
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| How would you assess the position? |
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White has the smaller, and therefore faster-moving, pawn-majority. But this is probably not significant as long as queens are on the board, as they make it problematic for either side to leave his king exposed.
35.Qf3+ Qd5?!
The engines reckon that after ...
36.Qxd5+ Rxd5
... the position remains equal, but it is surely easier for White to play.
37.h4 h5 38.Rc2 Rd3 39.Re2 Kc6 40.Re6+ Kd5!?
The engines do not like this, wanting the king to withdraw to b7 or d7.
41.Rh6 Ke4 42.Rxh5 Rd2+ 43.Kh3 Rxa2 44.Rb5 Kf3?!
The engines agree this makes matters worse, but they cannot agree on what Black should play -suggestions include 44...Rf2, 44...c5 and 44...Rd2.
45.Rf5+ Ke4 46.Kg4 Rb2 47.Rb5?
White should push the passed h pawn.
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| Black to play and draw |
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47...Rd2
The engines reckon 47...c5! gives complete equality, eg 48.Rxb6 c4 49.h5 Rxb3 50.Ra6 c3 51.Rxa5 c2 52.Rc5 Kd3 53.h6 Rb4+ 54.Kf3 Rb1 55.h7 Rh1 etc.
48.h5 Rd6 49.Rg5 c5!? 50.Rg6 Rd4 51.Rxb6 Kd3+ 52.Kf5 a4!?
Desperation, but the game is well gone.
53.bxa4 c4 54.h6 c3 55.h7 Rd8 56.Rc6 c2 57.Kg6 Kd2 58.Kg7 Rd7+ 59.Kg8 Rd8+ 60.Kg7 Rd7+ 61.Kh6 Rd8 62.g4 c1=Q 63.Rxc1 Kxc1
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| White's three pawns easily beat Black's rook |
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The game finished:
64.g5 Kd2 65.g6 Kc3 66.g7 Rd6+ 67.Kg5 1-0
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