Blackmar Gambit

Originally posted by moon1969
The first 10 moves or so of the variation you post is what I have been doing as black, and it includes doing 5 ...Bg4 before c6, and doing Bxf3 to get rid of white's knight. Firmian of the MCO likes it for black. White to move.

[fen]r2qk2r/pp1nbppp/2p1pn2/8/3P4/2NBBQ1P/PPP3P1/R4RK1 w kq - 4 11[/fen]

Similar to my game as black in the OP.

[pgn][Ev ...[text shortened]... way the white K and get White's b-pawn, and do more.} 0-1[/pgn][/b]

Korneev`s 12..Nb6 seems to be more natural.

The knight manoeuvre would be a waste of time and I'm sure a BDEG player would be happy with the resultant position from your quoted line

Bd6 would be better offering to swap a piece off. This would also clear the back rank .

Bg4 is a good variation but I've seen a number of people come to grief on the black side of it. I like my white bishop and bishop pair too much..!

Originally posted by kingshill
The knight manoeuvre would be a waste of time and I'm sure a BDEG player would be happy with the resultant position from your quoted line

Bd6 would be better offering to swap a piece off. This would also clear the back rank .

Bg4 is a good variation but I've seen a number of people come to grief on the black side of it. I like my white bishop and bishop pair too much..!

So after 9.Bf4 Nbd7 10. Qd2 your recommendation is 10...Bd6?

What about 11.Nxg6?

9...Bd6 is much better

But White should have a good compensation after 10.Qd2 0-0 11.Rae1 Qc7 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.Bxd6 Qxd6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Rxe4

Originally posted by Pacifique
[fen]r2qkb1r/pp1n1ppp/2p1pnb1/4N3/2BP1B2/2N5/PPPQ2PP/R4RK1 b kq - 0 10[/fen]
So after 9.Bf4 Nbd7 10. Qd2 your recommendation is 10...Bd6?
[fen]r2qk2r/pp1n1ppp/2pbpnb1/4N3/2BP1B2/2N5/PPPQ2PP/R4RK1 w kq - 0 11[/fen]
What about 11.Nxg6?

9...Bd6 is much better
[fen]rn1qk2r/pp3ppp/2pbpnb1/4N3/2BP1B2/2N5/PPP3PP/R2Q1RK1 w kq - 0 10[/fen]
But White should ...[text shortened]... xd6 Qxd6 14.Ne4 Nxe4 15.Rxe4
[fen]rn3rk1/pp3pp1/2pqp1p1/8/2BPR3/8/PPPQ2PP/5RK1 b - - 0 15[/fen]

What about 10.Qd2 Nd5 since now if the line continues like you say black gains a tempo because of the threat on h2 and then can continue with ...Kf8 or maybe ...f6 (this does weaken e6 but the knight on d5 blunts this plus the king will be defending e6 from f7) and ...Kf7 or something along those lines instead of castling.

Originally posted by tomtom232
[fen]rn1qk2r/pp3ppp/2pbpnb1/4N3/2BP1B2/2N5/PPP3PP/R2Q1RK1 w kq - 0 10[/fen]

What about 10.Qd2 Nd5 since now if the line continues like you say black gains a tempo because of the threat on h2 and then can continue with ...Kf8 or maybe ...f6 (this does weaken e6 but the knight on d5 blunts this plus the king will be defending e6 from f7) and ...Kf7 or something along those lines instead of castling.

10.Qd2 Nd5 11.Bxd5!!

1) 11...exd5

12. Nxf7! Bxf7 13.Rae1+ Kf8 14. Qf2 Bxf4 15. Qxf4 Qd7 16. Re5 g6 17. Qf6 Rg8 18. Rfe1

Black can`t parry 19.Rd7.

2) 11...cxd5

12.Nb5 (threat 13.Nxd6 Qxd6 14.Nxg6) Bxe5 (what else?) 13.Bxe5

Black has unpleasant choice between 13...0-0 14.Nc7 and 13...Na6 14.Nd6+

Originally posted by Pacifique
10.Qd2 Nd5 11.Bxd5!!

1) 11...exd5
[fen]rn1qk2r/pp3ppp/2pb2b1/3pN3/3P1B2/2N5/PPPQ2PP/R4RK1 w kq - 0 12[/fen]
12. Nxf7! Bxf7 13.Rae1+ Kf8 14. Qf2 Bxf4 15. Qxf4 Qd7 16. Re5 g6 17. Qf6 Rg8 18. Rfe1
[fen]rn3kr1/pp1q1b1p/2p2Qp1/3pR3/3P4/2N5/PPP3PP/4R1K1 b - - 0 18[/fen]
Black can`t parry 19.Rd7.

2) 11...cxd5
[fen]rn1qk2r/pp3ppp/3bp1b1/3pN3/3P1B2/2N5/ ...[text shortened]... 4RK1 b kq - 0 13[/fen]
Black has unpleasant choice between 13...0-0 14.Nc7 and 13...Na6 14.Nd6+

In your last diagram black has

13...Nc6 and if 14.Nc7 Nxe5. whoops. In my mind I took ...Kf8 and made it 0-0 so I still don't know what to do against Nd6+.

