The Alterman Gambit Guide
White Gambits
GM Boris Alterman
Quality Chess (2010)
softcover, 448 pages
http://chesslessons.wordpress.com/
I think that beginning chess players should not concern themselves greatly about learning chess openings.
If pressured on the point, I usually suggest something like Tartakower and du Mont's 500 Master Games of Chess, which is available, affordable, and gives the reader a lot of interesting games (organized by opening) with sprightly notes. There is a lot of chess to learn in going over the games; and opening knowledge can be acquired by osmosis.
If someone persists, either out of stubbornness or because of making consistent gains in chess skill and ability, I am likely, these days, to recommend The Alterman Gambit Guide, at least for play with the White pieces.
The author presents 7 double-e-pawn openings, and lines of attack against the Caro Kann, Sicilian and French Defenses. The focus is on gambit play, including the Danish Gambit, the Urusov Gambit, the Cochrane Gambit (vs the Petroff), the Evans Gambit, and even the Morra Gambit (vs the Sicilian).
The Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments, Bibliography & Key to symbols used
Foreword by the Author
The Danish Gambit
The Urusov Gambit
The Philidor
The Cochrane Gambit
The Morphy Attack
The Max Lange Attack
The Evans Gambit
The Panov Attack
The Morra Gambit
The Milner-Barry Gambit
Games Index
Variations Index
GM Alterman makes a good case for learning about dynamic chess play through the use of gambits, and his presentation – the choice of short, thematic games; followed by longer, more analyzed battles; followed by theory of the opening – is very effective.
At almost 450 pages, The Alterman Gambit Guide White Gambits covers each opening deep enough that the player can feel confident that he or she has enough "book" knowledge to set the pace of the game. Furthermore, learning each opening in this way maximizes the understanding of attacking themes and strategies that are the "meat" of most club matches – the middle game.
Even if the reader eventually moves on to the more "grandmasterly" Spanish Game, with all its subtleties and nuances, it will be with a tactical knowledge that will always come in handy.
The author is preparing a Gambit Guide of Black Gambits, soon to be released. I have had it on pre-order for weeks.
(Take a look at a sample of The Alterman Gambit Guide White Gambits.)
It's a shame that Joseph Henry Blackburne did not play the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, (as opposed to playing against it; see "Mars Attacks!") – he had a nice touch with the Bxf7+ sacrifice. We've seen his 1862 blindfold win against Evelyn. Here's a later game from a blindfold simultaneous exhibition
Blackburne,J - Frankland
Leigh, 1879
blindfold simultaneous exhibition (one of six)
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 Bc5
An unusual response in the Danish Gambit.
It is rare enough that I will include in the notes all of the games that I have discovered with the line (plus the following move by Blackburne, of course).
5.Bxf7+
5...Kxf7
Or 5...Kf8 6.Bxg8
a) 6.Bc4 Qf6 7.Qe2 (7.Qc2 Bb4 8.Nxc3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 d6 10.Nf3 Ne7 11.Rb1 h6 12.Nd4 c5 13.Nb5 Na6 14.0-0 Bd7 15.Re1 b6 16.Re3 Bxb5 17.Bxb5 Nc7 18.Rf3 Ng6 19.Rxf6+ gxf6 20.Bc6 Rd8 21.Qa4 Ne5 22.Qxa7 Ne6 23.Ba4 b5 24.Rxb5 Nd3 25.Bb3 c4 26.Bxc4 Ndc5 27.Bxe6 Nxe6 28.Rb7 Nc5 29.Rf7+ Kg8 30.Rg7+ Black resigned, wurscht - monaliza, littlegolem.net, 2007) 7...Bb4 8.Nxc3 Bxc3+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 d6 11.Ne2 Nc6 12.0-0 Be6 13.Bb5 Nge7 14.Rac1 Kf7 15.Rc3 Rhf8 16.Rf3 Bf5 17.exf5 Kg8 18.Bc4+ Kh8 19.Rc1 Ne5 20.Re3 Nxf5 21.Rh3 Rae8 22.g3 Nf3+ 23.Kh1 Nxd2 24.Bd3 Ne4 25.Kg1 Qxb2 26.g4 Nd4 27.Rxc7 Nxe2+ White resigned, Lebiedowicz,B - Lachowicz,J, Wroclaw, 2005;
b) 6.Bb3 Qh4 7.Qe2 Nf6 8.Nxc3 Bb4 9.e5 Qd4 10.exf6 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+ 12.Kf1 Qxf6 13.Bb2 Qg6 14.Re1 Nc6 15.Qf3+ Black resigned, Wall,B - Martinez,I, Colorado Springs Fundraiser, G/30, 2011;
c) 6.bxc3 Qf6 7.Qd5 Qxf2+ 8.Kd1 Qf1+ 9.Kc2 Qxg2+ 10.Nd2 Nf6 11.Qxc5+ Kxf7 12.Ba3 Qxh1 13.Qe7+ Kg6 14.Rf1 Nc6 15.Qc5 d6 16.Qf2 Nxe4 White resigned, Perry,J - Rambousek,J, ICCF Email, 1997;
6...Bxf2+ 7.Kxf2 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qf6+ 9.Qf3 Qxf3+ 10.Nxf3 cxb2 11.Bxb2 Rxg8 12.Nc3 c6 13.Rhf1 b6 14.Ke3 Ba6 15.Rf2 Ke8 16.Rd1 Bc4 17.Rd4 Be6 18.Ng5 h6 19.Nxe6 dxe6 20.Rd6 Ke7 21.Rfd2 Re8 22.h4 Kf8 23.Ne2 e5 24.g4 Kg8 25.Ng3 Kh7 26.Rd8 Re6 27.Rc8 c5 28.Rdd8 Black resigned, Kichinski,R -Connell,J, 1988.
