Lewis Gambit

I have been enjoying watching the series of "Dirty Chess Tricks" videos on YouTube, by Gunjan Jani, especially "Dirty Chess Tricks 13" on the Lewis Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.d4.

This is an opening line that I have touched upon in this blog, starting with "SOS", writing about Secrets of Opening Surprises, Volume 10, which contained an article by Jeroen Bosch on the Lewis Gambit.  

The earliest examples I have of the gambit are from an 1841 Staunton - Cochrane match, which makes it a possible inspration for Alonzo Wheeler Jerome in creating his Jerome Gambit, after the Lewis line 3...exd4 4.Bxf7+. The similarity to the Abrahams Jerome Gambit - 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ - is apparent. See "Proto-Jerome Gambits? (Part 4)".

There is also a similarity to a line in the Von der Lasa Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, as seen in J.H. Blackburne - E.J. Evelyn, blindfold, London, 1862 (1-0, 32). And let's not overlook the "Macbeth Attack".

Jani rightly points out the possibilities of the Lewis Gambit transposing to the Max Lange Gambit, the Max Lange Attack, and the Italian Gambit.

(GM Boris Alterman has a video on the Lewis Gambit as well. Dangerous Weapons: 1.e4 e5 by GM John Emms, GM Glenn Flear, and IM Andrew Greet has good coverage of where the Lewis Gambit can go if Black does not allow a Bxf7+.)

A Correction

In my email comments to Yury Bukayev about the line we were discussing, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.Nf3 Nd4, 5.Bf7!?, I did not show much enthusiasm. In short order, I got a very bright email, enlightening me.

How do you do, dear Mr. Kennedy!

Dear Rick, thank you very much for your 2 letters! But I disagree with your appraisals of 5.Bxf7 and of 5.Nxe5. I suggest you discuss with me or publish (it will be better) my following analysis (5.Bf7! Kf7 6.Ne5 Ke6 7.Qh5+- ) and my words about 5.Ne5 Qg5-+:

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 (Vienna game: Max Lange variation) 4.Nf3 (Italian game/ Three Knights game) …Nd4?

Paragraph 1. 5.Bf7! Kf7 6.Ne5 Ke6 7.Qh5!? (White stands better.)

I)  7…Nc2 8.Kd1 Na1 9.Qf5 Kd6 (9…Ke7 10.Ng6 Kd6 11.Qd5 mate) 10.Nc4 Ke7 11.Nd5 Ke8 12.Qg6 mate;

II) 7…Qg5 8.Qf7 Kd6 [8…Ke5 9.d3 (with the idea 10.Bf4 mate) …Nc2 10.Kf1!?+-] 9.Qd5!? Ke7 10.Qd4 Qg2 11.Nd5 Kd8 12.Rf1 White stands better.

III) 7…Qf6 8.Ng6!? (White stands better.)

     A)    8…Nc2 (8…Rh7 9.Qd5 mate) 9.Kd1 Na1 10.Qd5 mate;

B)   8…Qg5 9.Nf8!? Ke7 10.Ng6 White stands better.
C)   8…c6 9.Qg4!? Kf7 10.Nh8 Ke8 11.0-0!? Nc2 12.Rb1 Nge7 13.e5 White stands better.

D)  8…d6 9.Nf8 (or 9.Nd5) …Qf8 (9…Ke7 10.Nd5!? Kf8 11.Nf6+-) 10.Qd5 White stands better.

E)  8…Ne7 9.Nd5 Qg5 (9…Qg6 10.Nf4+-; 9…Qf7 10.Ngf4+-) 10.Qg5!? White stands better.

IV) 7…g6 8.Qg6!? (White stands better.)

A)  8…Ke5 9.f4 Kf4 10.0-0+-;

B)  8…Nf6 9.Qf7 Ke5 10.f4 Kd6 (10…Kf4 11.0-0 Ke5 12.d3+) 11.e5 with the very strong attack;

C)  8…Qf6 9.Nd5!? Qg6 10.Ng6 (White stands better.) …Nc2 11.Kd1 Na1 12.Nc7 (or 12.Nh8) …Kf6 (12…Kd6 13.Na8 Rh7 14.Nf8 White stands better.) 13.Nh8 Rb8 14.b3 (with the idea 15.Bb2) +-

V) 7…Nf6 8.Qf7 Ke5 9.f4 Kd6 [9…Kf4 10.0-0 Ke5 11.d3 (with the idea 12.Bf4 mate) …g5!(11…Nc2 12.Bf4 Kd4 13.Qc4 mate) 12.Rf6!? c6 (12…Qf6 13.Qd5 mate; 12…Qe7 13.Rf5+-; 12…Bg7 13.Rg6!? White stands better.) 13.Be3 White stands better.] 10.e5 with the very strong attack.