Originally posted by tomtom232
In your last diagram black has

13...Nc6 and if 14.Nc7 Nxe5. whoops. In my mind I took ...Kf8 and made it 0-0 so I still don't know what to do against Nd6+.

After 13...Nc6 14.Nc7+ Black King is under check.

As Diemer might say: "Soviel Köpfe, soviel Meinungen"! Here are two fun BDG games played by the man himself:



For me it wasn't easy to find the mate in 4 but i just about managed.



Again, for me it wasn't easy to find the mate in 4 but after setting up the position on a board and looking at it I got it which gave me a good feeling.

These are questions 3 and 4 from his book "Vom Ersten Zug An Auf Matt!" btw, which deals mainly with the Ryder variant, where you take the pawn with your queen instead of your knight.

Originally posted by Stamp
As Diemer might say: "Soviel Köpfe, soviel Meinungen"! Here are two fun BDG games played by the man himself:

[pgn]1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Qxf3 Qxd4 6. Be3 Qg4 7. Qf2 e5 8. h3 Qf5 9. Qh4 Qxc2 10. Bb5+ Bd7 11. Nge2 a6 12. Bc4 b5 13. Bb3 Qd3 14. Bg5 Be7 15. O-O O-O 16. Rf3 Qg6 17. Raf1 Bc6 18. Rg3 Bc5+ 19. Kh1 Nh5 20. Rg4 Bd7 21. Be7 Bxe7 ly with the Ryder variant, where you take the pawn with your queen instead of your knight.

Speaking on 5.Qf3 - what should White do after 5...g6 ?

I'm not qualified to say but if Diemer goes into it I'll be sure to let you know. Meanwhile I just now played this blitzgame using the gambit:



I'm not proud of it or anything, I post it here strictly for a laugh. Ok ok, I felt very proud of myself and that's why I post it.

Originally posted by Pacifique
Korneev`s 12..Nb6 seems to be more natural.

I did 12...Qa5 depicted below I think because I was influenced by similar variations in the MCO or the 365chess games database I was using, and maybe because I wanted to focus on the king side, with leaving that N at d7 closer to the king side and having my Q scope toward h5, but also having a little bit of a threat on the queenside. White to move.



Though I do agree 12...Nb6 (below) seems more natural. White to move.

Originally posted by kingshill
The knight manoeuvre would be a waste of time and I'm sure a BDEG player would be happy with the resultant position from your quoted line

Bd6 would be better offering to swap a piece off. This would also clear the back rank .

Bg4 is a good variation but I've seen a number of people come to grief on the black side of it. I like my white bishop and bishop pair too much..!

I wasn't sure what knight maneuver or Bd6 you were mentioning. As for the bishop pair, I did find it hard as black giving up my bishop pair and leaving white with his, especially considering how well-positioned white's bishop pair ultimately seemed to reach.

Yet, I had read that the white knight at f3 evidently is an important piece for white in the BDG and that black grabbing that knight could help diffuse the BDG somewhat. Plus, black is a pawn up.

In the position below, black Bxf3 is apparently the MCO preferred move (over Bh5) and Bxf3 also had better percentages for black than Bh5 in the 365chess games database. Black to move.

Originally posted by Stamp
I'm not qualified to say but if Diemer goes into it I'll be sure to let you know. Meanwhile I just now played this blitzgame using the gambit:

[pgn][Event "Live Chess"][Site "Chess.com"][Date "2012.03.27"][Round "?"][White "Stampnl"][Black "blondu2005"][Result "1-0"][WhiteElo "1254"][BlackElo "1390"][TimeControl "10|0"][Termination "Stampnl won by checkmate a laugh. Ok ok, I felt very proud of myself and that's why I post it.

Nice. Black got greedy taking the white queen. Anyway, it is nice. That would be a quick enjoyable win.

A propos 5. Qxf3 g6 Diemer remarks "nicht einfach hat es Weiss, wenn auf 5. Df3: sofort g6(!) geschieht", but: "wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg!" and recommends 6. Bf4! giving the following line:



I don't understand all of black moves, especially his 13th and 15th move seem weird to me. If someone can explain them to me I'd appreciate it.

Originally posted by Stamp
A propos 5. Qxf3 g6 Diemer remarks "nicht einfach hat es Weiss, wenn auf 5. Df3: sofort g6(!) geschieht", but: "wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg!" and recommends 6. Bf4! giving the following line:

[pgn]1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Qxf3 g6 6. Bf4 Bg7 7. O-O-O O-O 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. g4 c5 10. h4 cxd4 11. h5 dxc3 12. g5 cxb2+ 13. Kb1 Nb6 14. gxf6 13th and 15th move seem weird to me. If someone can explain them to me I'd appreciate it.

Diemer`s analysis tend to be self-serving. For example after 6. Bf4 Bg7 7. O-O-O O-O 8. Bd3



Black can play 8... Bg4 (instead of 8...Nbd7) 9. Qxb7 Bxd1 10. Qxa8 Qxd4



11.Bxc7 Na6 and Black has dangerous attack - 12.Qb7 Nc5; 12.Qc6 Nb4. If White does not take back pawn then Black has extra pawn in good position.