An intriguing transposition from the Albin Counter-Gambit into the Göring Gambit Declined

I've probably mentioned the transposition from the Chigorin Defence before (it was also mentioned about a year and a half ago over at 200 Open Games).  Recently I managed to get it in one of my own online games, fittingly, in a Chess.com match between "The Gambit Players" and "Philippine C", and it actually started out as an Albin Counter-Gambit: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5, and White replied with the tame 3.e3.  After 3...Nc6 4.cxd5 Qxd5 we were into a Chigorin, and after 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nf3 exd4 7.exd4 we were into a Göring/Danish Gambit Declined.

Capablanca's line with 7...Bg4 8.Be2 (8.Be3!? - Mark Nieuweboer) 8...Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4 gets pretty sterile if White knows what he/she is doing, so I was tempted to duck out with the sensible 8...Nf6, but as I was playing a slightly higher-rated player with Black I thought I would test my opponent out in the Capablanca Variation.  It worked, for after 7...Bg4 8.Be2 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4 10.Bd2?! 0-0-0 11.Qe2?! Qxe2+ 12.Bxe2 Nxd4 I was already a pawn up and managed to win with the extra pawn after a long struggle.

In the meantime I finally had an outing in the line that I had corresponded with Gary Lane about over at Opening Lanes (Chesscafe.com):  1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.c3 d5 5.Bd3!? dxe4 6.Bxe4 Nf6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.0-0 (which both of us suggested independently of each other).  I got some pressure in the IQP middlegame that ensued but did not make the most of it and ended up with a draw, but my opponent came close to losing on time.


Also I'm currently working on what will probably end up as a book-sized pdf article on the "open gambits" with an early d2-d4 (including the Italian and Max Lange gambits as well as the Danish, Göring, Scotch and Urusov) so that all the various transpositions will be handled in the one pdf file, and there will be links to replayable annotated examples in the text.  It's an ambitious project so it may well take me several months, but it would be satisfying to pull it off.

Recent online games in the Göring Gambit

I've been having a spate of games in this gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3, or 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.c3 which is how I more commonly reach it).  The opening is essentially a mirror-image of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit which I have been discussing recently, but I think that the Göring is the sounder of the two gambits, especially in the version where White meets 4...dxc3 with 5.Nxc3.  However, my recent games with both White and Black have featured the more daring 5.Bc4 offering the second pawn on b2.  Most of them have then continued with 5...d6 6.Nxc3 although none have yet reached the notoriously complicated "tabiya" that arises from 6...Nf6 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.Ng5 Ne5 9.Bb5 c6 10.f4.

Here is one game that I played from the black side.

  I am aware that 5...cxb2 is the most theoretically critical test of 5.Bc4, but having had a few drubbings on the black side of that variation in casual games, I opted instead for 5...d6, with which I have had good practical results- settling for the one-pawn advantage still generates more than enough imbalance in the position to give both sides good winning chances.  In the above game, I think 7.Ng5 is a reasonable alternative to the main line with 7.Qb3 but the problems for White started at move 10, when 10.Qd4 and 10.Nf3 are both superior to 10.Qc2, which I think leaves White struggling to prove sufficient compensation for the pawn.

There was one online game where I played White and my opponent took me on with 5...cxb2 6.Bxb2 d6 (which, alongside 6...Bb4+, is one of the two most critical tests of 5.Bc4).  I then went 7.Qb3 (though I think 7.0-0 and 7.Nc3 may be of theoretically equal value).

But then the opponent blundered with 7...Qf6?? 8.Bxf6- that sort of thing sometimes happens in online games.  My current opinion is that 7...Be6 will usually transpose into 7.0-0 lines (here I suggest looking into defending the c4-bishop with 8.Na3 or 8.Nbd2, rather than the usual immediate bishop exchange on e6) while 7...Qd7 and 7...Nh6 (both suggested by John Watson in his review of Danish Dynamite) are quite testing but White has a few improvements over Watson's analysis which are probably sufficient to give two pawns' worth of compensation.

