Pirc Blackburne Hartlaub Gambit

Peter Chaplin won quickly with an unusual gambit. Peter wrote in part: "Hi Tim, I've been destroying people with e4 d6 d4 e5 dxe5 Nc6 but I'm unable to find hardly any published information on this? I have worked out some stunning lines with the computer though. This is a 15 move Checkmate in the e4 d6 d4 e5 line just played this morning!"

Thanks, Peter. Blackmar-Diemer Gambit master Peter Webster won with the same line vs Charles Fiterman in the 1993 US Amateur Team Ch. after 4.Nf3 Bd7 5.exd6 Bxd6 6.Nc3 Qe7 7.Bd3 0-0-0 and 0-1 in 17 moves. Lev Zilbermints reached this position in blitz games from an Englund move order 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.e4 d6. This gambit is a gamble that may pay off big time. Masters tend to choose 4.exd6 Bxd6 5.Nf3 or 5.Bb5.

igrac5100 (1649) - Chaplin (2013), Live Chess Chess.com, 24.11.2019 begins 1.e4 d6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 Nc6 4.exd6 Bxd6 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Nf3 Bg4 [Black has picked up two tempi to develop pieces in exchange for the gambit pawn.] 7.h3 Bh5 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bxf6 [9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Nbd2+/=] 9...Qxf6 10.Nc3 Ne5 11.Qe2 [11.Be2=]

11...Bb4!? [11...Nxf3+! 12.gxf3 Bxf3-+ wins the rook] 12.a3 [12.Qe3 Bxf3=/+] 12...Nxf3+ 13.gxf3 Bxf3 [13...Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 Qxc3+ 15.Kf1 Qxa1+ 16.Kg2 Qxa3-+] 14.Qf1 [14.e5 Qf4-+] 14...Bxc3+ 15.bxc3 Qxc3# 0-1

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Grob Win by Sheldrick vs Master

Kevin Sheldrick defeated an FM in a tournament. Sheldrick wrote: "Here is a win I had with the Grob against an FM I thought you might be interested in. Have fun! Bye, Kevin"

Wow! That looked like a wild Sheldrick win. FM Bill Jordan does not lose often. Twenty years ago I played the Grob 1.g4 and the Borg 1...g5 from each side, including four vs the infamous Claude Bloodgood. Lifetime as Black I'm +84% in 300 games. Strong players rarely choose 1.g4, but I'm always uncomfortable playing those games.

Sheldrick (2004) - Jordan (2158), Hosworth Foundation Tournament Adelaide, Australia, 05.10.2019 begins 1.g4 c5 2.Bg2 Nc6 3.h3 [3.e4!=/+] 3...g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.c4 e6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.d3 d5 8.Bd2?! [8.Bf4! e5 9.Bg5=] 8...b6 9.Qc1 h6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.e4 dxc4 12.dxc4 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne2 Rc8 15.b3 f5? ["risky and unnecessary" as Bill later mentioned and suggested instead 15...h5 intending 16...0-0, as better, which the computer also much prefers to the game continuation] 16.exf5? [16.Nf4 Qd7 (16...Qd6 17.e5!+/=; 16...Kf7? 17.exf5+-) 17.exf5 exf5 18.Bxb7 Qxb7 19.Bb4!+-] 16...Bxg2 17.Kxg2 gxf5!? 18.Nf4 Kf7 19.Qa3 Qd7 20.f3 Rhe8 [20...Ng6=/+] 21.Rae1 Nc6?! [21...e5=] 22.Re2?! [22.Nh5+/=] 22...e5 23.Nh5 Bf8 24.Qc1 f4??+/- [another risky move but it was difficult for Black to adequately defend his h-pawn and the computer thought best was the tricky 24...d3 25.Ree1 Rcd8= intending 26.Bxh6?? d2-+] 25.Bxf4! exf4 26.Qxf4+ Kg6 27.Rfe1 Rxe2+ [no better is 27...Qf7 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Rxe8 Qxe8 30.Qf5#] 28.Rxe2 Bg7

29.Qe4+ Kf7 30.Qh7 Kf8 31.Re4 Rc7 32.Rf4+ Qf7 [32...Ke8 33.Qg8+!+-] 33.Qxg7+! Ke8 34.Rxf7 Rxf7 35.Nf6+ Ke7 36.Nd5+ Ke8 37.Qg8+ and Black resigned [Game notes by Sheldrick] 1-0

