Play the King’s Gambit?!

    Three basic elements are Space, Time and Material. We often see one of these elements being traded for another. For example, one may give up material to gain time or space, or vice versa. In the opening, the idea behind a gambit is to speed up the development of our pieces or improve their co-ordination, or in order to gain space or control the center. 

    The King's Gambit was one of the most popular openings for over 300 years. Nevertheless, theorists have held different views on it. Philidor wrote that the King's Gambit should end in a draw with best play by both sides. He considered that "a gambit equally well attacked and defended is never (decisive). Tarrasch pronounced the opening "a decisive mistake" and wrote that "it is almost madness to play the King's Gambit." 

    The Czech GM and theorist Ludek Pachman wrote, “It may seem incredible after 2...exf4 that white has bothered to sacrifice a Pawn at all, since he has thereby weakened his King's position and in fact black is already threatening ...Qh4+ winning!” And, in 1961, Bobby Fischer wrote a famous article, A Bust to the King's Gambit, in which he stated, "In my opinion the King's Gambit is busted. It loses by force." Today the King's Gambit is rare in GM play although a few have played it on occasion. 

    Today’s featured game is a return to those thrilling days of yesteryear when the King’s Gamit was popular and the world’s elite weren’t afraid to play it. The game was played in the 1903 Vienna tournament which was a double round gambit tournament that was intended to feature gambits and the King’s Gambit was frequently seem in the tournament. 

 

 

    This game is not especially well played, but it’s interesting. Pillsbury was winning, but things got complicated and within the space of a couple of moves he game just collapsed.

 

