Monday, January 16, 2017

Grandmaster Analysis of BDG

Kevin Sheldrick contested a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit in the Australian Open against GM Adrien Demuth. This line is also a Caro-Kann Defence. Sheldrick wrote: “I played a granddisaster with the BDG the other day. His name was Adrien Demuth and he is from France. The highlight for me was the post-mortem after the game, where I bore witness to some brilliant attacking chess moves from the friendly Egyptian GM Ahmed Adly (defending white) against Demuth's defence of black, although ultimately Adly's line appears to be unsound. All analysis below is with Stockfish, unless otherwise stated.”

Thank you Kevin! What fun it is to have grandmasters analyze your opening and your game. My Blackmar-Diemer Theory 4 book recommends 6.Nxe4 or maybe 6.Bb3 or even 5.fxe4. The line 5.Bc4 is section 3.3 in my Blackmar-Diemer Games 2 book and my new Blackmar-Diemer Theory 4 book. Notes below are by Kevin Sheldrick.

My Ruy Lopez Tactics covers 500 combinations and mates.
My Open Game Tactics covers 1.e4 e5 without Ruy Lopez.
My Sicilian Tactics 1.e4 c5 has 500 combinations and mates.
My French Tactics 1.e4 e6 has 500 combinations and mates.
My Caro-Kann Tactics 1.e4 c6 500 combinations and mates.
My Semi-Open Tactics 1.e4 misc 500 combinations and mates.
My Blackmar-Diemer Tactics 500 combinations and mates.
My Queens Gambit Tactics has 500 combinations and mates.
My Indian Tactics 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 500 combinations and mates.
My English Tactics 1.c4 500 has combinations and checkmates.

Sheldrick (2151) - Demuth (2521), Australian Open, 03.01.2017 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.f3 c6 5.Bc4 Nbd7 6.fxe4 [6.Nxe4!?] 6...e5 [6...b5!=/+] 7.dxe5 [After the game, Adly said that after 7. dxe5, I had "no chance" and suggested 7.Nf3? exd4 8.e5!? instead but he gave up on that line, due to Demuth's response of 8...dxc3 9.exf6 gxf6!-+; Surprisingly, we all missed 7.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 8.dxe5=/+ as a possibility. (OK, it's maybe not quite as surprising that I missed it as it was that the GM's both missed it) ??.] 7...Nxe5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8
9.Bd3?! [Admittedly though, Adly also criticised 9. Bd3?! in conjunction with 7. dxe5 and I'd have been fine if I'd played 9.Bb3! instead, intending stuff like 9...Bb4 10.Nf3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 where I didn't realise that I would have dynamic compensation in active pieces for my shot pawn structure.] 9...Bd6 10.Bg5 Ke7?! [10...h6=/+] 11.Nf3 [11.h3!=/+] 11...h6 12.Bh4 g5 [Unfortunately I lost a lot of time around now conversing with the arbiter about suspicions over my several leavings of the playing area to go to the toilet (I drink a lot of water while playing these games in sunny Brisbane!) That loss of time made things harder for me although it's difficult to hold out against a granddisaster anyway. I took it as a compliment though that my play had been so reasonable to consider that I had been assisted by a computer up until around this point!] 13.Bf2 Nfg4 14.Bd4 Rd8 15.Ke2? [15.Be2=/+] 15...Ng6 [15...Nxd3 16.cxd3 Bxh2!-/+] 16.g3 N4e5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.b3? [18.Kf2=/+] 18...Nxd3 19.cxd3 Bb4 20.Ke3 Rxd4 21.Kxd4 c5+ 22.Kc4 b5+! [Brilliant! Any other move would lose for him.] 23.Kxb5 [23.Nxb5?? Be6#] 23...Rb8+! 24.Kc6 Bxc3 [Black had a forced mate in 6 here instead - 24...Rb6+ 25.Kc7 Bxc3 26.d4 Bxd4 27.Rad1 Be5+ 28.Rd6 Bxd6+ 29.Kxc8 Rb8#] 25.Kxc5 Ba6 0-1 [26.d4 Rc8+ 27.Kd5 Bb7+ 28.Ke5 Rc5#! Notes by Kevin Sheldrick]



email: sawyerte@yahoo.com
Copyright 2011-2024

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

David Wight Wins BDG Euwe

This Blackmar-Diemer Gambit win by David Wight reminds me of a lesson from Bobby Fischer. Bobby won with a combination, but he missed the fastest win. Fischer commented in effect that the win you see is better than the one you don’t. The important thing is to keep searching for a win. When you find it, then you play it!