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Bird Opening Schlechter Delpire

Jason Delpire had a spur of the moment inspiration to play a Blackmar Gambit as Black against Bird's Opening. From Gambit begins 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6. Carl Schlechter had played 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 g5. Jason Delpire opted for 3...f6 4.exf6 Nxf6. My database had White scoring +6 -5 in previous games. Black enjoyed success in this blitz game. He sacrificed a piece and made threats. Jason's risky strategy paid off with checkmate!

palamambron (1706) - Delpire (1588), Rated Blitz lichess, 25.04.2019 begins 1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 Nc6 [The Birds Opening From Gambit is 2...d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3=] 3.Nf3 f6!? [Dozens of times I've played the Schlechter Gambit 3...g5!?] 4.exf6 [White could try 4.d4 or 4.e4] 4...Nxf6 5.d4 Bd6?! [5...d5! gives Black the use of two bishops.] 6.g3 [6.e3+/-] 6...0-0 7.Bg2 Ne4 [Maybe 7...b6!?] 8.0-0 [A thematic move in this type of position is 8.Qd3+/-] 8...Nxg3 9.hxg3 Bxg3 10.Bg5 [10.Ng5!+- leaves White up a knight and a pawn with a good position.] 10...Qe8 11.Qd3 Qh5 12.Nbd2?! [More active is 12.Nc3!+- which has the added advantage that the knight would cover e2.] 12...d5 13.c4?! Bf5

14.Qe3? [Suddenly the tables turn to Black's favor. White could still survive after 14.Qc3+/=] 14...Rae8 15.Qb3 Nxd4 16.cxd5 [White cannot save the queen without losing the king. If 16.Qd1 Nxe2+ 17.Qxe2 Rxe2-+] 16...Nxe2 mate 0-1

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Scandinavian Patzer Win Torning

Richard Torning sent me a Scandinavian Defence Patzer Variation 3...Qe5+ game with his strategy is 4.Be2 c6 5.Nf3 Qc7. Rick Torning wrote, "Hi Tim, another Scandinavian Patzer 60 seconds bullet game with opposite sides castling. White has dark square problems around the castled king and poor piece coordination."

NN - Torning, Casual Bullet game lichess, 04.12.2018 begins 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qe5+ 4.Be2 c6 5.Nf3 Qc7 6.0-0 Bf5 7.h3 passive 7...e6 The Scandinavian - Patzer Variation 8.d3 [8.d4] 8...Bd6 9.Ne4 Bxe4 10.dxe4 Nd7 keeping control of e5 and the long dark diagonal 11.c3 Ngf6 12.Qc2 0-0-0 the engine prefers 0-0. White should start a pawn storm on the queenside. 13.Bg5 Both sides have their rooks connected 13...h6 14.Bh4? The cause of the dark squares weaknesses around the castled king [14.Bxf6!? gxf6 imbalanced with bishops of opposite colours and a semi-open g-file] 14...g5 15.Bg3? [15.e5! Nxe5 16.Bg3 Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 h5 18.Bxd6 Rxd6=/+] 15...Bxg3 16.fxg3 Qxg3 White to move - what would you play? The Black queen looks like it is conducting a one piece attack. 17.Rad1? This natural move, developing the rook, is a blunder [17.Nd4-/+] 17...g4! 18.hxg4 [18.Ne1?? Qe3+ 19.Kh2 gxh3 20.Rf3?? Ng4+ 21.Kxh3 Qg1 with a king hunt to mate eg: 22.Nd3?? Qh2+ 23.Kxg4 Rdg8#] 18...Nxg4 19.Rfe1??-+ This loses quickly, but White needs to coordinate the pieces and the Nf3 cannot move because of mate. [19.Qc1?? Nde5!-+]

19...Nde5!? obsessed with deflecting the Nf3 from protecting h2. [oops, fractionally stronger is 19...Ne3! threatens #1 or wins the queen] 20.Rxd8+ [20.Nxe5?? Qh2+ 21.Kf1 Qh1#] 20...Rxd8 21.Rf1 [after 21.Rd1 Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1 Ne3 23.Qf1 N5g4! forces mate 24.Qe1?? Qxg2#] 21...Ne3 [also winning was 21...Nxf3+! 22.Rxf3 Qh2+ 23.Kf1 Qh1#] 22.Qb3?? White has 8 secs - saves the queen but 22...Qxg2# Black wins by checkmate with 18 secs left. 0-1 [Game notes by Torning]

