A Trap That Backfired

     Games that are filled with traps, ambushes and swindles seem to be rare in these days of sophisticated chess, but while they may not always be correct games containing traps, ambushes and swindles are always fun to play over. 

     A poster on chessgames.com gave the following definitions: Ambush = you guess opponent's plans and ambush a ravine along the way. Trap = you decoy opponent off the right path into an ambushed ravine. Swindle = a "hail Mary" traps or ambush. 

     In the following game played in the 1920 championship of Scotland, black succeeds in trapping and winning his opponent's Q, but the price was too high. 

     The winner was William Gibson (May 17, 1873 - March 27, 1932, 58 years old). Gibson, born in Wigtownshire, Scotland was nine times Scottish Champion from 1907 to 1930-31. He passed away in Giffnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He was a solicitor in Glasgow, and joined the Glasgow CC in 1901. 

     Apart from his successes in Scottish chess, Gibson also played in several other tournaments and British Championships and was always a dangerous opponent. In 1912 he was 4th and in 1913 he was 5th. He also played in the 1914 tournament, and in the 1923 British Championship he defeated Yates in the last round, depriving Yates of the title. One of his very best performances was his first place finish at the Ramsgate Easter Congress Premier A in 1929 when he scored 5.5-0.5. 

     He was also an organizer and administrator, having held at one time or another almost every post in the Glasgow CC and the Scottish Chess Association, as well as being a member of the Council of the British Chess Federation. 

     His wife Margaret was the successful owner of Miss Buick's Tea Room in Glasgow. She would later open a second tea room and they were used by Glasgow chess players and clubs over the years. 

     Francis Percival Wenman (May 6, 1891 - March 19, 1972, 80 years old) was born in Croydon, England and was Scottish Champion in 1920 (after a play-off) and passed away in Cardiff, Wales in 1972. He was associated with chess in Scotland after arriving from London in 1911 and joining the Glasgow Chess Club. 

     During his time there he played several matches against leading club players, defeating William Gibson (+7 =5 -5) and James McKee (+5-3), but losing to Carrick Wardhaugh (+0 =2 -3). Later, he would also be associated with the Edinburgh and Dundee Clubs, winning the championship of the latter in 1916. He was Scottish Champion 1920, after winning a play-off match of three games against Gibson. He also played in several other championships. 

     Wenman authored or edited some 21 chess books, a number of them being on chess problems, but he was not highly regarded as an author. A problem composer himself, he was accused of plagiarism in his problem books. 

     I have one of his books, 175 Chess Brilliancies, which was published in 1947. In the introduction he wrote that the book had examples of most of the leading players of the world, but it was unlikely that the average player would have seen most of them. Wenman wrote, “Many very brilliant games and endings from both ancient and modern records are presented to the reader, and it is hoped they will satisfy the desire of even the most ardent admirer of gambits and enterprising play.” 

     One such game was his loss to Gibson; he won Gibson's Queen, but lost the game.

William Gibson - Francis P. Wenman

Result: 1-0

Site: Scottish Championship, Edinburgh

Date: 1920

QGD Tarrasch Defense

[...] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 c5 The interesting Tarrasch Defense which its inventor considered to be the only correct reply to the Queen's Gambit. It is an aggressive attempt to grab central space. After white plays cxd5 and dxc5, black will be left with an isolated d-Pawn which may be weak, but it grants black a foothold in the center and his Bs will have open lines. The defense is considered sound because even if black fails to make use of the Bs mobility and winds up in an inferior endgame in which he is tied to the defense of his isolated P, he may be able to hold the draw if he defends accurately. 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e3

5.♘f3 This is the main line that is almost always seen in modern play. 5...♘c6 6.g3 ♘f6 7.♗g2 ♗e7 8.O-O

5...♘f6 6.♘f3 ♘c6 7.♗e2 ♗d6 8.dxc5 ♗xc5 If one plays the Tarrasch it is absolutely essential that they know the ins and outs of playing for and against the isolated d-Pawn. If Alex Baburin's book, Winning Pawn Structures, can be found it's probably the best book ever on the isolated d-Pawn structures. Studying it is a massive undertaking though because it's so thorough! 9.O-O O-O 10.a3 At the time this game was played this was a popular line.

10.b3 is more usual, but it produces no better results that the text. 10...a6 11.♗b2 ♗a7 12.♖c1 with equal chances.

10.♘b5 has also been tried, but it, too, leads to no significant advantage for white. 10...♘e4 11.♗d2 ♗g4 12.♖c1 ♕e7 13.♗c3 ♖ad8 14.♘bd4

10...a5 11.♕c2

11.♘b5 ♘e4 12.♗d2 ♗g4 13.♗c3 ♘xc3 14.bxc3 is equal. Felsberger,A (2358)-Halvax,G (2304)/Wolfsberg AUT 2014

11...♗e6 This is a super-solid way of treating the isolated d-Pawn that was advocated by Nimzovich in similar situations.

11...♕e7 12.♖d1 ♖d8 13.♘d4

13.♘b5 ♗g4 14.b3 ♖ac8 15.♕b2 black has a good game. Pleasants,A (2070)-Braun,W (2239)/Penarth WLS 2012

13...♘e5 14.b3 ♗e6 15.♗b2 ♖dc8 16.♕d2 with equal chances. Tolonen,L (2347)-Penttinen,J (2366)/Finland 2002

12.♖d1 ♗b6 White was threatening Nxd4

12...♔h8 A pass to demonstrate the threat. 13.♘xd5 ♗xd5 14.♕xc5 and white has won a P.

