Annotated chess game

Hi, Joanne. First discovered this in Lee & Gossip's "Chess Player's Mentor," where Gossip writes (in 1905): <<"The ALLGAIER GAMBIT, so called after its inventor -- a celebrated Viennese player -- although not considered theoretically sound, yields the first player a very strong attack, which, in actual play, will be found difficult to repel.">> [And Gossip considers what White played here as the Main Line (9 d4 being the main variation at the time).]

Lately (because I play King's Gambit often), I've seen a lot of opponents try 3. Nf3 Be7! as an alternative. It's an interesting variation of King's Gambit; but I still beat them. Note however, I don't use KG against another Master. If I did, I'd be asking for trouble!

3...Be7 very solid way to meet KG. Usually, it works very well against players who try to play KG in a way that you must get something right now.

Theoretically, Black only has a slight advantage with this variation -- despite White about to give him two points! The idea here is for White to create an unclear position where Black could easily make a mistake with an exposed King. IMHO, the Allgaier Gambit is best to be left for over-the-board play where there is more pressure involved. In correspondence, it is too easy for Black to take a break and calm himself down before making a move. But it might work against somebody who moves too quick! Again IMHO, the variation is too risky for White to use. I've never personally seen it over the board; but I have studied it extensively in the past. Joanne is forcing me to find my old notes and books!

I've played this line myself in pick-up games. But once I played it with colours reversed! It transposed into the same line, but with White already having got in Nc3. As Black, I that extra White move helped meore than it did him, and I went on to win.

This is one of the moves that I love to play but it seems always inferior compared to 5.Ne5. I have played 5.Ng5 in rapid games quite much. Easy to get unprepared opponents off-guard. The problem is, that it seems black just always has better game if playing careful and it is white that has to forget dreams about winning.

...all the correct moves, so far IMO.

This is main-line alright, but 5. ... d5 is interesting for black, taking time to stop the checks at c4. It was covered in an article in the Guardian last year - www.guardian.co.uk - an excellent column by a very strong amateur and a GM.

I still have to find my notes to confirm, but I think 7. Nc3 is Blackburne variation. Stronger IMO is 7. Bc4+.

7.Bc4+ is recommended here. Then again, after 7.Nc6 it is playable again. It might be that 7...Nf6 with idea to play d5 if 8.Bc4+ is better than allowing the bishop move too easily.

Now I know why I've stayed away from this variation all these years! Frankly, I wouldn't want to be on either side of this board. Kg6 might have been slightly better, but not by much.

If 7.Bc4+ would have been played straight away then 7...d5 8.Bxd5+ and suddenly many believe that 8...Ke8 would be the stronger than 8...Kg7. It might hold the truth but king in the center allows white better chances to attack. But in this game 9...Ke8 would be bad. As in previous variation I gave it is known that after 10.d4 the move 10...Nc6 would help white too much with the attack with black king on e8. So 9...Kg7 was a good choice here and 9...Kg6 can be played too.

... not to mention freeing the Q-side bishop, and the other pieces on that side.

So far...impressive play for a 1300 player!

11. ....Nge7 instead...12. exd6 Nxd5 and much of the pressure is taken off of Black. Black would be up enough to likely win.

11...Nge7 would have been better in case of 12.exd6 Nxd5 and game could continue something like 13.Nxd5 Re8+ 14.Kf1 Qxd6 15.Nxf4 Re4 16.g3 Nxd4 17.c3 Qa6+ 18.Kf2 Nf3 and white is in trouble. This is just not so simple. 11...Nge7 will be met with 12.Bxc6 and then something like 12...Nxc6 13.Bxf4 Bb4 14.Be3 Be6 15.Qd3 Rf8 16.0-0-0 Bxc3 17.bxc3 Qd5 18.Rhf1 and white is is doing better than with the 12.exd6 move. Still, it doesn't change the fact that 11...Nge7 has better chances for the win than 11...Bb4.

Possibly White should have got in 14.Bxf4.

Most definitely 14.Bxf4 instead. Now White suffers from a similar ill that Black does with a threatened King. White is also still down two material points. The saving grace is that White has a protected passed pawn...but how is he supposed to take advantage of it. White has too much material in the starting position.

15. ...Be6 instead. It's a pawn stop and develops a piece. It also allows the rook on the a file to get into the action on the King's side where Black is trying to cover for his King. The addition of the rook also places more pressure on White's King.

There is nothing wrong with 15...Ne7 as Be6 can be played later and if 16.Bxf4 Qf5 17.e6 black just plays 17..Nd5 and will drop e-pawn down.

So you got the position anyway! White missed a better move of 17. e6. Yet such a move would not be expected from a 1300 player.

Good enough but attacking the white pawn mass is more important right now.