6.Qd5+ Kf8
Or 6...Ke8 7.Qxc5 Qe7
a)7...Nf6 8.Nxc3 d6 9.Qg5 h6 10.Qxg7 Rg8 11.Qxh6 Qe7 12.Bg5 Rf8 13.Nf3 d5 14.Nxd5 Qxe4+ 15.Ne3 Ng4 16.Qh5+ Rf7 17.Qxg4 Bxg4 18.Rd1 Bxf3 19.Rd8# Konig,M - Kus,M, Most, 1999;
b)7...d6 8.Qxc3 (8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qe2 Be6 10.Nxc3 Nc6 11.Nd5 Nge7 12.Nf6+ Kf7 13.Qf3 Nd4 14.Qd1 c5 15.e5 dxe5 16.Ne4 Bd5 17.Ng5+ Kf6 18.N1f3 h6 19.Nxd4 exd4 20.Nf3 Kg7 21.0-0 Rf8 22.Ne5 Bxg2 23.Kxg2 Qd5+ 24.Nf3 Rf5 25.a4 Raf8 26.Ra3 g5 27.h3 Kg6 28.Kg3 Nc6 29.Ng1 Qe5+ 30.Kg2 c4 31.Qe2 Qxe2 32.Nxe2 d3 33.Ng3 Rd5 34.Bd2 Nd4 35.Rc3 Rc8 36.Re1 h5 37.Re7 Nb3 38.Bc1 Nxc1 39.Rxc1 Rdc5 # Poulhalec,J - Bigotte,S, Guingamp, 2001) 8...Nf6 9.Bg5 (9.Nf3 Nc6 10.0-0 Bd7 11.e5 dxe5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Qxe5+ Kf7 14.Bf4 c6 15.Nc3 Re8 16.Qc5 b6 17.Qc4+ Be6 18.Qxc6 Qd7 19.Qxd7+ Bxd7 20.Rad1 Be6 21.Nb5 Rf8 22.Nc7 Rac8 23.Nxe6 Kxe6 24.Rfe1+ Kf7 25.Bd6 Rfe8 26.Rxe8 Rxe8 27.Kf1 Rd8 28.Ke1 Re8+ 29.Kf1 Rd8 30.Rd4 Ne8 31.Be5 Rxd4 32.Bxd4 Nd6 33.Ke2 g6 34.f4 Ke6 35.g3 Nb5 36.Bc3 Nxc3+ 37.bxc3 Kd5 38.Kd3 Ke6 39.Ke4 Ke7 40.Ke5 Kf7 41.g4 a5 42.f5 gxf5 43.gxf5 Ke7 44.f6+ Kf7 45.Kf5 Kf8 46.Kg5 a4 47.c4 a3 48.h4 Kg8 49.h5 Kf8 50.h6 Kg8 51.Kf5 Kf8 52.Ke6 Ke8 53.f7+ Kf8 54.Kf6 b5 55.c5 b4 56.c6 b3 57.c7 bxa2 58.c8R# Walters,K - Lin,B, California, 2003) 9...Nc6 10.Nd2 Be6 11.Ngf3 Kd7 12.0-0 Qe7 13.Rfe1 Rae8 14.Nd4 Nxd4 15.Qxd4 h6 16.Bh4 g5 17.Bg3 Nh5 18.Nf3 Kc8 19.Qxa7 Nxg3 20.hxg3 c6 21.b4 h5 22.b5 Black resigned, Feuerstack,A - Reinelt,T, Neumuenster, 2000.