Paragraph 2. 5.Ne5?! Qg5.

Probably, Black stands better both after 6.Nf7 and after 6.Bf7, because Black has a very strong attack in both cases: Qg2, Nf3, d5, Bg4.

Do you agree with me, dear Rick? I suggest you to discuss with me or to publish (it will be better) my analysis.

Best wishes! Yury V. Bukayev (“Bruno’s Chess Problem of the Day”)

Proto-Jerome Gambits? (Part 5)

As a last look at the possible influences on Alonzo Wheeler Jerome, in his creation of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, we take a look at the line 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Nf6 (instead of 3...Bc5) which transposes, after 4.Nf3, to the Urusov Gambit, which is deeply covered at Michael Goeller's wonderful site.

While the 1857 analysis of the gambit by Prince Sergei Urusov may not have been available to AWJ, games like Kolisch - Paulsen, London, 1861, might have been.

It is hard to get very Jerome-ish here, after 4...Bc5, but Goeller does mention the modern game Hopf - Schintgen, Bratislava 1993, which continued 5.e5 Ng4 6.Bxf7+ (1-0, 34).

(Of course, if, instead, Black plays 4...Nc6, then after 5.0-0 Bc5 6.e5 Ng4 ["playable but rarely seen" according to coverage at Chessville.com] then 7.Bxf7+ would come in a Max Lange Variation of the Two Knights Defense, which is a whole 'nother thing...)

Sunday Book Review: The Alterman Gambit Guide White Gambits

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.)

Walled In

The following game, featuring a Semi-Italian Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6) with a Jerome Gambit twist (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+), shows how much you can achieve with a basic "sac and attack" attitude.

Of particular interest is the positional role that the "Jerome pawns" play early on.

 Wall - Ydiens

blitz 15 0, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

4.Bxf7+

Bill Wall is determined to have his attack, and wastes no time on "tempo moves" like 4.0-0 or 4.Nc3 or even 4.d3 which would give Black a chance to move his Bishop to where it could become a target at c5.

What surprised me when I looked up this position in the New Year's Database was how frequently 4.Bxf7+ had been played – there are 857 such games. Alas, White scored only 39% in them. (Of course, that could mean that Bill hasn't played enough 4.Bxf7+ games yet, so he hasnt' had much chance to boost the average.)

By contrast, there were only 157 games which went 4.0-0, 4.Nc3, or 4.d3 followed by 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+. White scored 51% in them. (4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ scored best at 85%).

4...Kxf7 5.0-0 Nf6

6.d4 

At this point, out of the blue, I remembered another Wall game, a proto-Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit: Wall - Vargas, San Antonio, 1979: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 h6 6.Nh4 Nxe4 7.Qh5 g6 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.Qxg6+ Ke7 10.Nf5 checkmate

analysis diagram





6...exd4 7.e5

Let's say you were going to play the Max Lange, but your opponent played ...h7-h6 instead of ...Bf8-c5, and you wanted to play e4-e5 without Black responding ...d7-d5 – hitting your Bishop – so you decide to sac your Bishop before he gets the chance...

Okay, okay, actually I don't know what's going on, but like a Supreme Court justice once said, "I don't know what 'good chess' is, but I know it when I see it!"

Or something like that.

7...Nd5 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 c6

Black has a piece for a pawn, but his practical difficulties give White some compensation: the unsheltered King and the poor state of Black's development.

10.c4 Ne7 11.c5 Nd5

The Knight has gotten a little exercise, but the "Jerome pawns" have been working, too. With Black so cramped, White doesn't feel a need to hurry.

12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.Qxc3 Be7

It seems a bit contrary to advise Black to not develop a piece, but attacking the advanced pawn at c5 with ...b7-b6, on this move or the next, was better.

14.f4 Re8 15.f5

15...Bg5

We've seen this kind of position before: the computer says that things are about even, but White's position is a lot more fun to play.

