Stephen Pickles (1931 ECF/2280 Fide) - Spanton (1947 ECF/1982 Fide)
Göring Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3!?
This is the third-most popular continuation, but well-behind 4.Bc4 and especially 4.Nxd4. However it is still sometimes played by grandmasters, who are perhaps partly attracted by the fact it scores 58% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, a percentage point better than 4.Bc4 and three percentage points better than 4.Nxd4.
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| How should Black respond? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
4...d5
In the postmortem SP said he had hoped I would play something more interesting.
Stockfish17 and Dragon1 marginally prefer the 'more interesting' 4...dxc3, but Black's score of 38% in Mega25 compares unfavourably with the second player's total of 48% after the text.
5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.cxd4 Bg4 7.Be2 Bb4+
Not 7...Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Qxd4?? 9.Bxc6+ etc, although there are three examples of this sequence in Mega25, including three years ago in a world championship tournament (for girls under 10).
8.Nc3 Bxf3!?
This was first played in Frank Marshall - José Capablanca, Lake Hopatcong (New Jersey) 1926.
9.Bxf3 Qc4!?
This was the point behind Capablanca giving up the bishop-pair.
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| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
10.Qb3!?
Marshall - Capablanca went 10.Be3!? Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+ 12.Kf1!? Qc4+ 13.Kg1!? Nge7 14.Rc1!? Qxa2 15.Ra1 Qc4 16.Rc1 ½–½.
The main line in Mega25 runs 10.Bxc6+ bxc6!? 11.Qe2+ Qxe2+ 12.Kxe2 0-0-0 13.Be3 Ne7, with an equal position, according to the engines.
10...Qxb3
10...Qxd4?! has been played by a 2430, but White almost certainly has more than enough for a pawn, eg 11.0-0 Nge7 12.Bxc6+ Nxc6 (12...bxc6? 13.Be3 Qh4 14.g3 Qg4 15.h3!?) 13.Re1+ with a strong attack.
11.axb3 Nxd4!?
The main continuation runs 11...Nge7 12.0-0 a6 13.Ra4!? Bd6, when Dragon1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish17 calls the position equal.
12.Bxb7 Nc2+ 13.Ke2!?
The engines agree this is best, even though it leaves the c2 square undefended. After 13.Kd1 Nxa1 14.Bxa8 (14.Bc6+!?) Ne7 they reckon Black is at least equal, and if, as in the game, 15.Nd5?!, then 15...Kd7 is good.
13...Nxa1 14.Bxa8
Dragoljub Velimirović played 14.Bc6+!? Kf8 15.Bxa8 in the 1970s against Vassily Smyslov, Béla Tóth and Mikhail Tal, beating Tóth and drawing with the other two.
Dragoljub Velimirović played 14.Bc6+!? Kf8 15.Bxa8 in the 1970s against Vassily Smyslov, Béla Tóth and Mikhail Tal, beating Tóth and drawing with the other two.
14...Ne7 15.Nd5
SP said he was out of book after this move.
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| What should Black play? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
15...0-0?
The engines suggest 15...Bd6, eg 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.Bd5 Rb8!? 18.Bg5+ f6 19.Bxf6+ Kxf6 20.Rxa1 Rb5, with what they reckon is sufficient play for a pawn (White's extra pawn being anyway doubled and isolated).
16.Nxe7?
Joost Hoogendoorn (2391) - Maarten Solleveld (2414), Netherlands Team Championship 2000, went 16.Nxb4 Rxa8 17.Bg5 (1-0, 54 moves).
Joost Hoogendoorn (2391) - Maarten Solleveld (2414), Netherlands Team Championship 2000, went 16.Nxb4 Rxa8 17.Bg5 (1-0, 54 moves).
16...Bxe7 17.Bd5 Nc2 18.Rd1 Bd6 19.Kd3!?
Giving up the bishop-pair to activate the king. Possibly better is 19.Bd2 Re8+ 20.Kf1 Nb4 21.Bc4, with a slight edge for White, according to the engines.
19...Nb4+ 20.Kc4 Nxd5 21.Rxd5
21.Kxd5?! allows 21...Bxh2 as 22.g3?? loses to 22...Rd8+ etc.
21...Rb8!?
SP said he was surprised at this, having expected 21...Re8, which may be slightly better.
22.Be3 Rb4+ 23.Kc3 Rb7
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| How should White continue? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
24.Bc5
Dragon1 reckons 24.Kc2 gives the upper hand, but Stockfish17 calls the position equal.
If 24.Bf4!?, then 24...Rb6 (24...Bxf4?? 25.Rd8#) 25.Bxd6 cxd6 holds.
24...Bxc5 25.Rxc5 ½–½
Not 25.Rd8+?? Bf8.
A curiosity about the position at move 8 is that it can be reached from a Chigorin. For example the move order 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. Nf3 e5 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. e3 Bg4 7. Be2 exd4 8. exd4
ReplyDeleteChigorin players unaware of Scotch theory or not wanting to follow it would continue with 8. .. 0-0-0 or 8. .. Nf6
Stockfish seems to prefer the Capablanca line, but not by much.
RdC
I had the position after 7.Be2 in a 2002 game in the Politiken Cup in Copenhagen, but continued 7...0-0-0, which is probably not best (the game is in Mega)
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