I have hundreds of chess books, yes hundreds and I never realised
just how boring the covers are. Most are like this below. Boring.
You can see my imagination really went overboard on that one.
So why pick it? Because Raymond Keene gives each gambit a rating.
On this page we shall endeavour to seek out the one star ratings:
And find a win with a Red Hot Player playing and winning with it.
The Charlick-Englund gets the one star treatment. We have RHP wins.
In truth it is a one trap opening yet 18 Black RHP players have fallen for it.
So whose game do I pick. I’ll go for Dicey Reilly he has two wins with it.
Anatoly Ledgerdemain - Dicey Reilly RHP 2010 and frazzz - Dicey Reilly RHP 2011
1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 {Now we wait.....Will White try to hang onto the pawn.} 4. Bf4 {Yes...the first part of the bait has been taken.} 4... Qb4+ {Hitting the loose Bishop on f4} 5. Bd2 Qxb2 {This is the dodgy part. 6.Nc3 is the move here. But if White spots and plays the attractive looking....} 6. Bc3 {Then you have him.} 6... Bb4 7. Qd2 {The plausible follow up but at this stage White is in a mess, other moves lose material.} 7... Bxc3 8. Qxc3 {Everything is covered....} 8... Qc1 {...except the King. Checkmate.}
Raymond has this to say on page 100.
He is wrong with the name (Schulze - Muller) that name belongs to another
opening that Keene does not mention. The Schulze - Muller is better known
as the ‘Halloween Gambit.’ It has many followers who play this all the time.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
White now plays 4.Nxe5 and the fun begins
But we have to forgive Mr. Keene, he is a GM. When was the last he
dabbled in the dark art of gambit play. The book was written in 1992,
long before chess hit the internet and the ‘Halloween Gambit’ took off.
We of course do have a game with the Irish/Chicago Gambit.
Thedrendel - Gorby007 RHP 2011
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nxe5 Nxe5 4. d4 Ng6 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Bxf7+ {I like this lad's approach to game.} 6... Kxf7 7. e5 Ne4 8. Qf3+ Kg8 {White now played 9.0-0 d5 and did infact go on to win this game. but instead of castles he did have...} 9. Qb3+ {And that is actually mating Black.} 9... d5 {Only move.} 10. exd6+ Be6 {Only move.} 11. Qxe6 {Mate.}
The Salvio , A variation in the King’s Gambit merits only one star.
First a couple of Black wins to give you a feel for the opening.
Woltato - reydoog RHP 2011
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Ne5 {This is the key move of the Salvio, 5.0-0 gxf3 is the Muzio ( which gets 3 stars from Raymond Keene).} 5... Qh4+ 6. g3 fxg3 7. Bxf7+ Ke7 {White is in a spot of trouble here. His best (if best is the correct word) is 7.Qxg4 Qxg4 8.Nxg4. Instead White seeks King safety.} 8. O-O {An extreme example of castling into it.} 8... Qxh2 {Checkmate.}
HFRJPcheck - jankrb RHP 2009
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Ne5 Qh4+ 6. Kf1 Nc6 {This is regarded as best by Keene. 7.Nxf7 Bc5 8.Qe1 g3 9.Nxh8 Be2 and Black has the attack.} 7. Nxc6 {Chopping a developed piece and lifting the pressure on f7 must be wrong.} 7... dxc6 8. d4 f3 {Black starts to open up lines against the White King.} 9. gxf3 {This is what Black wants. 9.Be3 or 9.Bf4 not opening the diagonals and files and getting a piece out to help the King were better options.} 9... gxf3 10. Qxf3 Bh3+ {The King has to go to g1. 11.Ke2 Bg4.} 11. Kg1 Qe1+ 12. Bf1 Nf6 {Developing with a nasty threat. Rg8+. The open files and diagonals are murdering White.} 13. Bf4 {If White takes the h3 Bishop then Rg8+} 13... Rg8+ 14. Bg3 Bh6 {Be3+ is coming and White can do nothing about it.} 15. Qxf6 {A spite capture. But the open files and diagonals around the White king cannot all be covered.} 15... Be3+ 16. Qf2 Bxf2 {Checkmate.}
And proof we can learn from out losses. The same White player 3 years later.