Finally, I have one online game which has been a convincing demonstration of why after 5...d6 6.Nxc3 Nf6 7.Qb3, Black should close off the a4-e8 diagonal with 7...Qd7, preparing ...Na5, rather than the 7...Qe7 played in the game, which continued: 8.0-0 Na5 9.Qa4+ Nc6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Nd5.

Ouch.  Black could have just about hung on with 11...Qd8 here, but Black is in a very bad way after 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Bb5 or 12.e5 dxe5 13.Nxe5.

The point of 7...Qd7 is of course that after 8.0-0? Na5, 9.Qa4 is no longer check and so White then has to accept the exchange of the important c4-bishop for Black's knight on a5, and this is why White normally increases the pressure on f7 with 8.Ng5, typically leading to the aforementioned line 8...Ne5 9.Bb5 c6 10.f4.

Danish Gambit- The Summing Up

I have completed the Danish Gambit coverage at my site and opted to update the format of the site again (the updated format has also been applied to the Scotch and Göring Gambit sections so far).

The main page features an introduction to the opening, then there are sub-pages providing a brief discussion of the critical lines (in ChessCafe.com article style) which contain links to the annotated games hosted at my 50webs site.  This allows me to combine the "encyclopaedic" and "illustrative games"-based openings coverage- this is likely to be helpful for some of the less-respected gambits due to the lack of high-quality, high-level games in some of the lines.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a way to host the HTML files directly at the Weebly site, but for those who don't like having to switch between two different sites, I've made all of the associated games available for download in PGN format directly from the Weebly site, at the end of each article.

Recapping on the previous blog entry, the 3...Ne7 declining variation is currently an issue because I keep coming across resources for Black.  For instance, I quite liked the look of the line 4.cxd4 d5 5.Nc3!? dxe4 6.Bc4 Nf5 7.Nge2 ("with compensation" - Danish Dynamite) 7...Nd6 8.Bb3.

It is too risky for Black to hold onto the e4-pawn so with accurate play, White rounds up the e4-pawn and is left with an isolated pawn on d4, but strives to compensate for this with active piece play.  However, Black can consider a kingside fianchetto with 8...g6 intending 9...Bg7 here and I don't think much of White's attacking chances against this.

The other line worth trying out is 5.e5 Nf5 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Bd3 Nc6 (as per M.Voigt-J.Hector, Hamburg 2000) and now I think White has quite promising attacking chances on the kingside with 9.Bc2.  But Voigt more recently ran into 6...c5!? (M.Voigt-J.Sriram, Thailand 2011), which accepts an isolated pawn on d5 but gives Black a large share of the active piece play.  The game itself led to a rather dull draw.

The question of, "Which move-order?", is also dependent on which of the two Göring Gambit move-orders we're comparing with.  The brief lowdown is as follows:

A.  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3.  This allows the Petroff (2...Nf6) but it avoids Black's third-move alternatives following 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3. If Black plays 3...d6 then White can get a good line of the Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defence (4.Bb5) or simplify to a slightly better queenless middlegame with 4.dxe5.  4.Bc4 is also worth considering- it will probably transpose to a reasonable sub-variation of Philidor's Defence.

B.  1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.c3.  This avoids the Petroff and opens up some additional gambit sidelines, which may or may not be to White's taste, and there is also the line 3...d5, though this should be slightly better for White after 4.Qxd4.  If White wants to avoid the line 4...dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4, then this move-order is problematic because of 3...Bb4+, but if White is happy to play the white side of that line, then I don't see any major objections to it.  I've had a number of games in this line which reached a Urusov Gambit after 3...Nf6 4.Bc4.  If Black plays 2...d6 then White can play 3.dxe5 or 3.Nf3 (the latter leads to a Philidor Defence) and if 2...Nc6 then Göring Gambit fans can play 3.Nf3 and be happy that they have again side-stepped the Petroff Defence.

