Gambitchess #2

(1) Winckelmann,T (2400) - Hage,H (2407) [C15] 63rd EU Ch Semifinal, 1999 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 The Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit. Even if 6.f3 isn't a new move (it appeared in a note from Fischer in his game with Kovacevic 1970), two articles about the WRG were published in ChessMail Magazine (issue 5/1999 and 12/1999) and a game was published in the Informator 76/281. At a first view the WRG seems really a good weapon against the French. The game published in the Informator was played in 1999 by Thomas Winckelmann and Henk Hage in the 63rd European Ch Semifinal: 6...c5 the critical line 7.Qd2N Nf6 8.Bb2 Nc6 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nf3 0-0 12.Bd3 Nd5 13.Qf2 Nf4 14.Be4 Bd7 15.Bc1! Nd5 16.Bxh7+ Kxh7 17.Ng5+ Kg8 [>=17...Kg6! Winckelmann] 18.Qh4+- Nf6 19.0-0 Re8 20.Be3 cxd4 21.cxd4 e5 22.Rxf6 Qxf6 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Rf1 Qxf1+ 25.Kxf1 exd4 26.Bf4 Ke7 27.Qxg7 Be6 28.Ne4 a nice win! 1-0

 

(2) Ruggeri Laderchi,G (2345) - Perez,G (2000) [C15] WRG1 Thematic SEMI, 26.07.1999 After I read the article in ChessMail 5/1999, SEMI organized a series of thematic tournaments 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 c5 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.Bb2 0-0 [8...Nc6 see Winckelmann-Hage above] 9.0-0-0 [9.fxe4 According to Winckelamann it's the only move and White maintains the initiative.] 9...cxd4 Perhaps not the best move in this position because Black undoubles the white pawns 10.cxd4 b6 11.Nh3 Bb7 12.Ng5 Nbd7 [12...h6!?N 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.fxe4 Bxe4 15.Bd3 Bxd3 1/2-1/2 Hage-Zapf, WRG Thematic, SEMI corr 1999.] 13.Re1 exf3 14.gxf3 Rc8 15.Rg1 g6 16.Bd3 Qc7 17.Kb1 Rfd8 18.h4 [Here I missed a good move! 18.Rxe6 ] 18...a6 But fortunately it isn't too late 19.Rxe6!! fxe6 20.Nxh7 Nxh7 21.Rxg6+ Kh8 22.d5+ Ne5 23.d6 Qxd6 24.Qf4 Rc5 25.Rh6 Qe7 26.Bxe5+ Rxe5 27.Qxe5+ Kg8 28.Bxh7+ Qxh7 29.Qg5+ Qg7 30.Qxd8+ 1-0 This game was published in ChessMail issue 12/1999 with annotations from Winckelmann and Harding. ....but is it true that the WRG is a strong gambit?!  If we see the games played in the WRG1 there is something wrong... White scores very bad (29%): White wins: 4 (=11%), Draws: 13 (=36%), Black wins: 19 (=53%).  Almost all players played with Black 6...c5 (31 games) and Black scores excellently (76%).

 

(3) Winckelmann,T (2400) - Hage,H (2407) [C15] WRG Invitational SEMI, 15.09.1999 After the WRG1 I tried to organize an Invitational Tournament. Henk Hage, the Dutch Champion, accepted to play... 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 c5 [6...Nf6?! 7.fxe4 Nxe4 8.Qg4 Nf6 9.Qg3 Gutman in the Informator.] 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.Bb2 0-0 [8...Nc6?! 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nf3 0-0 12.Bd3 Nd5 13.Qf2 Nf4 14.Be4 Bd7 15.Bc1 Nd5 16.Bxh7+ Kxh7 17.Ng5+ Now Winckelmann gave in the Informator the following fine variation 17...Kg6 18.h4!? Qe7 19.c4 Nf6 20.h5+ Kh6 21.Qg3 Ne8 22.0-0 ] 9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.Nh3 Bc6 Now Hage is prepared for a good defence! 11.Ng5 Nbd7 12.Re1 exf3 13.gxf3 cxd4 14.cxd4 Rc8 15.Rg1 g6 16.Ne4 Qc7 17.Kb1 Bd5 18.Bd3 Bc4 19.Bxc4 Nxe4 20.fxe4 Qxc4 21.d5!? Rc5 22.Rg3 Rfc8 23.Rc3 Qa6 24.Rxc5 Rxc5 25.dxe6 Qxe6 26.Rd1 Rc7 If this is all what you get with the WRG gambit than I have to agree with Burgess who gave it a ?! in his Quickest Chess Victories of all time Cadogan 1998. 27.Qd5 Qxd5 28.exd5 f5 29.Bd4 There is no hope for White at all! 29...Kf7 30.a4 Rc4 31.Bxa7 Rxa4 32.Bf2 Ke7 33.Kb2 Kd6 34.Kb3 b5 35.Be1 Nc5+ 36.Kb2 Na6 37.Rd3 f4 38.Rh3 h5 39.Rb3 Nc7 40.Bh4 Rd4 41.Bg5 Nxd5 42.Bh6 b4 43.Rf3 Ke5 44.Rf1 Rd2 and won! 0-1