c) 7...cxb2 8.Bxb2 Nf6 9.e5 d6 10.Qe3 Ng4 11.Qe4 dxe5 12.Nf3 Nc6 13.0-0 Qf6 14.h3 Bf5 15.Qa4 Nh6 16.Nxe5 Kf8 17.Nc4 Qf7 18.Nbd2 Rd8 19.Nf3 Bd3 20.Nce5 Nxe5 21.Nxe5 Qf5 22.Rfe1 Nf7 23.Ba3+ Kg8 24.Qb3 Bc2 25.Qc4 Bd3 26.Nxd3 Qxd3 27.Qxd3 h6 28.Qc4 Rh7 29.Re7 g5 30.Rae1 Rf8 31.Rxc7 Rd8 32.Ree7 Rd1+ 33.Kh2 b5 34.Rxf7 bxc4 35.Rf8# Goeke,B - Arroyo Felices,J, Dos Hermanas, 2004;
8.Qh5+ (8.Qxc3 Qxe4+ 9.Ne2 Ne7 10.Bg5 Nbc6 11.0-0 h6 12.Ng3 Qd4 13.Bxe7 Qxc3 14.Nxc3 Kxe7 15.Nd5+ Kd8 16.Rad1 d6 17.Rfe1 Bd7 18.Rd2 Ne5 19.f4 Ng6 20.f5 Ne5 21.f6 gxf6 22.Nxf6 Rf8 23.Nxd7 Nxd7 24.Nh5 Rf5 25.Ng7 Re5 26.Rf1 a5 27.Nf5 h5 28.Rdf2 Ra6 29.Nh6 Ke7 30.Rf7+ Ke6 31.Ng8 Ra8 32.Re7+ Kd5 33.Rxd7 Rxg8 34.Rxc7 b5 35.Rc2 Rg4 36.Rd2+ Rd4 37.Rxd4+ Kxd4 38.Rd1+ Kc5 39.Rc1+ Kb6 40.Kf1 b4 41.b3 Kb5 42.Rc8 d5 43.Rb8+ Kc6 44.Rc8+ Kd6 45.Ra8 d4 46.Rd8+ Kc5 47.Rc8+ Kd5 48.Rd8+ Ke4 49.Ke2 Rg5 50.g3 h4 51.Re8+ Kd5 52.Ra8 Kc6 53.Kd3 hxg3 54.hxg3 Rxg3+ 55.Kxd4 Kb6 56.Re8 Rg4+ 57.Kd3 Rg5 drawn, Goebl,W - Jantschuk,V, Rieneck 1998; 8.Qxe7+ Nxe7 9.Nxc3 Nbc6 10.Bf4 d6 11.Nf3 Bg4 12.Nd2 Rf8 13.Bg3 Ng6 14.f3 Bd7 15.0-0 Nd4 16.Bf2 Nb5 17.Nd5 c6 18.a4 cxd5 19.axb5 dxe4 20.Nxe4 Ke7 21.Rfe1 Bxb5 22.Nc3+ Kd7 23.Nxb5 a6 24.Nc3 Rad8 25.Rad1 Kc8 26.Bd4 Rf7 27.Bb6 Rdf8 28.Rxd6 Rd7 29.Rxd7 Kxd7 30.Rd1+ Kc6 31.Bd4 Rf7 32.Re1 Rd7 33.Re6+ Rd6 34.Rxd6+ Kxd6 35.Bxg7 Nf4 36.g3 Nd3 37.Ne4+ Ke7 38.Bd4 a5 39.Kf1 b5 40.Ke2 Nc1+ 41.Kd2 Na2 42.Kc2 Nb4+ 43.Kb3 Nc6 44.Bf2 Kf7 45.Nd6+ Kg6 46.Nxb5 Kf5 47.Nd4+ Nxd4+ 48.Bxd4 Ke6 49.Bb6 a4+ 50.Kxa4 Kd5 51.f4 Ke4 52.b4 h5 53.b5 Kf5 54.Ba7 Kg4 55.b6 Kf5 56.b7 Kg4 57.b8Q h4 58.Qc8+ Kf3 59.Qc6+ Kg4 60.Qe6+ Kf3 61.gxh4 Black resigned, Machet,R - Gowor,R, Australia, 1999) 8...g6 9.Qe2 c2 10.Nc3 Nf6 11.Bg5 Qe6 12.Qxc2 c6 13.Nf3 Nh5 14.0-0 Qg4 15.Nd5 Na6 16.Ne3 Qe6 17.Nc4 b5 18.Nce5 h6 19.Be3 g5 20.h3 Nb4 21.Qc3 a5 22.Nxc6 dxc6 23.Qxh8+ Kd7 24.Rfd1+ Kc7 25.Qd8+ Kb7 26.Qb6# Bereziuk,S - Petuchovsky,E, Rimavska Sobota,1992.