HFRJPcheck - jertamev RHP 2012
1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Ne5 Qh4+ 6. Kf1 {As I said earlier Keene now suggests 6...Nc6 7.Nxf7 Bc4 Black comes up with another idea.} 6... f3 7. d4 Nf6 8. Nc3 Nc6 {So far White has refrained from jumping onto f7 till he is better developed. Now he judges the time is right.} 9. Nxf7 fxg2+ 10. Kxg2 Qh3+ 11. Kg1 Rg8 12. Nb5 g3 {Looks threatening but White, thanks to his patient development can handle this.} 13. Ng5 {Hits the g8 Rook and also attacks the Black Queen.} 13... Rxg5 14. Bxg5 {14...g2 wins the h1 Rook but Black is also losing a Rook. (Nc7+) Black is then 'attacking' only with his Queen v White's developed pieces and extra material.} 14... Nxe4 {This rushing to get another piece near the White King is wrong. 14...g2 and hope White makes a big blunder.} 15. Nxc7 {White is not given the chance to make a big blunder. That is checkmate.}
First of all a Word Search. Look for Reti, Fine, Giri and Euwe.
And a Spot the Difference.
The two positions look the same but they are not. What is the difference.
(solutions at the end of this piece)
The instructive bit where we look at an RHP game in depth.
windmills - njshepherd RHP 2015
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 e5 {We have by way of a different move order a Philidor Defense.} 5. Bc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O {In this set up Black will try to refrain from playing exd4 as long as possible and White will be doing the same regarding dxe5.} 7. Re1 c6 8. a4 {Now 8...Qc7 is a good square for the Queen and still passing the buck about a capture in the centre seems to be the most popular choice.} 8... a6 {But using a pawn move to pass the buck is rarely good.} 9. a5 {White latches onto the weak b6 square and the whole game now revolves around this square.} 9... h6 {Another pass the buck move? Maybe, maybe not - see the first analysis game.} 10. h3 {White waits....this luxury move is OK no harm done and why not pass the move back. Black is wrecking his position with pawn moves. Please play more.} 10... Qc7 11. Be3 {X-raying that weak b6 square. Black has waited long enough...possibly too long.} 11... exd4 12. Bxd4 Ne5 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. Bb6 Qd6 15. Qxd6 Bxd6 {Black's bid for freedom (11...exd4) has not left him any material down but as far as equalising goes he is lagging way behind.} 16. Na4 {There is an instructive move. The Knight is heading for b6 before Black can play Bb4 pinning it and easing things by exchanging.} 16... Nd7 {Black is not only seeking exchanges he wants to get a Rook on d8 to challenge the d-file.} 17. Rad1 {White, with every piece pumping iron is now clearly on top. It's not won yet but Black's choices are getting limited and White can keep improving his position.} 17... Be7 18. Bc7 {Black now had a chance to make a desperate bid for freedom. Desperate is the correct word, can you see what it is (see 2nd analysis game.) it was certainly better than....} 18... Bd8 {White now forces Black into a deadly pin.} 19. Bxd8 Rxd8 20. Nb6 Rb8 21. Re3 {With the simple threat of Red3 doubling Rooks against the d7 Knight and then playing Nxc8.} 21... Kf8 {The King heads for e7 to help cover d7.} 22. Rg3 {Aimed at stopping the Ke7 idea which was possibly Black best chance in hanging on (a very slim chance at that)} 22... h5 {22...g6 23.Rf3 and the roof caves in on that part of the board.} 23. Rg5 {At last a material gain for White.} 23... g6 24. Rxe5 {Black now tries to make a fist of it but it’s all looking very gloomy.} 24... Re8 25. Rxe8+ Kxe8 26. Nxc8 Rxc8 27. Bxf7+ Ke7 {27...Kxf7 28.Rxd7+ and Rxb7 is just as bad for Black.} 28. Bxg6 h4 {White now played 29.Bf5 and Black resigned. The no nonsense wrap up is....} 29. Rxd7+ Kxd7 30. Bf5+ {Going into an easily won game.}
Now we look at some other ideas and alternatives.