 

(4) Zapf,H (2452) - Capoccia,A (2000) [C15] WRG Invitational SEMI, 15.09.1999 [Zapf, H] Herby Zapf is a strong corr. player who lives in Bocholt Germany. The following game is worked out by the use of different chessprograms.  The game is full annotated .cbv or .pgn 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 c5 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.Bb2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.fxe4 Nxe4 11.Qe1 Bc6 12.Nf3 Nd7 13.Bd3 f5 14.h4?! Ndf6 15.Ne5 Qc7 16.c4 cxd4 17.Bxd4 Rfd8 18.Bb2 Rac8 19.h5 Ba4 20.g4!? b5 21.gxf5 Rxd3 22.cxd3 Bxd1 23.Kxd1 Qd6 24.Qe3 bxc4 25.Qxa7 Nf2+ 26.Kc2!! cxd3+ 27.Kb1 d2 28.Qf7+ Kh8 29.h6 d1Q+ 30.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 31.Ka2 Qd5+ 32.Nc4 Qxc4+  1/2-1/2

 

(5) Zapf,H (2452) - Tatai,S (2336) [C15] WRG Invitational SEMI, 15.09.1999 [Zapf, H] The game is full annotated .cbv or .pgn 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 c5 7.Qd2 Qa5 8.fxe4 [8.Bb2 cxd4 9.cxd4 Qxd2+ 10.Kxd2=/+ ] 8...cxd4 I would like to mention that IM Tatai is playing in this tournament with out the use of the computer and sometimes without chessboard!  9.cxd4 Qxd2+ 10.Bxd2+/= b6 11.Bb5+ Bd7 12.Bd3 Nc6 13.Nf3 [13.Ne2 ] 13...Nf6 [13...Nge7 14.c4+/- ] 14.c4 0-0 15.e5+/- Ng4 [15...Ne8 16.d5 exd5 17.cxd5+- ] 16.0-0 f6 17.h3 Nh6 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.exf6 Rxf6 20.d5 Nd8 21.Ne5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Be8 23.dxe6 Nxe6 24.Be4 1-0