David Wight won this Blackmar-Diemer Gambit vs “evgeny1955” in the BDG Euwe. This variation may be good for Black in theory, but it is terrible in practice. White has a huge plus score. Black can easily fall prey to a winning combination at all levels of play.

White has a kingside attack that flows naturally. Prime targets in Black’s position are nine squares from f6 to h6 to h8 to f8 and everything in between. The White army aims at these squares with obvious strong threats. Both bishops take aim. The queen arrives diagonally from d1, d2, or e1. The Nf3 knight hops to g5 or e5. The Nc3 knight moves to e4 for reinforcement. The Rf1 may capture the Nf6 followed by Raf1. David Wight missed the bishop sacrifice Bxh7+ on moves 10 and 11. But by move 12 Wight realized it could work. Sure enough, he won!

My Blackmar-Diemer Tactics with 500 combinations and mates.

Wight (1694) - evgeny1955 (1595), Live Chess Chess.com, 12.12.2016 begins 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bd3 Bb4 [6...c5 7.dxc5 Nbd7 8.Qe2 Nxc5 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.Bg5 a6 11.Bxd7+ Ncxd7=; 6...Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe1 c5 9.Qh4 cxd4 10.Bg5 g6 11.Nxd4 Nd5=; 6...Nc6 7.a3 a6 8.Ne4 Be7 9.c3 Nd5 10.0-0=; 6...Bd6 7.Qe2 0-0 8.0-0 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4=; 6...b6 7.Qe2 Bb7 8.Bg5 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 Be7 10.Kb1=] 7.Be3 [7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 c5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Kh1 Qd5 11.Qe2=] 7...0-0 [7...c5 8.a3 cxd4 9.Bxd4 Ba5=/+] 8.0-0 b6 [8...Nc6 9.a3=] 9.Qe1 [9.Ng5!? Nbd7 10.Qf3 Rb8 11.Qh3 h6 12.Nf3 c5 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Qxh6+/-] 9...Nd5 [9...Ba6=] 10.Bd2 [10.Bxh7+! Kh8 (10...Kxh7 11.Ng5+ Kg8 12.Qh4+-) 11.Bg5 f6 12.Qh4 fxg5 13.Nxg5+-] 10...Bb7? [10...f5 11.Nxd5 Bxd2 12.Qxd2 Qxd5 13.c3 Nc6 14.Rae1=] 11.a3 [11.Bxh7+!+-] 11...Bd6 [11...Be7! 12.Qg3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 f5 14.Rae1=]
12.Bxh7+ [12.Ng5 Nf6 13.Rxf6 Qxf6 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Qh4 Qxd4+ 16.Qxd4 Bc5 17.Qxc5 bxc5 18.Bd3+-] 12...Kxh7 13.Ng5+ Kg8? [13...Kg6 14.Rxf7 Bxh2+ 15.Kxh2 Qd6+ 16.Kg1 Rxf7 17.Nb5+/-] 14.Qh4 Re8 15.Qh7+ Kf8 16.Rxf7# 1-0



email: sawyerte@yahoo.com
Copyright 2011-2024

Monday, January 9, 2017

Magnus Carlsen London System

Magnus Carlsen lost with the London System in the 2016 World Rapid Championship. Carlsen played well in the early part of this short game. But like anyone could, Carlsen let his advantage slip. Grandmaster Anton Korobov from Ukraine had a FIDE Rapid rating of 2750 as of December 2016. Korobov won the European Blitz Championship in 2013. Black was ahead on time in this game.

On move 17 White was more tempted to attack a bishop than to take a pawn. White had the idea of 18.Qh3 with a mate threat. But the move 17.Qd7!? gave Black surprisingly strong counterplay. Under time pressure Magnus Carlsen blundered with 18.Ng5?