C.  1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3.  This move-order has the advantage over A that it avoids the Petroff, but I don't see many reasons to prefer C over B, even if White intends 3...dxc3 4.Nxc3.  After 4...Bb4, if 5.Nf3 Nc6, or 5.Bc4 Nc6 leaving White with nothing better than 6.Nf3 since 6.Nge2 Nf6 leaves White with insufficient control over the e5-square.
There is one line that can catch White out if White goes for 3...dxc3 4.Nxc3: 4...d6 should be met by 5.Bc4, since 5.Nf3?! Be7 6.Bc4 Nf6 allows Black to castle before White hammers f7, i.e. 7.Qb3 0-0.  However I still believe that 4.Nxc3, as Nigel Davies recommended in Gambiteer I, is fully sound.

The main line Danish Gambit with 4.Bc4 is looking shaky in my view, for as well as the "equalising" 4...cxb2 5.Bxb2 d5 6.Bxd5 Nf6 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd8 Bb4+ 9.Qd2=, there is 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 (6.e5 d5 7.exf6 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Qxf6) and Black chooses between 6...Bb4 and 6...d5!?, returning one pawn in order to assist development.  "PANFR" at the Chesspublishing.com forum has recommended 5...Bb4+ which is also critical, though with best play it probably transposes to 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4.

There is also 3...d5 4.exd5 Nf6!? with the idea 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Bc4 b5!? which probably leads to equal chances for both sides.  4...Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 does not force play into the Capablanca Variation because White has 6.Be3 as well as the idea 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Nc3 Bb4 8.Be3.  I think 6.Be3 leads to similar positions after 6...Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Qb3, but with Black not committed to ...Bg4, there are a few independent options for Black.  I tend to think that 6.Be3 is only worth a go if White doesn't like the line 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Nc3 Bxf3 which leads to a sharp endgame with equal chances.

But for some, the main objection to move-order C may well be 3...Ne7 as discussed above.

Göring Gambit Revisited

The Göring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3, or 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.c3 which tends to be my preferred move-order) is looking in quite a healthy state at the moment, in my opinion, as far as sub-master level play is concerned.

At my new chess site, I have published a series of articles covering all important lines of the gambit.  I have linked to my articles (which contain an introductory coverage of the key lines and ideas, and then annotated illustrative games).

For those who prefer the style of analysis at my old chess site, where I provided an analysis in PGN format, I have linked to that analysis too. 

But for those who just want a summary of the key points, here they are:

A) After 4...Nge7 White can get a small advantage with 5.Bc4 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0.

B) After 4...Nf6 5.e5 Ne4 White gets some advantage in a complicated position.  5...Nd5 is more solid, where in many lines White must settle for a small edge, with pawns on d4 and e5 and some chances of attacking on the kingside.

C) 4...d5 equalises, but White can avoid the irritating Capablanca Variation (5.exd5 Qxd5 6.cxd4 Bg4 7.Be2 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4) by playing 5.Bd3 (which often leads to White playing a gambit anyway), or by playing 7.Nc3, with the idea 7...Bb4 8.Be3 (suggested to me by Mark Nieuweboer).  Although the resulting positions are equal, White often scores well in practice.

D) After 4...dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4 6.Bc4 d6, 7.Ng5! gives White full compensation for the pawn (instead of the more popular 7.0-0 and 7.Qb3, which probably fall short).  Similarly, 6...Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 is met by 8.Ng5!.

E) After 4...dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 6.Bxb2 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6, 8.0-0!? looks promising for White, and White can choose between following up with 9.Nd5, or 9.Qc2 first.

F) After 4...dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 6.Bxb2 d6 I think White has some improvements over John Watson's analysis of 7.Nc3, 7.0-0 and 7.Qb3, and all three lines are currently looking playable for White.

So, for those who have been interested in trying out the Göring but have been deterred by certain lines (most likely those stemming from either 4...d5 or 4...dxc3, which are the two theoretically best responses), I think it's well worth giving it a try.