(6) Hage,H (2407) - Ruggeri Laderchi,G (2345) [C15] WRG Invitational SEMI, 15.09.1999 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 c5 There are nowadays not many players who have a own opening like Thomas Winckelmann! 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.Bb2 0-0 9.0-0-0 b5!? not popular but my favourite move against the WRG 10.Bxb5 [White can't play 10.fxe4 Nxe4 11.Qe3 (11.Qe1 Bb7 12.Nf3 Qd5 (12...f5 13.Bd3 ) 13.Bd3 ) 11...f5 12.Bd3 Bb7 13.Nf3 c4 14.Be2 and Black has a nice position] 10...Ba6 11.c4 Bxb5 12.cxb5 a6 13.Qg5?! I don't like this move even if Harding, Winckelmann and Hage give an !? The move was played also in the game Hage-Elburg and Viola-Ruggeri Laderchi (see below) [In my opinion a better try is 13.dxc5N Qxd2+ 14.Rxd2 axb5 15.Ne2 Nc6 16.Nc3 exf3 17.gxf3 b4 18.axb4 Nxb4 19.Nb5 Rfb8 20.c4 Ne8 21.Rg1 g6 22.Rg4 Nc6 23.Kc2 e5 24.f4 f5 25.Rh4 e4 26.Rd7 h5 27.Rh3 Nb4+ 28.Kc3 Nd3 29.Rhxd3 exd3 30.c6 Rc8 31.c7 Nxc7 32.Rxc7 Rd8 33.Bc1 Ra2 34.Nd4 d2 35.Bxd2 Ra3+ 36.Kb4 Rxd4 37.Bc3 and 1/2-1/2 in 52 moves von Zitzewitz,C - Ruggeri Laderchi,G/SEMI 1999; 13.fxe4 axb5 14.Qf4 cxd4 15.Rxd4 Qe7 16.Rd3 Nbd7 17.Rg3 Leiseben - Hergert, test game 1998] 13...h6! the simplest and strongest move in this position shows that g5 isn't the right place for the White Q [Elburg played 13...Qd5 14.Qxd5 (14.Qg3 cxd4 15.Bxd4 Nh5 ) 14...exd5 15.dxc5 axb5 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Kb2 e3 18.Rxd5 Nc6 19.Ne2 Rfc8 20.Ra1 Kf8 21.Ng3 Ne7 22.Rd3 f5 23.Ne2 Rxc5 24.Rxe3 Ng6 25.f4 Rd8 26.Rd3 Rdc8 27.Rc3 Rxc3 28.Nxc3 Nxf4 29.g3 Ng2 30.Nxb5 f4 31.gxf4 Rc5 32.Nd4 Rh5 33.a4 Nxf4 34.a5 Rxh2 35.a6 1-0 Hage,H-Elburg,J/SEMI 1999 (35); 13...cxd4 14.Rxd4 Qa5 15.Rd2 (15.Rd1 Ne8 16.fxe4 axb5 17.Ne2 f6 18.Qc5 ) 15...h6 ] 14.Qg3 [14.Qxc5 Nbd7 and Black has a good setup] 14...axb5 15.dxc5 Qe7 16.Qd6 [Matteo Viola in the same tournament played 16.fxe4 Rc8 17.Nh3 (17.Qd6 Nc6 (17...Qa7 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qg3+ (19.Rd3 Qxc5 20.Qxc5 Rxc5 21.Nh3 ) 19...Kh7 ; 17...Qxd6 18.cxd6 Nxe4 19.Nh3 Rd8 20.Rd4 (20.Rhe1 Nxd6 21.Be5 Nb7 22.Rxd8+ Nxd8 ) 20...Ra4 (20...Nxd6 21.Rhd1 Ra6 22.a4 b4 23.Nf2 Kf8 24.Rxb4 ) 21.Rxa4 bxa4 22.Rd1 Nc6 23.d7 Nc5 24.Rd6 (24.Bd4 Nxd4 (24...Nxd7 25.Nf2 Nde5 26.Bxe5 Rxd1+ 27.Kxd1 Nxe5 ) 25.Rxd4 Rxd7 26.Rc4 Rd5 27.Nf4 Re5 28.Kd2 Kf8 29.Nd3 Nxd3 30.Kxd3 Ra5 31.Rc7 Rh5 32.h3 Rg5 33.g4 h5 ) 24...Nb8 25.Nf4 Rxd7 26.Rxd7 Nbxd7 27.Kd2 ) 18.Qxe7 Nxe7 (18...Nxe7 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Kb2 Rxc5 21.Ne2 Nc6 22.Rhf1 ) ) 17...Qxc5 18.Rd2 Nbd7 19.Rhd1 Ra4! with the idea to play b4 20.Nf2 Rc4 21.Qb3 Qb6 22.Kb1 Nc5 23.Qe3 b4 24.Rd4 bxa3 25.Qxa3 Ncxe4 26.Qb3 Nc3+ 27.Bxc3 Qxb3+ 28.cxb3 Rxc3-/+ 29.Rd8+ Kh7 30.Rxc8 Rxc8 31.Rd3 g5 32.Kb2 Kg6 33.Nd1 h5 34.Ne3 Ne4 35.Nc4 f5 36.Rd7 f4 37.Rd4 Kf5! 38.Kc2 e5 39.Rd7 Nf6 40.Re7 e4 41.Re5+ Kg4[]-+ 42.Re6 Nd5 43.Rxe4 Ne3+ 44.Rxe3 fxe3 45.Kd3 Kf4 46.Nxe3 Rd8+ 47.Ke2 Ke4 48.b4 Rd4 49.Nc2 Rd3 50.Ne1 Rb3 51.Nc2 g4 52.g3 Rb1 53.Kd2 Rh1 54.Kc3 Rxh2 55.b5 h4 56.gxh4 g3 57.b6 g2 58.b7 g1Q 59.b8Q Qc5+ 0-1 Viola,M-Ruggeri Laderchi,G/SEMI 1999 (59)] 16...Qa7 [16...Qb7 17.Ne2 Rc8 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Ng3 ; 16...Qxd6 17.cxd6 Nbd7 18.Ne2 exf3 19.gxf3 Rfb8 20.Rhg1 Ra6 21.Bxf6 Nxf6 ] 17.Qg3 [I believe the former Dutch champion corr. chess had to take his chance with 17.fxe4 Nxe4 18.Qe5 f5 19.Qxe6+ Kh7 20.Ne2 Nf2 21.Rd8 Rxd8 22.Qxf5+ Kg8 23.Qxf2 Nd7 24.Qg3 Nxc5 ; 17.Ne2 Rc8 18.Nc3 Rxc5 19.Nxe4 Nxe4 20.Qd8+ (20.fxe4 Nc6 21.Rhf1 Na5 (21...Rd8 22.Qf4 f6 23.Rxd8+ Nxd8 24.Bxf6 gxf6 25.Qxf6 Rc8 26.Qxh6 Qxa3+ 27.Kb1 Qb4+ 28.Kc1 Rxc2+ 29.Kxc2 Qc4+ 30.Kd2 Qxf1 ) 22.Qg3 Rg5 23.Qf3 Qc7 24.Rf2 Nc4 25.Rd3 Nxb2 26.Kxb2 Rc5 ) 20...Kh7 21.Qd3 f5 22.fxe4 Nc6 23.exf5 exf5 ] 17...Kh7 18.fxe4 Qxc5 19.Nf3 Rc8-/+ 20.Nd4 [20.Rd2 Nc6 ] 20...e5 21.Qd3 White is trying but there is not much hope against the Black position. 21...Ng4 [21...b4 22.Nb3 (22.axb4 Qxb4 23.Nb3 Nc6 ) 22...Qc4 (22...Qe7 23.axb4 ) ] 22.Nb3 [22.Nxb5 Nf2 23.Qc3 Qxc3 (23...Ra6 24.Rhg1 Nxd1 25.Rxd1 ) 24.Nxc3 Nc6 25.Rhf1 Nxd1 26.Rxd1 Nd4 27.a4 ] 22...Qc4 23.Rhg1 Nf2 24.Qxc4 bxc4 25.Rdf1 Ng4 26.Kb1 cxb3 27.cxb3 Kg8 28.h3 Nf6 29.Rc1 Nbd7 30.Rxc8+ Rxc8 31.Re1 Kf8 32.a4 Ke7 33.Ba3+ Ke6 34.Kb2 Nc5 35.Bxc5 Rxc5 36.Re3 Rc6 37.a5 Kd6 38.Rg3 g6 39.b4 Nxe4 40.Rb3 Rc4 41.Rd3+ Kc6 42.Kb3 Rc1 43.Kb2 Rg1 44.g4 Rg3 45.Rd8 Rxh3 46.a6 Kb6 0-1

