Dave Regis 1-0 Volker Drüke

Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Rev. 1.0 - 15.08.2003
[mailto:] caissist ad gmx.net

My adventures with the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit...

Dave Regis 1 - 0 Volker Drüke
An abrupt end; in a slightly uncommon line White moves pieces across to the King's-side until a combinational break can be launched.
All according to plan, but for a moment White's edifice may have proved vulnerable to a Black central break.

BDG Bogolyubov Defence

1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.O-O O-O 8.Qe1 Bg4 9.Qh4 Bxf3
[9...Nc6 often transposes]

10.Rxf3 Nc6

This is a very well-known type of position for the BDG fraternity, although the combination of an immediate ...Bxf3 and ...Nc6 is not so common. Conventional attacking approaches risked playing into my opponent's hands, so I resolved to play a less commonly-tried approach.

11.Ne2 Qd7
[11...Nd5 has been tried a few times, e.g. 1 - 0 Schuh H. FM - Kohler Baden Team CS 1982 (23);
11...e5 12.Bg5+/-]

12.Bg5
[12.Rh3? Qg4-+;
12.Bh6? Qg4]

12...Ng4
[12...Rad8 13.c3 Na5 14.Bd3 Rfe8 15.Raf1 Qc6 16.b4 Nc4 17.Kh1 Nb6 18.Rh3 h5 19.Rhf3 Nbd7 20.b5 Qe6 21.h3 Nf8 22.R1f2 Qd7 23.Bc4 Ne6 24.Nf4 Nxf4 25.Rxf4 Rf8 26.Qg3 c6? 27.Bxf6 Bxf6 28.Qxg6+ Kh8 29.Qxh5+ Kg8 30.Rg4+ 1 - 0 Hall A - Wells PK London 1977;
12...h6 I was quite worried by this move during the game, perhaps needlessly e.g. 13.Bxh6 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Bxh6 15.Rd3 Bg7 16.Ne6!]

13.c3
[13.Rh3?! h6 (13...Bxd4+ 14.Nxd4 Qxd4+ 15.Be3 Qxe3+ 16.Rxe3 Nxe3/) 14.c3 transposes below.;
13.h3? Bxd4+;
13.d5? Nce5]

13...h6

CRITICAL POSITION: Quite right! Now what is White to do?

I knew 14.Bf4 had a precedent but I thought I had to be sure before playing it... but in fact, I'm still not sure!

14.Bf4!?
Alternatives:
[14.Raf1?! hxg5 15.Qxg5 Nge5 (15...Nf6 16.Qxg6 Nd8 17.Rg3 Ne8 18.Rh3 Nf6 19.Rxf6 Qxh3 20.gxh3 exf6 21.Nf4) 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Rh3 Qg4! (17...Nxc4 may also be good enough ) 18.Qxg4 Nxg4 19.Rg3 (19.Nf4 Ne5 20.Bb3-+) 19...Ne5 20.Bb3 Rad8 21.Nf4 e6 22.h4 Bh6 23.h5 Kg7 24.hxg6 Bxf4 25.Rxf4 Nxg6 26.Rb4 b6 27.Rc4 c5 28.Ra4 a5 29.Bc4 Rd1+ 30.Bf1 Rfd8 31.b4 cxb4 0 - 1 Mondragon - Müller G. corres ch we BDG 1975;
14.Rg3!? cf. Mondragon above 14...hxg5! 15.Qxg5 (15.Qxg4 Qxg4 16.Rxg4 Bf6 17.Ng3 e5 18.d5 Na5 19.Bd3 Be7) 15...Nge5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Bb3 Bf6-+;
14.Rh3-+ e5! 15.Rd1]

14...h5!?
[14...g5!? was the line to check: 15.Bxg5 hxg5 16.Qxg5 Nf6 (16...Nh6 17.Raf1 Kh8 18.Rh3 Qd6 19.Bxf7 Rad8 20.Rg3 Rg8 21.Bxg8 Rxg8 22.Qh5+/-) 17.Rg3 Ne8 18.Nf4!? (idea Nh5)

A) 18...e6!? Opening up the second rank to defend g7 looks the toughest defence; the Black Knights prove very awkward for White. 19.Nh5 f6! 20.Qh6 Rf7 21.Rxg7+ (21.Re1 Nd8) 21...Nxg7 22.Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxf6 Rf8;

B) 18...Nxd4?! 19.Nd5 Nc6 20.Re1]
So I might have been quite wrong to offer the Bishop, and Volker was wrong to trust me (or Sneiders).

