Play Chess Openings: Ryder Gambit 5.Qxf3 Normand

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Ryder Gambit 5.Qxf3 Normand

Nicolas Normand sent me a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Ryder 5.Qxf3 victory. He attached this note: “Hello Tim, I go on playing the BDG Ryder variation on a 1900 level. I send you this little miniature to wish you a better new year 2021! The best for you and your family. Nicolas NORMAND from France.”

Dr. Arthur William Ryder was born in Oberlin, Ohio in 1877. A century later, the US Championship was held in Oberlin (1975). According to Kenneth Rogoff who competed there, William Tevis attended the event. The “modest hall” at the college gave Tevis an idea for a scene used in his famous “Queen’s Gambit” novel.

Ryder studied at Harvard and then Leipzig. While in Germany he won a short “BDG” with 5.Qxf3. Later Dr. Ryder taught at Berkeley where he became one of the strongest chess players in California. The Ryder Gambit offers two pawns in exchange for a tricky and trappy opening. White often wins quickly or gets crushed in an ugly game. In theory, Black’s most aggressive approach is 5…Qxd4 6.Be3 Qg4. This game saw a secondary choice (6...Qb4) work well for Normand. I analyze some critical lines.

My Blackmar-Diemer Tactics with 500 combinations and mates.

Normand (1921) - joffre1418 (1922), Rated Correspondence game lichess, 23.12.2020 begins 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Qxf3 Qxd4 6.Be3 Qb4 7.0–0–0 e6 [7...e5 8.Nb5 Na6 9.Qg3 Ng4 10.a3 Qe4 11.Bd2 Bc5 12.Nc3 Qg6 13.h3=] 8.Nb5 Bd6 [8...Qa5 9.Bd2 Qb6 10.Be3 Bc5 11.Bxc5 Qxc5 12.Qa3 Qxa3 13.Nxc7+ Ke7 14.bxa3+=] 9.a3 Qa5 [9...Qh4 10.Nh3 0–0 11.Bg5 Qe4 12.Bxf6 Qxf3 13.gxf3 gxf6 14.Nxd6 cxd6 15.Rxd6=] 10.b4 Qa4 [10...Qa6? 11.Nxd6+ cxd6 12.Bxa6+- wins the queen.]

11.Rxd6 cxd6? [11...0–0 12.Rd1 Bd7 13.Bc5 Rc8 14.Kb2 Bxb5 15.Qxb7 Ba6 16.Qxa8 Nc6 17.Qxc8+ Bxc8 18.Ne2+/-] 12.Nxd6+ Ke7 [12...Kf8 13.Bc5 Nbd7 14.Bb5 Nxc5 15.Bxa4 Nxa4 16.Nxc8 Rxc8 17.Qxb7+-] 13.Bc5 Nc6 [13...Qc6 14.Nxc8+ Kd7 15.Nxa7 Qxf3 16.Nxf3 Nc6 17.Nxc6+-] 14.Bb5 [Black resigns.] 1–0