Solitaire Chess / Instruction
The Boot A Pest Gambit
Arnold Denker tries to rudely pester Sammy Reshevsky, but he is easily brushed aside in this miniature from 1934. By BRUCE PANDOLFINI
THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT USE OF THE Budapest Gambit (it actually was played in a tournament in 1896) is credited to Grand master Milan Vidmar (1885-1962), who was successful with it in 1918. These days, it’s usually thought to be too risky to play in top level competition. That didn’t stop future-GM Arnold Denker as Black from trying to surprise Sammy Reshevsky with it at a tournament in Syracuse in 1934. But it didn’t faze Reshevsky either. He easily stopped Denker’s attack. In the end, it was Denker who was surprised at his quick loss. The opening moves were:
Budapest Gambit (A52) Samuel Reshevsky Arnold Denker Syracuse, 1934
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5
3.
dxe5
Par Score 5 In playing the Budapest, it’s likely
Denker was hoping to take advantage of Reshevsky’s notorious lack of opening knowledge.
3. … Ng4 This aims to recover the pawn. The alter-
native is 3. ... Ne4, centralizing and playing for an attack.**
4. e4 Par Score 5 At the time, this was the recommenda-
tion. It shows that Reshevsky was not altogether unfamiliar with opening theory. White promptly returns the gambit pawn and plays for a big pawn center. Other moves which earn full credit are 4. Bf4 and 4. Nf3.
4. … d6 Black is determined to make a true
gambit out of it, but this may be stretching it. Simply 4. ... Nxe5, recovering the pawn, was the way to go.**
5. Be2 Par Score 5
Denker registers a partial success, since Reshevsky avoids 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. Be2 f5 7. exf5 Qe7 8. c5 Bxc5 9. Qa4+ Nc6 10. Qxg4 Nd4, with a strong attack for the piece. Probably, White is fine with 8. Nf3 (instead of 8. c5) so take full credit for 5. exd6. But fearing home preparation, Reshevsky decides to play safe.
Now make sure you have the above posi-
tion set up on your chessboard. As you play through the remaining moves in this game, use a piece of paper to cover the article, exposing White’s next move only after trying to guess it. If you guess cor- rectly, give yourself the par score. Sometimes points are also rewarded for second-best moves, and there may be bonus points—or deductions—for other moves and variations. Note that **means that the note to Black’s move is over and White’s move is on the next line.**
44 January 2014 | Chess Life
5. 6. 6.
7.
… f4 …
Nf3 Nxe5
Par Score 5 Ng4
This is more aggressive than retreating to c6 or g6, but it’s also more risky.**
Par Score 5 Accept only 2 points part credit for 7.
Bxg4, when 7. ... Qh4+ recovers his piece. The text stops Qd8-h4, while preparing for castling.
7. 8. 8.
…
0-0 …
Nc6
Par Score 5 Bd7
This is too casual. Better is 8. ... Be7, followed by castling. After the text move the black king never does get castled.**
9. Nc3 Par Score 5
White develops, but he’s also following through on a driving back process that helps White protect e4.
9. 10.
10. 11.
… h3
… e5
Be7 Par Score 5
Time to kick the knight back: the dark- square bishop wants access to e3.
Nf6 Par Score 5 Reshevsky is still kicking and driving.
The knight is pushed back to his starting square, where it delays castling. Accept 1 bonus point if you had the whole con- ception in mind when playing 10. h3.
11. 12. 12.
…
fxe5 …
dxe5
Par Score 5 Ng8
If 12. ... Bc5+, then White simply plays
13. Kh2; and if 13. ... Nh5?, then 14. g4 traps the knight (1 bonus point).**
13. Be3 13. … Par Score 5
Developing and taking away Black’s check on c5.
f6 Black tries to get rid of the e5-pawn so
his knight can come out. The downside is the weakening of the e8-h5 diagonal.**
14. Bd3! Par Score 5 White immediately fastens onto the
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