7.Qxc5+ Qe7
Or 7...d6 8.Qxc3 Qe7 9.Ne2 Nf6 10.Bg5 Kf7 11.Qb3+ Qe6 12.Qc2 c5 13.Nbc3 h6 14.Bh4 Re8 15.f3 Nbd7 16.Nb5 Rb8 17.Nc7 Qe5 18.Nxe8 Kxe8 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qc3 Qg5 21.g3 Nf6 22.Qd2 Qe5 23.0-0-0 Ke7 24.Nf4 Kf7 25.Qxd6 Qxd6 26.Rxd6 Ke7 27.Rd2 b6 28.Nd5+ Nxd5 29.Rxd5 Be6 30.Rd3 Bxa2 31.Ra3 Be6 32.Rxa7+ Kf6 33.Rd1 g5 34.Ra6 Ke5 35.Ra7 Kf6 36.Rd6 Ke5 37.Rc6 Bh3 38.Rxh6 Bg2 39.Re7+ Kd4 40.Rg6 Bxf3 41.Rxg5 Ra8 42.Kd2 Ra2 43.Kc2 Bxe4+ 44.Kb3 Ra1 45.Rg4 Black resigned, Scepanik,K - Klein,M, Bonn 1996
8.Qxc3 Qxe4+ 9.Ne2 Nc6 10.Be3 Nf6 11.Nd2 Qe7 12.0-0 Kf7 13.Ng3 Re8 14.Rae1 d6
15.Bg5 Qf8 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Nh5 Re5 18.Nxf6 Bf5 19.f4 Re6 20.Rxe6 Kxe6 21.Re1+ Kf7 22.Nf3 Qg7 23.Ng5+ Kf8 24.Nfxh7+ Kg8 25.Nf6+ Kf8 26.g4 Bxg4 27.Nxg4 Qxc3 28.bxc3 Re8 29.Nh7+ Kf7 30.Nh6+ Black resigned
Here is the latest Jerome Gambit game from Bill Wall. It is another example of an opponent deciding, if you want me to play that, I won't! As usual, this means that Black exchanges a theoretically won game for one where he is immediately worse...
Wall,B - Buster
Chess.com, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kf8
Declining the Bishop. Buster has already shown in an earlier game against the same opponent (see "The Anti-Bill Wall Gambit") that he has his own ideas about the Jerome Gambit, and they do not include cooperating with White's plans.
5.Qe2
A move that Richard Moody, with his interest in early Queen creeper moves, would fully enjoy.
5...Qf6
The only other example that I have with 4...Kf8 5.Qe2 in The Database continued: 5...d6 6.Nc3 Bg4 7.Bd5 Nd4 8.Qd1 c6 9.0-0 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qh4 11.d3 Nf6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.a3 Kf7 14.b4 Bb6 15.Na4 Qh3 16.c3 Nxf3+ 17.Kh1 Qxh2 checkmate, hinders - pvm, FICS, 2001.
6.Bb3 Nd4
Black has only a tempo (and a misplaced King) for his lost pawn. The text does not look like an efficient use of that "compensation".
7.Nxd4 Bxd4 8.0-0 d6 9.c3 Bb6 10.d3
10...Ke7
Black appears nervous about having his King and Queen on the same file as White's Rook, but expending a tempo to put his monarch further into the center only encourages White to offer a pawn to open lines of attack.
11.d4 Nh6
Black wants no part of something like the pawn grab 11...exd4 12.cxd4 Bxd4 13.Nc3 which could only go horribly wrong after a second helping of pawn: 13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qxc3 15.Bb2 and White's position looks like a Danish Gambiteer's dream.
12.dxe5 Qxe5
Keeping the d-file closed at the cost of having his Kingside pawns broken up.
13.Bxh6 gxh6
14.Nd2 h5 15.Nc4 Bg4 16.Qd3 Qc5 17.e5
17...Raf8
Black's pieces are developed, with pressure on the White King, but it is too late.
18.exd6+ cxd6 19.Rae1+ Kd8 20.Nxd6
This is more than just another pawn captured: it is another line opened against the enemy King.
20...Kc7 21.Re7+ Kb8 22.Rxb7+ Ka8 23.Qe4 Rxf2 24.Rxb6+ Black resigned