15.Raf1?!

Just to be different, but without immediate threats. Shades of the last game, I fear: a good-looking move rather than a good one. Black has a window of opportunity...
[15.Qg3? e5 16.dxe5 Ncxe5-+;
[15.Qg5? e5-+]
[Sneiders, to whom credit or blame for the idea of sacrificing the Bishop is due, had played a game with: 15.h3!? Nf6 16.Qg3 e6 (16...Kh7) 17.Re1 (17.Raf1 Ne4 18.Qh4 Ne7 19.g4&=) 17...Ne4 18.Qh2 This position didn't appeal to me at all. 18...Rae8 19.Bb5 e5 20.dxe5 Qd5 21.Bxc6

A) 21...bxc6 1/2 - 1/2 Sneiders E - Frings corres I.BDG Weltt 1968. Although a draw was agreed here I quite like White's position. 22.Re3 f6 (22...Bxe5 23.Bxe5 Rxe5 24.Nf4+/-) 23.Ng3+= But:

B) 21...Qxc6! seemed better to me 22.Re3 (22.Nd4 Qd5 23.Rfe3 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Rxe5 25.Nf3 Re7) 22...Qb6 23.Nd4 f5 24.exf6 Nxf6 25.Bxc7 Rxe3 26.Rxe3 (26.Bxb6 Rxe1+ 27.Kf2 Ng4+) 26...Qxb2-+]

15...Na5
Decentralising but not bad, I think.
[15...e5? 16.Bg5 intending Be7 with an attack on f7 (16.h3 e4) 16...exd4 (16...Nd8 17.Be7 Re8 18.Bxd8 Qxd8 19.Qxd8 Rexd8 20.Rxf7 Ne3 21.Rxc7+ Nxc4 22.Rxc4 Rd7 23.dxe5 Bxe5) 17.Rxf7 Rxf7 18.Rxf7 Qxf7 19.Bxf7+ Kxf7 20.h3 dxc3 21.Nxc3 Bd4+ 22.Kf1;
15...Rad8;
15...Nf6 16.Qg5 Kh8;
15...Rac8!? looking after c7 also looked OK to me, when White still has it all to prove. However, I was most afraid of the text move.]

16.Bd3 b6?!
[The move that I was anxious about at the time was 16...e5!?
17.dxe5 (17.Bg5 Rae8; 17.Bg3 exd4) 17...Nxe5 18.Bxe5 Bxe5 when I could see nothing very convincing for White; Black needs to avoid to obvious knockouts however and on second glance may not find it easy to do so.
19.Qg5 Rfe8 (19...Nc6 20.Bc4!; 19...Rae8 20.Bxg6! fxg6 21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 22.Rxf8+ Kxf8 23.Qxe5) 20.Rxf7 Qxd3 21.Qh6 Qe3+ 22.Qxe3 Bxh2+ 23.Kxh2 (23.Kf2 Rxe3 24.Kxe3) 23...Rxe3]
After Black has declined (or missed) this oppportunity, White is allowed to build up a powerful attack.

17.h3
Back to the Sneiders game, more or less.

17...Nf6
[17...e5 obviously now fails to 18.hxg4 exf4 19.gxh5+-;
17...Nh6 looked interesting but unnatural]

18.Ng3
[18.Be5 first could have been tried, or 18.Qg3]

18...c5
looks the right strategy, trying to break up White's centre and get some active play, because there seems no immediate prospect of Black achieving exchanges.
[18...Nc6 19.Bg5 was another critical line. I didn't analyse it much at the time, waiting for Volker's actual choice to arrive.