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Caro-Kann Defence 4.Bd3 Anand

Roman Dzindzichasvili recommended Caro-Kann Defence Exchange 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 as a chess opening to attack as White. It's an easy line to play. This game turned sharp when the players castled opposite sides on move 13. Black outplayed his opponent by dominating the g-file in the game Jorden Van Foreest against Viswanathan Anand.

Van Foreest (2612) - Anand (2773), 81st Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee NED, 12.01.2019 begins 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.c3 Qc7 6.h3 g6 [Or 6...Nc6 7.Nf3 g6 8.0-0 Bf5 9.Re1 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Bg7=] 7.Nf3 Bf5 8.Ne5 Nc6 9.Bf4 Qb6 10.Bxf5 gxf5 11.Nd3 e6 12.Nd2 [12.g4 0-0-0 13.Nd2+/=] 12...Rg8 13.0-0 0-0-0 14.a4 Ne4 15.Rc1 Bd6 16.Bxd6 Nxd6 17.b4 Kb8 18.Qe2 Qc7 19.Qe3 Ne7 20.f3 [20.Kh1 Ne4=] 20...Ng6 21.Ne5 [21.Rf2 f4-/+] 21...f4 22.Qe1 Nf5 23.Nxg6 [23.Rf2 Nxe5 24.Qxe5 Qxe5 25.dxe5 Rg5-/+] 23...Rxg6 24.Rf2 [24.c4 Ne3-+] 24...Rdg8 25.c4 [25.Qe5 Qxe5 26.dxe5 Nh4-+] 25...Ne3 26.cxd5 [26.g4 fxg3-+] 26...Nxg2 27.Qe5 Qxe5 28.dxe5

28...Ne1+ 0-1

London 2.Bf4 Playbook: How to begin. London 2.Bf4 Tactics: How to win quickly.

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Blackmar-Diemer Great Carlini

Rob Hartelt sent me this game shown on the Coffee Chess channel on YouTube listed as New Hustler vs The Great Carlini. Black reportedly has a USCF blitz rating over 2200. The young sunglass wearing winner flashed a Paul Morphy picture on his phone after his victory. He received the nickname Flash Morphy. This BDG Teichmann Retreat 5...Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 provided great entertainment despite a few typical blitz game inaccuracies.

My Blackmar-Diemer Tactics with 500 combinations and mates.

Flash Morphy - Great Carlini, California blitz, 2018 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5 e6 9.g5?! [White thought for a few seconds before playing this rare move. Common is 9.Qf3. I recommend 9.Bg2 c6 10.h4 Bb4 11.0-0= which I analyze in my BD Theory 3 book.] 9...Nd5 10.Qf3 c6 [10...Bb4=/+] 11.Bd3 Qc7 12.0-0 Bxd3 13.cxd3 f6? [Better is 13...f5! 14.gxf6 which transposes]

14.gxf6 [Correct was 14.Nxd5! cxd5 15.gxf6 gxf6 16.Qxf6 Qg7+ 17.Bg5 Qxf6 18.Rxf6+-] 14...Nxf6 15.Ne4 Be7 [15...Nbd7=] 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6? [16...gxf6! 17.Qh5+ Kd8 18.Nf7+ Kd7 19.Nxh8 Qg3+ 20.Kh1 Bd6 21.Qxh7+ Kc8 22.Bf4 Bxf4 23.Rxf4 Qxf4 24.Rg1 Qf3+ 25.Kh2 Qf2+ 26.Rg2 Qf4+ 27.Kh1= draws] 17.Qh5+ Ke7 [17...g6 18.Qg4+/-] 18.Qf7+ [18.Rxf6+-] 18...Kd6 [18...Kd8 19.Rxf6 gxf6 20.Qxf6+ leaves White up a bishop.] 19.Nc4+ Kd5 20.Qxc7 Bxd4+ 21.Kg2 Kc5 22.Qa5+ b5 23.Qa3+ Mate next move. 1-0

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