Carlsen (2840) - Korobov (2692), World Rapid 2016 Doha QAT, 28.12.2016 begins 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.c3 Nf6 5.Nd2 [5.Nf3 Qb6 may lead White to weaken his pawn structure with 6.b3 or 6.Qb3. If instead 6.Qc2 Nh5 7.Be5 f6 8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Bd4 Black can gain the two bishops or play for more with 9...Qa5 10.b4 Qc7 11.c4 e5 12.cxd5 exd4 13.dxc6 Bxb4+ 14.Nbd2 dxe3 15.fxe3 Qxc6 16.Qb3 Bxd2+ 17.Nxd2 Be6=] 5...e6 [5...Bf5 6.Ngf3 e6=] 6.Ngf3 Bd6 7.Bg3 [7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Be2 0-0 9.0-0 Nh5 10.Bg3 Nxg3 11.hxg3 a5=] 7...0-0 8.Bb5!? [Although this bishop pin has been successful in practice, more common is 8.Bd3 b6 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.f4 Ne7 11.Qf3=] 8...Ne7 [8...Be7 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Qc2=] 9.Bd3 b6 [9...c4 10.Bc2 b5 11.0-0=] 10.e4! Bxg3 [10...dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 Nd5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Qc2=; 10...c4 11.Bc2 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bxe4 Rb8 14.Nd2+/=] 11.hxg3 dxe4 [11...Ng6 12.e5 Ng4 13.0-0=] 12.Nxe4 Ng6 [12...Ned5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.Nxc5 Qb6 15.Nb3 h6 16.0-0+/=] 13.dxc5 [White might win the Exchange by 13.Ne5!? Bb7 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Nd7+/-] 13...Bb7 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.cxb6 e5 16.Bxg6 hxg6 [16...Qxg6 17.0-0+/-]
17.Qd7!? [17.bxa7! Rxa7 18.0-0+/- White's three passed pawns on the queenside should more than compensate for Black's kingside attacking chances.] 17...Qxb6 18.Ng5? [This loses. White has at least two playable options with at least equal chances. 18.0-0-0 Rad8 19.Qe7 Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Qxf2 22.Qxe5 Qxf3=; or 18.Qh3 f6 19.0-0-0 Rad8 20.Qg4 Bc8 21.Qxg6 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 Qxf2 23.Qc2=] 18...Bxg2 19.0-0-0 Rab8 20.b3 [20.b4 Qxf2 21.Rhg1 Qxa2-+] 20...Qxf2 21.Qg4 [Losing more slowly is 21.Rh7 Qxg3 22.Qd2 f6 23.Ne6 Kxh7 24.Nxf8+ Rxf8 25.Rg1 Rd8 26.Rxg2 Qf4 27.Qxf4 exf4-+] 21...Rfc8 22.Kb1 Rxc3 23.Qb4 Rcc8 0-1

Sunday, January 1, 2017

10 Favorite Chess Posts of 2016

Happy New Year 2017! Here are my top 10 Favorite Chess Blog posts for 2016. I wrote a total of 333 posts during the year of 2016. These 10 Favorites are my Annual Update. Updated versions of other 2016 posts may be found in my books. Enjoy!

1. Tom Purser Remembered Mr. BDG
Published 12/23/2016

2. Elephant Gambit by Tom Purser
Published 12/30/2016

3. Fred Haley Wins Ryder Gambit
Published 12/24/2016

4. Rob Hartelt Caro-Kann to BDG
Published 12/28/2016

5. Blackmar-Diemer Rasmussen Wight
Published 12/15/2016

6. Kevin Sheldrick BDG Giving
Published 11/29/2016

7. Queen of Katwe Movie Review
Published 10/2/2016

8. Risky Caro-Kann vs Ralph Pirtle
Published 9/23/2016

9. Real Dr. A.W. Ryder BDG Story
Published 4/7/2016

10. James Schroeder Chess Principles
Published 6/17/2016

Tim Sawyer Chess Blog Posts by Year
2011 - 174
2012 - 580
2013 - 366
2014 - 365
2015 - 287
2016 - 333
2017 - 192
2018 - 349
2019 - 366
Total Blog Posts 2011-2019 = 3012




email: sawyerte@yahoo.com
Copyright 2011-2024