The Berlin Gambit. ( and Bologan’s book)
By on 24 Jul 25 08:51
1852 views | 1 edit | Last edit on 24 Jul 25 22:59
For this weeks RHP game we go back to this book.
Which I am dipping into every now and than and am enjoying finding rare lines
with a sneaky snake bite in them. The only drawback is the price. I got it for £5.00.
Unless you, as I did, find one in charity a shop you will have to fork out £30.00.
One thing I do like about this book is the way Bologan refers you to a game played
using the current line under discussion. It is easier to show you than try to explain it.
When looking at the notes you sometimes see a wee number after a move.
That ‘2’ after 10. 0-0-0 tells you in the chapter you are reading, ( chapter 22)
go to the back of the book, look up chapter 22 and you will see who played it.
It was Catracchia- Murgia, Ischia, (Italy) 1994 and that game is on Chessbase.
Sadly, or typically, it all depends on how you view these things. This game has one of the
infamous Chessbase mistakes. I personally have found dozens of errors and I know other
more diligent punters than me have found a lot more. This is due to the time when the
pgn’s were entered by hand. Now with electronic score board the errors are less frequent.
Here in the Catracchia- Murgia game.
White has captured on g6 and Chessbase has 22...fxg6. A recapture that must be wrong.
Every Indian schoolboy knows you always, unless there is an excellent reason, in these
situations capture towards the centre. 22...hxg6 (later on I will be showing an RHP game
where this positional error was made - it was not an error in transmission.) When playing
over Catracchia - Murgia I soon had 100% proof that 22..hxg6 was played not 22...fxg6.
Here, from the position in Chessbase (White to play)
White has 30.Ne6 checkmate. It was not played because there was a pawn on f7.
Hot Tip No.203
Be wary when playing over games in databases before 2000.
There were too many humans involved (both players and the
bod entering the pgn) for silly mistakes not to have crept in.
Back to the book
I am enjoying this book, the only complaint regarding recommending it is the price.
Maybe write an article or two for NIC. Do not worry about content, they print a lot of
old tosh. Go back four years and tart up one of my blogs, I won’t mind, and it should get
accepted (the crappier the blog the more chance it will have of being printed ) Instead of
payment, which will be meagre because you are not a GM, ask for the Bologan book.
Failing that, marry one of Bologan’s relatives, he may give you a copy as a wedding gift.
The Berlin Gambit
In chapter 21 called the ‘Berlin Gambit’ (which I unashamedly used to title this
as click bait to attract those sad and desperate devotees of the Berlin Defence)
After the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O we get to here.
If Black plays 5...Nf6 and we have a Max Lange (as seen over 1,100 times on RHP)
So Black dodges the Max Lange and plays 5...d6 (as seen over 250 times on RHP)
White now plays 6.c3 ( 150 times here) But White can try 6.Re1 (20 times on RHP)
This is where we are so far. (Black to play)
Bologan is correct in saying the most common move is 6...Ne5 and on RHP we have
five games with this position. It is here Bologan mentions 7.c3! (his exclamation mark)
As you will soon find out It does not lose a piece. I found one OTB game with 7.c3
on Chessbase and one RHP game with 7.c3 (guess which game I am going to give.)
Yes. the RHP game, kuntakente - Papucho RHP 2009
However, in passing, I will comment on the OTB game with 7.c3.
I. Reitingerova - P. Hlavacek, Czechoslovakia 2007 (White to play)
White is in cruising to a win mode and played 26.Rd3 (26.Rf3! Black can resign)
What did Black play after 26.Rd3 to halt White’s attack. Black eventually won.
OOPS! I forgot about the traditional three puzzles...
This weeks three puzzles are not puzzles, more in the ‘what would you play’
category. They are all positions from the RHP game you are about to see.
Black to play.
What good move did Black miss here.
White to play
I give two choices. 22...Nxh6+ or 22...Bxh6+ (one was played, which one is best)
22...Nxh6+
22...Bxh6
Black to play
As a consequence of White’s faulty 22nd move and the follow up we reach here.
What move did Black miss which would have highlighted White’s poor decision.
kuntakente - Papucho RHP 2009
A bit harsh on White for 22.Nxh6+. No. It was not a blunder. It was thought out and
should have been dismissed purely on ‘that cannot be right’ principles. That move and
13...cxb6 were two very poor moves. Worse than one move piece dropping blunders.
Picture of Victor from the back of his 'Black Weapons' book.
The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 203193
