Play Chess Openings: Duras Gambit 3.Qh5+ Torning

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Duras Gambit 3.Qh5+ Torning

I enjoyed my Atari 2600 video games in the 1980s. I played for hours when home - very addicting. Bullet chess feels the same to me - very addicting. My Internet Chess Club bullet rating peaked on March 9, 1999, at 2236. My record was +335, -319, =32 [final rating 2202], but I gave up bullet 20 years ago. I don't move fast enough in retirement. Rick Torning is fast. He won a bullet Duras Gambit after 3.Qh5+ with a rook sacrifice.

NN - Torning, Casual Bullet game lichess, 15.02.2020 begins 1.e4 f5? 2.exf5 Kf7?? [Weakest possible defense. Psychology in chess is a powerful weapon.] 3.Qh5+ g6!? My pet rook sacrifice. The queen chase variation. 4.fxg6+ hxg6 5.Qxh8 Bg7 6.Qh3 d5 7.Qf3+ Nf6 [I have played this variation over a hundred times with many a nice win, and also the occasional crushing loss being a rook down. The compensation for a bullet game includes: surprise value with White usually having to play slower to protect the queen, Black often obtains a lead in development and the motto is 'attack at all costs'!] 8.Ne2 Too cramping. [8.d4] 8...c5 9.a3 Nc6 10.b3 Bg4 Black has used 5 seconds. 11.Qe3 White has now used 23 seconds. 11...d4 12.Qd3 [12.Qg5] 12...Ne5 13.Qb5 attacks the b7 and c5 pawns but White has poor development despite being up a rook and pawn. 13...Qc7 [13...b6] 14.Bb2?? [A blunder. The only move is 14.b4!!]

14...a6 15.Qa4 b5! Winning. White plays on through inertia! 16.Bxd4 bxa4 17.Bxe5 Qxe5 18.Ra2 Rd8 19.f3 Bf5 20.g4 Be6 [20...axb3!] 21.d4 cxd4 22.Nd2 d3 23.cxd3 Rxd3 24.f4 Qd5 Black wins on time with 29 seconds on the clock. 0-1 [Game notes by Torning]