(7) Hage,H (2407) - Viola,M (2226) [C15] WRG Invitational SEMI, 15.09.1999 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 c5 The play of Viola is very promissing: here he beats Hage in a easy way! I am sure we shall hear more about this man in the future! 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.Bb2 Nbd7 9.fxe4 Nxe4 10.Qf4 Nef6 11.Nf3 Qa5 12.Nd2 0-0 13.Bd3 e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.0-0 Nxd3 16.cxd3 Qb5 17.Rab1 Qxd3 18.c4 Nh5 19.Qh4 Qxd2 20.Qxh5 b6 21.Qf3 Ba6 22.Qg3 f6 23.Bxf6 Qh6 24.Be7 Rfe8 25.Bg5 Qe6 26.Rf4 Qe3+ 27.Qxe3 Rxe3 28.Rg4 Rxa3 29.Bf6 g6 30.Re1 Rf8 31.Bb2 Ra2 32.Re2 Rd8 33.Rge4 Ra4 34.h3 Rxc4 35.Re8+ Rxe8 36.Rxe8+ Kf7 37.Ra8 Rc2 38.Rxa7+ Ke6 39.Bh8 Bd3 40.Rxh7 Be4 41.Rh4 Kd5 42.Rg4 b5 43.Rg5+ Kc4 44.Rg4 Rxg2+ 45.Rxg2 Bxg2 46.Kxg2 Kd3 Black has one pawn too much! 0-1