A) 19...e5?? 20.Bxf6;

B) 19...Nh7 20.Nxh5 gxh5 (20...Nxd4) 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxh5+ Kg8 23.Bh6;

C) 19...Rad8 20.Bxf6 exf6 21.Nxh5 Nxd4 22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Rxf6 Ne6]

19.Be5
[19.dxc5; 19.Bg5]

19...cxd4
[19...Nc6 now meets the same reply.]

20.Bxf6 1 - 0
This move provoked Black (who perhaps anticipated the immediate recapture on d4) into resigning(!). Black is certainly beset with threats but can hope to steer out into a simplified if inferior position. The variations are I guess quite thematic for the BDG but I'm not confident that I haven't missed something familiar to readers.

But let us look at what might have happened:

20...exf6!

White now has a choice of sacrificial lines:
[20...Bxf6?! 21.Rxf6

A) 21...dxc3 22.R6f3 Rac8 23.Nf5 f6 24.Rg3 c2 25.Qxh5 Kf7 (25...e5 26.Nh6+) 26.Qxg6+ Ke6 27.Re3+ Kd5;

B) 21...exf6 22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Qg3+ Kh8 24.Rxf6]
21.Bf5!?
getting the Bd3 out of the way of the Qd7
[21.Rxf6? is not the right one at all: 21...Bxf6 22.Qxf6 Qe6;
21.Nxh5!? was the one I looked at first and longest 21...dxc3! exposing the Bd3 (21...Nc6 22.Nxg7 Kxg7 23.Qxf6+ Kg8 24.Bc4 Nd8 25.Qxg6+ Kh8 26.Qh6+ Kg8 27.Rg3+;
21...gxh5 22.Qxh5 Rfe8 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Rg3 Ke7 25.Rxg7 Qe6 26.Bg6 Rf8 27.cxd4 Ke8 28.Bxf7+ Rxf7 29.Qg8+ Ke7 30.Rxf7+ Qxf7 31.Re1+;
21...Qd6!? covering g3 and f6, not to mention d4, but allowing White to capture on f6 with gain of time. 22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Rxf6 Qe5 24.Bxg6)
Now 22.Qxf6 is an idea, or 22.Nxg7 Kxg7 23.Qxf6+ Kg8 24.Rf4 Qc6 (24...Qe6 25.Qxe6 fxe6 26.bxc3) 25.bxc3 is worse for Black but not losing. So White should think again: (25.Rh4 Qxf6 26.Rxf6 cxb2;
25.Qxc6 Nxc6 26.Be4 Rac8)]

21...Qd6!
covering d4, g3 and f6 again, and without being exposed to Rxf6. White has to spend a while organising a threat on the g-file.
[21...gxf5? 22.Nxf5 dxc3 (22...Rfe8 23.Qg3) 23.Nxg7;
21...Qa4? 22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Qxh5 Rfe8 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Rg3 Ke7 26.Qxg7! (26.Rxg7 Qxa2) 26...Qxa2 27.Re1+ Kd6 28.Qxf6+]

22.Nxh5 gxh5 23.Rg3
[23.Qxh5 Rfd8]
23...Rfd8
[23...Nc6 24.Rff3 Ne5 25.Rxg7+ Kxg7 26.Qg3+ Kh8 27.Qf4 Ng6 28.Qh6+ Kg8 29.Bxg6 fxg6 30.Qxg6+ Kh8 31.Rf5 Qe7 32.Rxh5+ Qh7 33.Rxh7#]

24.Rff3 Kf8
[24...dxc3 25.Qxh5 Kf8 26.Qh7 Qc5+ 27.Kh2 cxb2 28.Qxg7+ Ke8 29.Qxf6 Qd6 30.Re3+]

25.Qxh5
Does White really win in all variations from here?

25...dxc3 26.Qh7
which looks very risky for Black, e.g.

26...Qc5+ 27.Kh2 Nc4
[27...c2 28.Re3]

28.Qxg7+ Ke7 29.Bg6 Rf8 30.Qxf6+ Kd7 31.Bf5+ Kc7 32.Rxc3...

Lessons:

"Don't believe all you read" and
"Look before you leap!"
Play good moves, not good-looking ones.
Don't drift, waiting for your opponent to build up: hit back when you can!

Dave Regis

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