Miniatures 6

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

L Filipowicz (175 BCF) - Spanton (ungraded)

North London Spring Congress 1989

Philidor Countergambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5?!

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 strongly dislike this gambit, preferring 3...Nf6, 3...Nd7 or 3...exd4.

How should White respond?

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4.Nc3

This is the main move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but the engines prefer 4.Bc4 or 4.exf5!?

4...Nf6?!

Almost certainly better is the most popular continuation, 4...fxe4.

5.dxe5 Nxe4 6.Bc4!?

The engines agree this is best.

6...Nxc3 7.bxc3 c6?

Better, but still losing, according to the engines, is 7...d5!? 8.Bxd5 Be7.

8.exd6 Qxd6 9.Bg5

Probably even stronger is 9.0-0, but either way White's lead in development and safer king are decisive.

9...h6

Getting queens off is preferred by the engines, but 9...Qxd1+ 10.Rxd1 increases Black's development advantage.

10.Qe2+ Be7 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Ne5 h5? 14.Bf7+ 1-0

LESSON: when playing an opening that is sharp, but dodgy, success is unlikely without knowing the basic theory and ideas.