Analysis Game One
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/1p1nbppp/p1pp1n2/4p3/P1BPP3/2N2N2/1PP2PPP/R1BQR1K1 w - - 0 9"]
9. a5 {Black here played 9....h6. What was he worried about.} 9... Re8 {A perfectly natural and common move, protecting e5, x-raying the e4 pawn and vacating f8 for the Bishop.} 10. Bxf7+ {A shot both players must consider every move when a Bishop sits on the diagonal hitting f7 (or f2).} 10... Kxf7 11. Ng5+ Kg8 12. Ne6 {Wins the Queen. It was ideas like this that prompted h6.}
Analysis Game Two
[FEN "r1b2rk1/1p1nbpp1/pBp4p/P3p3/N1B1P3/7P/1PP2PP1/3RR1K1 w - - 0 18"]
18. Bc7 {Black opted for 18...Bd8. But note the Knight on a4 and the Bishop on c4.} 18... Bb4 19. c3 Bxa5 {This pseudo piece sac would have relieved some of the pressure.} 20. Bxa5 b5 {And Black wins back the piece. However White would still hold a good plus with....} 21. Bb3 bxa4 22. Bxa4
Three new entries all from last year.
Velma94 - Dannyfonk RHP 2015
[FEN "1k3q2/p1p5/1p5p/4p3/4Q3/8/P4PpP/3R2K1 w - - 0 36"]
36. Qxe5 Qf3 37. Rc1 Qf7 38. a4 h5 39. Rb1 h4 40. Qh8+ Kb7 41. Qxh4 Qf5 42. Rb5 Qd3 {White has probably notched this one up as a win a long time ago and is now skipping through the moves.} 43. Qh5 {With the idea to play Qd5+ and get the Queens off thus ending the game. To a certain extent it did work.} 43... Qf1 {The game did indeed end. White has been checkmated.}
Black sets up White for sneaky back rank trick.
Bromdog - WillieNelson RHP 2015
[FEN "r4k2/2pn1ppp/2p5/p1P5/1P6/5N2/P4PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 21"]
21. a3 axb4 22. axb4 Rb8 {The b-pawn cannot be defended by Rb1 because then Black will exploit the pin on the b-pawn and play Nxc5.} 23. Re4 {This lateral defence of the b-pawn means the b-pawn is no longer pinned. Or does it?} 23... f5 24. Rd4 {Rf4 was the move because the b-pawn is still pinned due to the back rank weakness.} 24... Nxc5 25. bxc5 {Obviously White did not read that previous note.} 25... Rb1+ 26. Ne1 Rxe1
Another weak back rank, another Black win, when will we ever learn.
PantherUK - Tintin1963 RHP 2015
[FEN "1nk4r/2p2pp1/p1P1r3/2qNp2p/6Q1/4P3/PP3PPP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 23"]
23. Qxg7 Qf8 24. Qxf8+ Rxf8 25. Rac1 Nxc6 26. e4 Rd8 {White is a pawn up with the much better pawn structure. There are target Black pawns all over the board.. So luft, swap a few pieces and look forward to a nice game.} 27. Rxc6 {But this combination is unsound as long as the back rank is hanging.} 27... Rxc6 28. Ne7+ Kb7 {If White had luft (h3 a hole for the King to run too) then this combo would have been sound.} 29. Rxd8 Rc1+ {but it is unsound and it is mate next move.} 30. Rd1 Rxd1
Solutions.
If you have anything to say or add then please use
Thread 168396 
'The Most Instructive Games' is a very good book. I'll try and keep the book covers limited to cheaper books.
You've inspired me to broaden my studies. What a beautiful game! It is incredible how many ways it can be won--or lost!