[Event "Vienna"] [Site ""] [Date "1903.05.18"] [Round "12"] [White "Frank Marshall"] [Black "Harry N. Pillsbury"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C38"] [Annotator "Stocjfish 17.1"] [PlyCount "69"] [EventDate "1903.05.02"] {C38: King's Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 {We generally think of this as a tactical opening, but Ludek Pachman observed that in reality white is aiming for a positional advantage in the shape of a powerful P-center now that he has moved black's e-Pawn. In addition there is an open f-file waiting for him once he has captured the f-pawn. But, first he must safeguard his King.} 3. Nf3 g5 {This is the classical move which at the time was regarded as simply the best move. Today 3...d5 is preferred, but although sometimes seen, when this game was played it was regarded as somewhat questionable.} (3... d6 { was Bobby Fischer's famous bust that he published in 1961. His analysis ram...} 4. Bc4 h6 5. d4 g5 6. O-O Bg7 7. c3 Nc6 8. Qb3 Qe7 9. h4 Nf6 10. hxg5 hxg5 11. Nxg5 Nxe4 12. Bxf7+ Kd8 13. Nxe4 Qxe4 14. Bxf4 Nxd4 {and according to Fischer black wins. He added, "Of course White can always play differently, in which case he merely loses differently." Actually, in this position black is only bery slightly better and engines punch so many holes in Fischer's analysis that is it worthless.}) 4. Bc4 Bg7 {A safer alternative than 4...g4.} 5. h4 h6 {If black hopes to secure an advantage then this is the correct move.} (5... g4 {Tjis gains black no advantage.} 6. Ng5 Nh6 7. d4 d5 8. Bxd5 c6 9. Bc4 Qxd4 10. Qxd4 Bxd4 {with equality.}) 6. d4 d6 7. Qd3 g4 {During the Vienna tournament Gunsberg played 7...Nc6 which is slightly better.} 8. Ng1 (8. Nfd2 {is a mistake. After} Nf6 9. Nc3 O-O {white has problems developing his pieces.}) 8... Qf6 9. c3 h5 (9... Ne7 10. h5 d5 11. exd5 Bf5 {Black stands well. Cortlever,N-Euwe,M Amsterdam 1939}) 10. Na3 {Slightly better was 10.Ne2} Ne7 11. Ne2 (11. Nb5 {is not dangerous to black.} Na6 12. Ne2 f3 13. gxf3 (13. Bg5 fxg2 14. Rg1 Qf3 {with an excellent position.}) 13... Qxf3 14. Qxf3 gxf3 15. Ng3 Bg4 {Black can be satisfied with his position.}) 11... Ng6 {After this white gets a good game. Black equalizes with 11...f3 (see note above).} 12. g3 fxg3 (12... f3 {is not so strong now.} 13. Bg5) 13. Rf1 {Aggressive play.} (13. Qxg3 {allows easy equality.} Qf3 14. Qxf3 gxf3 15. Ng3 Bg4) 13... Qxh4 { There is little choice.} (13... Qe7 14. Bxf7+ Kd8 15. Bg5 {wins}) 14. Bxf7+ Kd8 15. Bxg6 {This is the wrong capture because now black manage to equalize.} (15. Qxg3 Qxg3+ 16. Nxg3 Ne7 17. Nxh5 {White has an excellent position.}) 15... g2+ 16. Rf2 Rf8 {Black would have been better off completing his development with . ..Be6 and ...Nc6]} (16... Qh1+ {only looks good. After} 17. Ng1 Be6 18. Bg5+ Kc8 19. O-O-O {Black's Q is precariously placed.}) 17. Be3 Bh6 {An excellent tactical trick by Pillsbury which you would expect that Marshall, himself a great tactician, would avoic.} 18. Bxh6 {[%mdl 8192]} (18. Bf5 {plugging up the f-file keeps the advantage.} Bxf5 19. Bxh6 Re8 (19... Rf7 20. exf5 { leaves white with a won game. Black's bunch of advanced Ps can be dealt with and are not worth the two pieces he is down.}) 20. Be3 (20. exf5 g1=Q+) 20... Bxe4 21. Qb5 {A double edge position. In Shootouts white scored +1 -0 =4}) 18... g1=Q+ {[%mdl 512] After this black can count on winning!} 19. Nxg1 Qxf2+ 20. Kd1 Qxg1+ 21. Kc2 Rf2+ (21... Qxa1 {is much less exact.} 22. Bxf8 Qg1 23. Bh6 {Black is up the exchange and has two connected passed Ps that are well advanced, but he must be caresul becayse his K is precariously exposed.}) 22. Bd2 Qxa1 23. Qe3 {Down two Rs for B is hopeless...almost!} Rxd2+ {Throwing away his advantage. Pillsbury apparently misjudged the potency of white's threat against his K.} (23... Qf1 24. Qg5+ Rf6 25. Bxh5 Nc6 {Black is up the exchange plus a R and there is no way for white to at the K/} 26. Qg8+ Rf8 27. Bg5+ Ne7 28. Bxe7+ Kxe7 29. Qg7+ Kd8 30. Qg5+ Qf6) 24. Qxd2 Bd7 {An odd situation. Black has an extra R, but he is undeveloped and his Q is out of play at the moment. Marshall misses his chance to equalized immediately, but fortunately got him Pillsbury goes satray in the complications.} {Kxc8} 25. Qg5+ {[%mdl 8192]} (25. Qh6 {Threatening mate withe Qf8 equalized.} c5 26. Qf8+ Kc7 27. Nc4 {At long last the N is in play.} b6 28. Bf5 Qf1 29. Qxd6+ Kc8 30. Bxd7+ Nxd7 31. Qc6+ Kd8 32. Qxa8+ Ke7 33. Qd5 {Surprisingly, black cannot make use of his passed Ps/ A sample on is:} cxd4 34. cxd4 g3 35. Ne5 Nxe5 36. Qxe5+ Kd7 37. Qd5+ Kc7 38. Qe5+ {is a draw.}) 25... Kc8 26. Bf5 b6 {Seeking shelter for his K.} (26... Bxf5 27. Qg8+ Kd7 28. Qf7+ Kc6 29. Qd5+ Kd7 30. Qf7+ {draws} ) 27. Qg8+ (27. Bxd7+ Nxd7 {White is just doqn a R with no threat agains t black's K.}) 27... Kb7 28. Bxd7 Nxd7 29. Qd5+ c6 30. Qxd6 {The only way for black to win is to give up the N. Instead, he tries to save it and gets himslrf into a pin finds himself facing a threat from the advance of white's d-Pawn!} Rd8 (30... Rc8 {is winning after} 31. Qxd7+ Rc7 32. Qe6 Qf1) 31. d5 Rf8 {[%mdl 8192] Pillsbury has completely collapsed!} (31... Ka6 {is equal after} 32. dxc6 Qf1 33. b4 Qf2+ {repeats moves after 34.Kc1 or 34.Kb1, but not. ..} 34. Kb3 Nc5+) 32. dxc6+ Ka8 33. cxd7 Rf2+ 34. Kb3 Qxb2+ 35. Ka4 {Black resigned, All he can do is delay mate.} (35. Ka4 b5+ 36. Nxb5 Qxa2+ 37. Na3 Qg8 38. d8=Q+) 1-0