Play Chess Openings: Kings Gambit Cunningham Gambit

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Kings Gambit Cunningham Gambit

The author W. John Lutes did extensive research on the King's Gambit. In his book on the Cunningham Gambit (3...Be7), Lutes found that "the Three Pawns Gambit is not theoretically correct for White, but the major lines lead to extremely difficult positions for the second player to defend in actual practice." Black has a wide variety of choices on moves 6-8. White is equal or better in most of those lines. The game between C Gauche and Thauane Ferreira Medeiros illustrates that point.

Gauche (2234) - Medeiros (1972), 1st AXPG Brazil Open 2017 Ponta Grossa BRA (7.14), 29.10.2017 begins 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Bh4+ 5.g3 [5.Kf1=] 5...fxg3 6.0-0 gxh2+ 7.Kh1 Nh6 [7...d5 8.Bxd5 Nf6=/+] 8.d4 0-0 [8...d5 9.Bxd5 c6 10.Bb3 Ng4=] 9.Bxh6 gxh6 10.Ne5 [Black has tripled pawns. White attacks.]

10...d5 11.Nxf7 Rxf7 [11...Qe7 12.Bxd5+/-] 12.Bxd5 Kh8 13.Rxf7 Nc6 14.Qf3 Bd7 15.Bxc6 [15.Nd2 Ne7 16.Bxb7+-] 15...bxc6 16.d5 Kg8 [16...Qg5 17.Nd2 Bg4 18.Rf8+ Rxf8 19.Qxf8+ Qg8 20.Qxg8+ Kxg8 21.Kxh2 cxd5 22.exd5+-] 17.Nc3 Be8 18.Rf8+ Kg7 19.Rf1 Rb8 [19...Qe7 20.dxc6+-] 20.Rg8+ 1-0