A Danish Gambit that worked!

For an amateur hovering around 1500, it is not often that an opening as kamikaze as the Danish Gambit actually works. So please allow me to share with you this game, one of the few times a plan comes together

Game 8413063

Criticisms/comments/suggestions welcome

Hey,

beautiful game - so many ideas, threats and counterthreats..

Why did you play Bd3 and not Nd5? you kind of dominate the d-file and you could unlock the knicht and make your b2-bishop glowing again...

T.

Yeah, I think I lost my way a bit with moves 9 and 10, I kind of lost the initiative. I was too concerned about keeping my central pawn, and luckily he didn't punish me for those errors. It was only at the end that I realized I could sack more pawns for position. You live and learn...

Yeah, In a game like this pawns aren't important because two pawns is already enough for him to win if your attack doesn't gain any dividends.

33.Nd5 is nice.............

You sacced two pawns for a position where you were simply two pawns down.

The object of the exercise, the spirit of the Danish, is to use the time wasted by
Black and the open files to create problems for your opponent to solve, set him
snares to avoid, restrict his developent and have some fun.

Black got right back into the game and only some bad middle game play
let you get in and finish him off. This part you did well.

I like how you spurned a perpetual when you were three pawns downs
and then went 4 pawns down to get at his King.

Makes me think if you had put more thought into the opening then Black
would have walked into a trick shot which this opening has the habit of
prsenting White due to his superior development.

His 5...Qh4 was questionable. You have two bits out for two pawns.
(not quite enough but now you have Nf3 coming with a tempo gain. That's
making a game of it.)

Here: White to play.


You chose 6.Qf3.

The Queen does not defend pawns.
The hit on f7 can be covered with a Black developing move Nf6 as in the game.
The square f3 is for the g1 Knight hitting that wayward Queen with tempo.

Either of those above reasons are enough for you to look around for another move.

The best and I think correst move is:

6.Nd2!


It develops a piece.
It holds the e-pawn.
It holds the c4 Bishop.
It does not block the b2 Bishop (as Nc3 did in your game)

It give Blacks developement problems as 6...Nf6 can be met with Ng1f3
and the Queen must be careful where she strays. (Bxf7+ and Knight forks appear)
and the Knight can get kicked with a coming e5

6...Bb5 fails to Bxg7 and 6...Bc5 7.Qe2 again with Ngf3 coming.
(7.Qe2 is stopping a mate and setting up a Bxf7+ trick - she
is not defending a pawn. Your chief task in the next few moves will be
to remove her from defending duties. The Queen does not defend.)

red hot knight (1549) - VitorDiogo (1496) RHP 2006

Features 6.Nd2 v 6...Qh4 and is a good dispaly of White giving a Black a
few snares and tricks to avoid.
The only thing wrong with the game is the messy sloppy wrap up.
White misses a few quicker neater mates but the play before that
was just about right.

Thanks for that GP. I was startled by his Queen so early and generally didn't think it through (a common failing for me in openings). I thought long and hard about the perpetual and nearly took it. Even after I'd pulled the "33. Nd5" trick, I was pretty certain he could have escaped with only a Rook/Knight exchange (by Ke7 instead of kd7), and then been able to force his pawn majority. I'll remember the Nd2 for the future. Some of the moves, like the O-O-O, were directly as a result of one of your blogs/comments here. It just looks so wrong, but is surprisingly protected.