The Gambit Fantasy Club Club 236 enjoy regular themed tournaments featuring gambit lines both from the forgotten backwaters of chess theory as well as established lines used by current Grandmasters. Some opponents will look up some of the easily available theory and others will wing it.
The following game was a Danish Gambit sideline and I suppose an example of the type of game we dream of when we offer those pawns.
EVENT
Danish gambit Tournament
SITE
http://www.playtheimmortalgame.com
DATE
2016.10.09
ROUND
1
WHITE
Ragwort
BLACK
BigDoggProblem
RESULT
1-0
WHITEELO
1926
BLACKELO
1847
FEN
rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/8/3pP3/2P5/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 1
1. dxc3 Bf1c4 {White offers the another pawn to begin the Danish Gambit} 2. Bf8b4 {Black declines posting his King Bishop actively. Qe7 is a common move in this opening for black and it makes sense to develop the bishop early so that is not blocked in by the Queen move.} Nb1xc3 {White recaptures with development} 3. Qd8e7 {As expected Black plays the Q move which threatens the e pawn. This position occurs by transposition in a Lasker game in the RHP Master games database, so I went with Lasker and played ...} Ng1e2 4. Qe7xe4 {Black takes advantage of the pin and grabs the e pawn threatening the c4 bishop and g pawn. The game ratchets up in excitement} Qd1b3 {White responds in kind with a double threat on the bishop and f7. Bd5 may be more circumspect} 5. Bb4xc3 Qb3xc3 {also looking at g7. The computer likes bxc3 here - perhaps bringing Ba3 into play but I saw the isolated pawns and blocked third rank and never thought any more of it.} 6. Ng8f6 {Black cannot play Qxg2 because of Rg1 followed by Qxg7 after the black Q moves off the g file} Bc1g5 {Played first thing in the morning on instinct. I reckoned Bxf6 gxf6 Qxf6 threatening Qxf7 looked a promising way to start putting the boot in on the kingside. Now, putting the line 1. ...a6 (a null move to test the idea) 2. Bxf6 gxf6 3. Qxf6 Rf8 (0-0! is better) into a computer shows the superficiality of that assessment. White now has to see that the hanging c4 bishop can be defended by 0-0 and Nf4 before looking at other branches of the analysis tree. Instinct needs refinement and castling was safer!} 7. Qe4xg2 {Black goes in without backup. Post game computer analysis shows this to be a losing move. At the time I didn't see it so clearly but played to maximise the kingside attacking chances while Black's Queenside is still sleeping} Rh1g1 {Bxf6 offering the double rook sacrifice is apparently stronger but my move looked and felt natural in line with the plan. I could see that Black's Q was running short of squares} 8. Qg2c6 {....Qxf2+ Kxf2 Ne4+ is another idea lurking in the position. If Qxh2 then Bxf6 gxf6 Qxf6 Rf8 gives a nice mating puzzle} Ne2d4 {White's pieces mass in the centre and on the kingside and Black's Q has to dodge fire} 9. Qc6e4 {Black provides cover fire to try and move the K to a safer square on the kingside} Ke1f1 {Now Re1 is threatened with every white piece on an open line and half of Black's forces still in camp} 10. Ke8f8 Ra1e1 {White now has his ideal position and Blacks three extra pawns mean nothing} 11. Qe4g6 Bc4d3 {The computer gives both Qe3 and Bxf6 as more accurate but Bxf6 Qxf6 didn't look like anything and Qe3 didn't occur to me at all. I'll have to work further on my subliminal pattern recognition.} 12. Qg6h5 Qc3xc7 {The patterns here based on Qd8 are much easier to digest and Black resigned. Here is a possible finish} 13. Qh3+ Rg2 14. Qxd3+ Kg1 {and Qd8+ mate is still threatened} 15. Nc6 Nxc6 16. Qe3 Rxe3 17. Ne8 Rxe8 18. Kxe8 Qd8 {Black, his car stacked with booty has run out of road} 1-0
Here is one of my efforts from the same club in the Evans Gambit Tournament.
I play an unsound line as Black. Not many Black's get a chance
to sac - sac and mate in the Evans. I was a tad lucky....Very lucky.
Dalradian - Greenpawn RHP 2016
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 {The starting position for the tournament.} 5... f5 {Not sound but can lead to good fun.} 6. cxb4 fxe4 {Now 7.b5 is the move....will he play it?} 7. Ng1 {Good now Now I have a Latvian a piece down. First take out him playing Qh5+} 7... Nf6 8. b5 {Too late.} 8... Nd4 9. Nc3 d5 {That's a lemon I just threw out. I only saw 10.Bxd5 Bg4! an old Latvian trick. Then I can take twice on d5. However 10.Nxd5 and White has Nxf6+ in answer to Bg4.} 10. Bb3 {Good. After 10.Nxd5 Black is practically busted. I cannot play 10...Nxd5 due to 11.Qh5+.} 10... O-O 11. Nge2 Ng4 {I do not mind dropping the d-pawn with a check. I have a Latvian attack plus a Knight on d4.} 12. O-O Qh4 13. Bxd5+ Kh8 14. h3 Nxf2 {Played it.....Then Panic! That Knight is pinned to a mate. I am not threatening the Queen. Panic passed when I saw 15,Nxe4 Nf3+ blocking the f-file. Then I take the Queen. } 15. Qe1 {Not sure that anything can hold for White. This looks as good as any.} 15... Nxh3+ 16. gxh3 Nf3+ 17. Kg2 {I can take the Queen with check. But it's the King I want.} 17... Qxh3+ 18. Kf2 Nxe1+ {OK now I take Queen with check.} 19. Kxe1 Rxf1 {I won but that 5....f5 line is very dodgy...very dodgy indeed.}
To show what could have and should have happened.
FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp2pp/5n2/1P2p3/2Bnp3/8/P2P1PPP/RNBQK1NR w KQkq - 0 9
[FEN "r1bqk2r/pppp2pp/5n2/1P2p3/2Bnp3/8/P2P1PPP/RNBQK1NR w KQkq - 0 9"] 9. Nc3 d5 10. Nxd5 Nxd5 11. Qh5+ {11....g6 12.Qxe5+} 11... Kf8 12. Ba3+ Kg8 13. Bxd5+ {Not looking good at all. 13....Qxd5 14.Qe8 mate.} 13... Be6 14. Bxe6+ Nxe6 15. Qxe5 {White is piece up and will 0-0 soon. Black has no counter play at all. This is resigns time.}
