Miniatures 16

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

W Ransome (140 BCF) - Spanton (151 BCF)

London League

Vienna Gambit/King's Gambit Declined

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Bc5!?

This trails 2...Nc6 and especially 2...Nf6 in popularity, but scores as well as the latter, and one percentage point better than the former, in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

3.f4

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 are not keen on this, preferring 3.Nf3.

How should Black respond?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

3...d6

This is the engines' top choice. After 3...Bxg1!? (played by Staunton) 4.Rxg1 White seems to be doing well as 4...Qh4+? 5.g3 Qxh2 6.Rg2 gives White lots of play for a pawn.

4.Nf3

The game has transposed to a mainline position from the King's Gambit Declined.

4...Nc6

A common continuation, but theory prefers 4...Nf6, one point being 5.fxe5 dxe5 6.Nxe5?! is probably too greedy, eg 6...Qd4 7.Nd3 Bb6 8.Qf3 0-0 with obvious compensation for a pawn.

5.Bc4

Chigorin's favourite, but the engines prefer 5.Bb5, or going after the bishop-pair with 5.Na4.

5...Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 Nd4 8.Qd3!?

Dragon1's choice, at least for a while, but not liked by Stockfish17.

8...exf4 9.h4?!

Effectively isolating the f4 pawn, but the engines prefer getting on with development, suggesting a move that is not in Mega25, 9.b4!?, intending 9...Bb6 10.Bb2.

9...Qd7?!

The engines much prefer 9...Nf6.

10.Ne2 Nxe2 11.Qxe2 0-0-0 12.d3 Nf6 13.Bxf4 d5 14.Bb3 dxe4 15.0-0-0!

Not 16.dxe4? Nxe4!

With a fairly open centre, and both sides castling long, the position is set for a sharp middlegame

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

16...exd3 17.Rxd3

White is a pawn down, but has the bishop-pair and an initiative.

17...Rhe8??

The engines give 17...Qf5, eg 18.Rf1 Rxd3 19.Qxd3 Qxd3 20.cxd3 Rd8 21.Bxf7 Rxd3, reckoning White has enough for a pawn.

18.Rxd7 Rxe2 19.Rxc7+ 1-0

LESSON: there is no substitute for basic tactical skills.