This month, we look at some recent games in which the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit was avoided or declined. Here, we use the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4, where the normal gambit accepted continuation is 3…dxe4 4.f3 exf3.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4
Before we look at 3…Nxe4, check out this games after 3...dxe4:
4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Qd2 0–0 8.0–0–0 Bg4 9.Re1 Rb8 10.h3 Be6 11.Rd1 b5 12.d5
12...Nxd5 (12...b4 favors Black.) 13.Nxd5 and 1–0 in 29. Sala - Fieberg, chess.com 2024
4.f3 and now:
4...Bf5 5.fxe4 Nxe4 6.Qf3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Qc8 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.cxd3 e6 10.Nh3 Be7 11.0–0 0–0 12.Nf4 Nd7 13.Nh5 Nf6 (Now comes a surprising sacrifice, giving White an advantage.)
14.Nxg7 Kxg7 15.Bg5 Qd8 16.Qg3 Kh8 17.Qe5 Rg8 18.Bxf6+ Bxf6 19.Rxf6 Rg7 20.Rxf7 Qg8 21.Raf1 Rc8 22.Re7 Rf8 23.Rxf8 Qxf8 24.Rxc7 Kg8 25.Qxe6+ Kh8 26.Qe5 1–0 Arslanov - Ismayil, chess.com 2024
4...e3 5.Bxe3 and now:
5...a6 6.Bd3 e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Nf3 c5 9.Qe2 cxd4 10.Bxd4 Bc5 11.0–0–0 Bxd4 12.Nxd4 Qc7
13.Nxe6!? (13.f5 e5 14.g4 favors White.) 13...fxe6 14.Qxe6+ Kf8 15.Bc4 Ne5 16.Qxe5 Qxc4 17.Rd8+ Kf7 18.Rxh8 b5 19.Re1 b4 20.Ne4 Nxe4 Mate in three 21.Qe8+ Kf6 22.Rf8+ 1–0 Arslanov - Silva, chess.com 2024
5...Bf5 6.g4 Bg6 7.h4 h5 8.Nh3 e6 (Better is 8...hxg4 9.fxg4 Rxh4=) 9.Nf4 Bh7 10.g5 Nd5 11.Ncxd5 exd5 12.g6 Bxg6 13.Nxg6 fxg6 14.Qd3 Qf6 15.Bg5 Qf7 16.0–0–0 Bd6 17.Re1+ Kd7
18.Qb5+ (Even stronger is 18.Bh3+ Kc6 19.Qc3+ Kb6 20.Qb3+ Kc6 21.Be6) 18...Kc8 19.Bh3+ Nd7 20.Re7 Qxe7 21.Bxe7 c6 22.Bxd7+ Kxd7 23.Qxb7+ 1–0 Arslanov - Denis, chess.com 2024
5…e6 6.f4 Nd5 7.Bd2 Bd6 8.Qf3 0–0 9.Nh3 Nc6 10.0–0–0 Nxd4 11.Qe4 c5 White will temporarily regain the gambit pawn, but Black wins it back again by force.
12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Qxd5 Bxh3 14.gxh3 Bxf4 15.Qg2 Bxd2+ 16.Rxd2 Qh4 17.Bd3 b6 18.Rg1 g6 19.Qf1 Rae8 20.Rf2 Kg7 21.c3 Nc6 22.Bc4 Ne5 23.Bd5 Qxf2 24.Qxf2 Nd3+ 25.Kc2 Nxf2 0–1 Arslanov - Kamsky, chess.com 2024
Now, let's move on to 3...Nxe4 4.Nxe4 dxe4 and now:
5.Bc4 g6 6.Be3 (6.c3=) 6...Bg7 7.Qe2 c5
8.0–0–0 (8.dxc5 Bxb2 favors Black.) 8...cxd4 9.Bb5+ Nc6 10.Bxd4 Bxd4 11.c3 0–0 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Rxd4 Qa5 and 0–1 in 26. Crickmore - Prie, Leca da Palmeira POR 2024]
5.Be3 and now:
5...Bf5 6.g4 Bg6 7.Ne2 e6 8.h4 h6 9.Nf4 Bh7 10.Qe2 Bd6 11.Nh5 Rg8 12.Qb5+ Nd7 13.0–0–0 Qc8 14.d5 e5 15.g5 Bg6 16.Qe2 hxg5 17.hxg5 Qd8 18.Bh3 Qe7 19.Bg4 a6 20.c4 0–0–0
21.c5 (21.Ng3=) 21...Bxc5 and 0–1 in 30. Arslanov - Sarana, chess.com 2024
5...Nd7 6.f3 Nf6 7.fxe4 Nxe4 8.Bd3 Nd6 9.Qf3 g6 10.Ne2 Bg7 11.0–0–0 c6 12.c4 Bf5 13.Rhf1 0–0 14.b3 Qa5 15.Kb1 Bxd3+ 16.Rxd3 Qf5 17.Bf4 Qe4 18.Bxd6 Qxf3 19.Rdxf3 exd6 Black is up a pawn and 0–1 in 28. Arslanov - Norowitz, chess.com 2024
5...c6 6.f3 exf3 7.Nxf3 and now:
7...Bf5 8.Bc4 e6 9.0–0 Nd7 10.Ng5 h6
11.Nxf7! 1–0 Arslanov - Topalov, chess.com 2024
7…g6 8.Bc4
Bg7 9.0–0 0–0 10.Qe1 Nd7 11.Qh4 Nf6 12.Rae1 Bf5 13.c3 Nd5 14.Bh6 Bf6 15.Ng5 Re8
16.Rxf5 gxf5 17.Bg7 Bxg7 18.Qxh7+ Kf8 19.Qh5 Kg8 20.Qxf7+ Kh8 [Mate in four.]
21.Qh5+ Kg8 22.Qh7+ Kf8 23.Ne6+ Kf7 24.Qxg7# 1–0 [Arslanov - Kubicka, chess.com 2024]