Saturday, April 10, 2021

An Early Lewis Gambit



I have been making my way through Louis Paulson A Chess Biography with 719 Games (2019) by  Hans Renette and discovered an early example of the Lewis Gambit - one of the openings that may have been an inspiration to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to develop his gambit.


Paulsen, Louis - King, J. S.

offhand game, Pittsburgh, 1858

 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.d4 exd4 

The Lewis Gambit. The position can also arise from the Van der Lasa Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Bc5

The earliest example I have found of the Lewis Gambit was played by Cochrane against Staunton in two of their match games in 1841. Both times Staunton responded with the stronger 3...Bxd4.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qxc5 

Instead, 6.Qd5+ was seen in Blackburne - Evelyn, blindfold exhibition, London, 1862 (1-0, 32). I always find this move humourous, as Jerome later incorporated his own "nudge" into the Jerome Gambit.

6...Nf6 7.Nf3 Re8 8.O-O Nxe4 


9.Ne5+ Kg7 10.Qxd4 Qf6 

11.Bh6+ Kg8 

If 11...Kxh6, 12.Ng4+ will win the Queen.

12. f3 Qxe5 13. Qxe5 Rxe5 14. fxe4 Re8 

Material equality has been reached, but White's superior development gives him a significant advantage.

15.Nc3 c6 16.Rf6 d5 17.Raf1 Nd7 18.Rf7 d4 

19.Rg7+

There was time to rescue the Knight with 19.Ne2, which was even stronger than the text, but White has things figured out.

19...Kh8 20.Rff7

Again, the Knight feels neglected, but White has the game firmly in hand.

20...Nf8 

21.Bg5 Re6 22.Ne2 c5 23.e5 b6 24.Nf4 Rc6 25.Nd5 Bf5 26.Nf6


The Knight is the final piece in the attack.

26...Rxf6 27.Bxf6 Ne6 

and White checkmated in 3 moves, 28.Rxg6+ Ng7 29.Rgxg7 any 30.Rxh7# 



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