13.h3 While this does no damage to white's position it really serves little purpose.

13.♗d2 ♕e7 14.♖ac1 d4 15.exd4 ♘xd4 16.♘xd4 ♗xd4 17.♗f4 ♖ad8 with a boring, drawish position.

13...♕e7 14.♕a4 ♖fd8 15.♘b5 With this move white introduces complications that should slightly favor black. On the other hand 15.Bd2 leads to a lifeless position. 15...♘e4 16.♗d2

16.♘bd4 was somewhat better. 16...♗d7 17.♕b3 with equal chances.

16...♗f5 Wenman is playing for a trap to win the Q by ... Nc5. but first the three squares c2, f4 and h4 have to be guarded. The move itself is not bad though. 17.♖ac1 g5 Guarding f4 and h4 so now he is ready to spring his trap.

17...♘c5 is solid and would have assured him of a slight advantage. 18.♕h4 ♕xh4 19.♘xh4 ♗e4 with the Qs off black is marginally better, but a draw would not be a surprising outcome.

18.♘c3 Falling into the trap, but white has calculated that he has sufficient compensation for the Q. 18...♘c5 The position is very difficult, but winning the Q leads to a lost ending.

18...♘xf2 is a clever idea that can get pretty complicated. 19.♔xf2 d4 20.exd4 leads to complications after 20...♘xd4 21.♗xg5

21.♔f1 This also leads to complications very difficult to calculate over the board. 21...♘xe2 22.♘xe2 ♗d3 23.♖e1 ♖e8 24.♕d1 ♕d6 25.♗xg5 ♖e4 and white, under terrific pressure, is likely going to lose.

21...♘xe2+ 22.♔e1 ♘xc3+ 23.♗xe7 ♘xa4 24.♗xd8 ♗xd8 and the cold engine evaluation is that black is much better. For humans this game would be difficult to play for either side I think.

18...d4 This is a safe and solid move that leads to complete equality after 19.♘xe4 ♗xe4 20.♕b5 dxe3 21.♗xe3 ♗xe3 22.fxe3 ♗xf3 23.♗xf3 ♕xe3+ 24.♔h1 ♖xd1+ 25.♖xd1

18...d4 19.♘xd4 is very bad. After 19...♘xd4 20.exd4 ♘xf2 21.♔xf2 ♗xd4+ 22.♔f1 ♗d3 23.♗xg5 (23.♗xd3 ♕f6+ mates in 6.) 23...♕xg5 24.♖xd3 ♕xc1+ Black should win.

19.♕b5 ♖a6

19...♕c7 20.b4 axb4 21.axb4 ♘a7 22.bxc5 ♘xb5 23.♘xb5 ♕xc5 24.♖xc5 ♗xc5 with unclear complications that the engines think is much better for white.

20.♘d4

20.e4 was also a strong punch. 20...♗xe4 21.♗xg5 f6 22.♗e3 ♘a7 23.♗xc5 ♗xc5 24.♕b3 ♖b6 25.♕a2 White is better owing to black's weak Ps.

20...♘a7 21.♘xf5 Technically this should have allowed black to equalize, but psychologically his falling for black's plan to win the Q is understandable.

21.♘xd5 was even better. 21...♕e5 22.♕c4 ♕xd5 23.♕xd5 ♖xd5 24.♗c4 with a good game.

21...♕e5 After this black's position is lost.

21...♕e6 in view of what comes this is better. 22.♘d4 ♕h6 23.♕xa6 ♘xa6 24.♘f5 ♕e6 25.♘a4 ♕xf5 26.♘xb6 and white has only a slight advantage.

22.♘h6+ ♔f8 Here white can play other moves that equalize, but he has seen a winning move. 23.♘xf7 Well played! 23...♕b8 After this black will find himself down too much material to have any compensation for the Q.

23...♔xf7 leaves white with the better ending after 24.♗h5+ ♔g8 25.♕e2 ♘b3 26.♕f3 ♘xc1 27.♕f7+ ♔h8 28.♘xd5 ♗d4 29.♘c3 ♕g7 30.exd4 ♕xf7 31.♗xf7 ♘d3 32.♗e3 ♘f4

24.♘xd8 ♘xb5 25.♗xb5 ♖a8 A good practical decision.

25...♗xd8 was technically better, but it could lead to a tricky, complicated ending after 26.♗xa6 bxa6 27.♘xd5 ♘d3 28.♖b1 ♕e5 29.♗xa5 ♕xd5 30.♗xd8 ♕xd8 31.♖d2 h5 32.♖bd1 ♕f6 33.♖xd3 ♕xb2

26.♘xd5 ♕xd8 It's instructive to watch how Gibson maneuvers his pieces into their optimal positions. 27.♗c3 ♘e4 28.♘f6 ♘xf6 29.♖xd8+ ♗xd8 30.♗d4 ♘d5 31.♖c5 ♘b6 32.♖f5+ ♔e7 33.♖xg5 ♖c8 34.♖g7+ Black resigned. This game was awarded a special prize.

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