Play Chess Openings: Lev Zilbermints Gambit Englund

Lev Zilbermints is famous for developing a gambit after 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nge7. I enjoyed the Englund Gambit in dozens of blitz games. Usually, I chose 3...Qe7 or 3...f6, but I've had a higher performance rating with 3...Nge7. Zilbermints won a game against Vladimir Polyakin in round three which he gave below with notes.

Zilbermints added this note with the final fourth round: "The last game was a short one, as NM Vladimir Lipman and I both had 3 points. All we needed was a draw to share first place. Thus, in the fourth round, we played: Lipman (2165) - Zilbermintz (2084), Red Bank Open (4), 2017. Zilbermints Gambit: 1 d4 e5 2 dxe5 Nc6 3 Nf3 Nge7 4 e4 DRAWN. This was the $150 Zilbermints Gambit game!"

Polyakin - Zilbermints, Red Bank Open (3), 2017 begins 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nge7 [The Zilbermints Gambit] 4.Nc3 [After some thinking, Polyakin chooses this move. John Nunn, in his 1999 work, Nunn's Chess Openings, recommended this move as avoiding all the complications that arise from 4 Bg5 or 4 Bf4. The former is called the Wigglesworth Defense, while 4 Bf4 is called the Klein Defense.] 4...Ng6 [Another line, known since 1994, is 4...h6 which is recommended by the German master Stefan Buecker. The move prevents the pesky 5 Bg5 but allows White to develop his pieces further. In the game, I continued with the text move.] 5.Bg5 Be7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Nd5 Qd8 [White has a slight edge here.] 8.e4 0-0 9.Be2 Ncxe5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.0-0 Nc6 [The computer gives 11...c6 but I am not convinced due to the backwardness of the d-pawn.] 12.Qd2 d6 13.Rad1 f5 [This might be premature. Still, it worked well in this game.] 14.exf5 Bxf5 15.Qc3 Kh8 16.Rfe1 a6 17.Bd3 Rc8? [A blunder. I completely overlooked the cheap shot 18 Bxa6! which wins a pawn. Correct is 17...Bxd3 18.Rxd3 when Black can still fight on.] 18.Bxa6 Ne5 19.Be2 [The computer says that 19.Bxb7 is better, but Polyakin grew afraid of my faint attacking chances on the Kingside. Thus he deployed the Bishop back to the defense. Going over the game with a computer, I found numerous instances where White could have consolidated and easily won. Perhaps my opponent was rattled by my stubborn defense and time pressure as well is nervousness?] 19...Qh4 20.f4 Nc6 21.Bf3 Bg4 22.g3 Qh5 23.Bxg4 Qxg4 24.b4 [Trying to drive away the Nc6.] 24...Rce8 25.Rd3 Qg6 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Re3 h6 [By this point, Polyakin had 9 minutes left on his clock to my 23.] 28.Qd3 Qf7 [White has 7 minutes left, Black, 20.] 29.c4 [White has 7 minutes left, Black, 20.] 29...Rxe3 30.Qxe3 Qg6 31.Kf2 Qh5 [Hitting both h2 and e1 at the same time. Good strategy in time pressure.] 32.Kg2 Qg6 33.b5 Qc2+ 34.Qf2 Qxc4! [Now the position is even.] 35.Nxc7 Nd4 36.b6 Qc6+ 37.Kh3 Qe4 38.g4 Qd3+ 39.Qg3 Qf1+

40.Kh4 [The last chance to draw was 40.Qg2! However, Polyakin decides to play for the win. He already refused three draw offers from me earlier. At this point, White has 1 minute 57 seconds left, Black, 16 minutes.] 40...Nf3+ 41.Kh5 Kh7 42.f5 Qd3 43.h4 g6+ [White overstepped on time rather than allow mate.] 0-1 [Notes by Zilbermints]