Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Staunton Gambit

Some openings, like the Dragon. require one to learn opening moves, which most chess players just hate. Others require one only to learn the ideas involved. I class the Staunton Gambit (1 d4 f5 2 e4) in this latter category. Here are some illustrative games.

chessart(1528)-Feel-8(1460), 3/29/08, 5,0
1. d4 f5 2. e4 fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 d5 5. Bxf6 exf6 6. Qh5+ g6 7. Qxd5 Qxd5 8. Nxd5 Bd6 9. Nxf6+ Kf7 10. Nxe4 Re8 11. Bd3 Bf5 12. f3 Nc6 13. Ne2 Bxe4 14. fxe4 Rad8 15. c3 Kg7 16. O-O-O Be7 17. e5 Bg5+ 18. Kc2 a6 19. Rdf1 Na5 20. h4 Bh6 21. h5 c5 22. hxg6 hxg6 23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Rxf4 cxd4 25. cxd4 Nc6 26. Kc3 b5 27. b4 Ne7 28. Rfh4 Nd5+ 29. Kb3 Rc8 30. Rh7+ Kg8 31. Rh8+ Kf7 32. R1h7+ Ke6 33. Rxe8+ Rxe8 34. Bxg6 Rc8 35. Rh3 Rc4 36. a3 Rxd4 37. Rf3 Nf4 38. Bh7 Kxe5 39. Re3+ Kd6 40. Bg8 Nxg2 41. Rg3 Nf4 42. Rg4 Ke5 43. Rg5+ Kf6 44. Rc5 Rd3+ 45. Kb2 Rd2+ 46. Kc3 Rd3+ 47. Kb2 Rd2+ 48. Kb3 Rd3+ 49. Rc3 Rd4 50. Rc6+ Ke5 51. Rxa6 Rd3+ 52. Kb2 Rd2+ 53. Kc3 Rd3+ 54. Kc2 {Black forfeits on time} 1-0

In the next game my opponent attempts to sidestep the Staunton by first playing 1...e6. However, I play it anyway!

chessart(1530)-Atalo(1614),3/29/08, 5,0
1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. e4 fxe4 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Qh5+ Ke7 9. Nxd5+ Ke6 10. Bc4 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Kd6 12. Nxb4 f5 13. Qh6+ Ke7 14. Nd5+ Ke8 15. Nf6+ Ke7 16. Qg7+ Kd6 17. Ne2 Nc6 18. Rc1 Bd7 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 20. Qxd7+ Kxd7 21. Bb5 Rhf8 22. d5 a6 23. dxc6+ bxc6 {Black resigns} 1-0

chessart(1779)-guest, 5/25/97, 3,0
1. d4 f5 2. e4 fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nc6 5. f3 d5 6. fxe4 dxe4 7. d5 Ne5 8. Bb5+ c6 9. dxc6 Qxd1+ 10. Rxd1 bxc6 11. Be2 Bd7 12. Bxf6 exf6 13. Nxe4 Bb4+ 14. c3 Ba5 15. Nd6+ Ke7 16. Nf3 Rhd8 17. O-O Bb6+ 18. Kh1 Rab8 19. Nxe5 fxe5 20. Rf7+ Ke6 21. Bg4# {Black checkmated} 1-0

1 comment:

chessart said...

In thid game just played, vs. goofy (1589), I win the exchange then stupidly allow a mate.

1. d4 f5 2. e4 d6 3. Bd3 fxe4 4. Bxe4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nxe4 6. Nxe4 Bf5 7. Qe2 c6 8. Nf3 Qc7 9. Bf4 Nd7 10. O-O-O O-O-O 11. Neg5 Bg6 12. Ne6 Qb6 13. Nxd8 Kxd8 14. Rhe1 Qa5 15. Kb1 Bf7 16. c4 Nb6 17. b3 Bg6+ 18. Ka1 e6 19. Qxe6?? Qc3# 0-1