16.Qb3+ Kf8

Rybka prefers 16...d5 17.cxd6+ Kf8, although one glance is enough to know why Black avoided that line: the pawns!

17.f6

17...g6 18.Bxg5 hxg5 19.Qh3

The end is near. The pawns are still walling Black in.

19...d5 20.Qh8+ Kf7 21.e6+ Black resigned

Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 1)

Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Welton Vaz sends us a Chess.com link to an enjoyable discussion on the play of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 – known on this site as the "Semi-Italian Opening" (after Euwe) – as a way of avoiding the Fried Liver Attack 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7

Although one of the Chess.com posters complained about 3...h6 "I hate when players play this as it is an insult to the Italian" there was no suggestion on the website, either in the discussion or the related 21 games given, that White could return the "insult" of 3...h6 by transposing to the Jerome Gambit with, say, 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+.

Of course Welton sent one of his games where he provided that "insult" – which we will see in "Italian Game Anti-Fried Liver Defense (Part 2)".

By the way, Grandmaster Boris Alterman has a 6-part series on the Fried Liver Attack on his website, along with instruction on a whole list of gambits, including the Danish, Evans, Max Lange and Morra.

I note that Alterman has two books forthcoming, one on gambits with White and one on gambits with Black. Of the first, he writes

The Alterman Gambit Guide: White Gambits is both an opening book and an instructive manual. Sharpen your tactics and learn to play dynamic attacking chess while studying the most entertaining gambits. Lines covered include:Evans Gambit, Panov Attack, Morra Gambit, Philidor, Danish Gambit, Urusov Gambit, Morphy Attack, Cochrane Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Fried Liver Attack and Milner-Barry Gambit

For those who like their liver fried, there is also a book by NM Dan Heisman on The Computer Analyzes the Fried Liver / Lolli.

Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 2)

Adolf Albin (1848 – 1920), of Romania, was a creative chess master with a number of opening experiments to his credit, most notably the Albin Counter Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5) and the Albin-Alekhine-Chatard Attack vs the French Defense (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4).

As we saw last post (see "Adolf Albin Plays the Jerome Gambit (Part 1)" ) a case can be made that he dabbled in the "modern" variation of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) as well.

Albin,A - Schlechter,C
Trebitsch Memorial Tournament Vienna, 1914

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

Not good, as it retards White's development. Max Lange, in 1859, pointed out the weakness of 5.Ng5 Nd4 6.Bxf7+ Kf8 7.Qc4 Qe7. The best move is 5.c3. Deutsches Schachzeitung

An old continuation which only helps Black to develop. Deutsches Wochenschach

5...Kxf7

Or, from the Jerome Gambit move order: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qe2 Nf6. Voila!

6.Qc4+ d5 7.Qxc5 Nxe4
8.Qe3 Re8 9.0-0 Kg8 10.c4

The decisive blunder. 10.d3 was indicated. Deutsches Schachzeitung

10...Nf6 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Qe4 Nf6 13.Qa4 e4

14.Ne1 Nd4 15.Nc3 a6 16.Nc2 c5

17.b4 was threatened. Deutsches Wochenschach

17.Ne3

Black would still have the best of it after 17.Nxd4 cd 18.Ne2 d3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

17...Be6 18.Qd1 Bf7

Threatening ...Bh5 and the sacrifice of the knight Deutsches Wochenschach

19.Kh1

There is no defense. If 19.b3 then 19...Bh5 20.Qe1 (or 20.f3 ef 21.gf Qd7) Nf3+ 21.gf Bxf3 with a winning attack. If 19.Ng4 then 19...Nh5 The reply to 19.d3 ed 20.Qxd3 is 20...Nf3+ Deutsches Schachzeitung

19...Bh5 20.f3

Or 20.Qe1 Nf3 21.gf Bxf3+ followed by ...Ng4 or 20.g4 Bg6 followed by ...Nf3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

20...exf3 21.gxf3 Qd7 22.Kg2

Otherwise Black plays 22...Qh3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

22...Re5 23.h4

Forced, on account of the threat of ...Rg5+ Deutsches Schachzeitung

23...Rf8 24.d3 Ne8 25.Ng4 Ref5 26.f4

If 26.Nh2 then 26...Nxf3 Deutsches Schachzeitung

26...Nf6 27.Nxf6+ R8xf6 28.Qd2 Rg6+ 29.Kf2 Rf8 30.Ke1 Qh3 31.Ne4 Rg2 White resigned