Reshevsky Caught in Boden’s Mate

    As promised in the previous post this is the one game a young Sammy Reshevsky lost in a 1921 simultaneous display in St, Louis, Missouri. The game is interesting because Reshevsky got caught in Boden’s Mate. It's a handy pattern to keep in mind though it rarely happens. I can remember pulling it off in an online game only once. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Event "Simul, St, Louis"] [Site "?"] [Date "1921.08.25"] [Round "?"] [White "Samuel Reshevsky"] [Black "Edward D. Duncan"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "James Massie"] [PlyCount "34"] [EventDate "1921.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.12.06"] {C40: Elephant Gambits} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d5 {This rarely played move is gemerally called the Elephant Gambit, but it has also been known by several different names. At the time this game was played it was called the Center Gambit. Whatever you call it, it is generally considered unsound because black is usually unable to gain compensation for the sacrificed Pawn.} 3. exd5 (3. Nxe5 {This is also good and statistically the results strongly favore white as they do after 3.exd5.} Nf6 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Qe2 {This is a bit better that the ogten played 5.d4. White is a Pawn up with no difficulties.}) 3... e4 4. Qe2 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bc5 {This is a mistake. The safest move is 5...Be7} (5... Be7 6. Nxe4 Nxd5 7. Nc3 {However, even here black has no compensation for the P.}) 6. Nxe4 {The attack on the B and the threatened discovered check give whiye what should amount to a winning advantaget} O-O {This is his best move. Black has the forlorn hope that white will take the B/} (6... Nxe4 7. Qxe4+ Be7 8. Bc4 { White is teo Ps up with a dominating position.}) 7. Nxf6+ (7. Nxc5 {is too inclear as the position becomes bery complicated. The best line seems to be} Re8 {This pin is bery difficult to meet and requires precise play.} 8. Ne6 Bxe6 9. dxe6 Rxe6 10. Ne5 Nc6 11. f4 Qe7 12. d4 Nxd4 13. Qd3 Ng4 14. Qxd4 Rd8 15. Qc3 Nxe5 16. fxe5 Rxe5+ 17. Kf2 Qf6+ 18. Kg3 Qg6+ 19. Kf2 Qf6+) 7... Qxf6 8. c3 Bd7 (8... Bg4 {is no better. Black still has a bad game.} 9. d4 Nd7 {White can capture the B with impunity. The fact that he doesn't shows how good his position is.} 10. h3 Bh5 11. g4 Rfe8 12. Be3 Bg6 {White soon won. Dimitrov,V (2471)-Galvao,H (2187) Figueira da Foz POR 2007}) 9. d4 Bd6 10. Be3 Bf5 11. Nd2 Nd7 12. g3 {White could have gotten a strong attack with 12.g4 and 13.h4} Rfe8 13. Bg2 Qg6 14. O-O-O {Safer was 14.Nf3. After the text move white's advantage is diminished a bit.} c5 {Black equalizes with 14...Bd3, but this sneaky move catches Reshevsky off guard/} 15. dxc6 bxc6 {Now white should play 16.Rhe1 and he would have been a P up with a solid position.} 16. Bxc6 {[%mdl 8192] Black looks to be in trouble with both his R and N attacked.} Rac8 {The tables have turned and now it's white that is in serious trouble.} 17. Bxd7 {After this black has a mate in 2 by what is known as Boden;s Mate, a pattern in which two Bs deliver mate via intersecting diagonals. For this mate to happen the K's escapr squares must be blocked.} (17. Nf3 {at least avoids immendiate disaster. } Rxc6 18. Nh4 Qe6 19. Nxf5 Qxf5 {White has to offer an exchange of Qs with either 20. Qc2 or 20.Qc3, but after 20...Qa5 black's onslaught would be irresistible.} 20. Rhe1 {This routine move loses...} Rxc3+ 21. bxc3 Ba3+ 22. Kd2 Rb8 23. Rb1 Rxb1 24. Rxb1 Qxb1 {with an extra piece.}) 17... Rxc3+ { [%mdl 512] White resigned.} (17... Rxc3+ 18. bxc3 Ba3# {Boden's Mate}) 0-1