Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Countergambit - Alapin Variation

HEINRICH WAGNER vs. WILHELM SCHOENMANN
Correspondence, 1919

1. d4, d5
2. c4, e5

The Albin Countergambit.   Black offers the e5 pawn as a counter-gambit to White's c4 pawn.

3. dxe5, d4
4. Nf3, Nc6
5. Nbd2 ....

The Alapin Variation.

5. .... f6
6. e6, Bxe6
7. a3, a5
8. b3, f5
9. Bb2, Bc5
10. Qc2, Qe7
11. g3, 0-0-0
12. Qd3, Nh6
13. Bg2, Ng4
14. 0-0, h5
15. b4, axb4
16. axb4, Nxb4
17. Qb3, Nc6
18. Qb5, Bb6
19. Bxd4, Bxd4
20. Nxd4, Rxd4
21. Qxb7+!! ....

Rather than waste time, White decides to attack right away.

21. .... Kxb7
22. Rfb1+, Kc8
23. Bxc6, Qa3

Black sacrifices his Queen to let the King escape.  If 24. Rxa3 Kd8, 25. Ra8+ Ke7 and the King escapes.  But White, knowing Black's delaying tactics, decides to accelerate his game plan.

24. Rb8+, Kxb8
25. Rxa3, Resigns

Black cannot prevent White's Rook from going to a8 and mate.

Benko Gambit

SHAKHRIYAR MAMEDYAROV vs. BENIAMIN GALSTIAN
EU-ch U18, 2002

1. d4, c5
2. d5, Nf6
3. c4, b5

The Benko Gambit.   Originally named Volga Gambit, this opening line was promoted by Pal Benko, a Hungarian-American Grandmaster.

4. Qc2, bxc4
5. e4, e6
6. Nc3, Bb7
7. Bxc4, exd5
8. exd5, d6
9. Nge2, Be7
10. Ng3, 0-0
11. 0-0, g6

Black prevents the g3 Knight from attacking, but in so doing creates a weakness in his king side.

12. Bg5, Nbd7
13. Rae1, Re8
14. f4, h6
15. f5 !! ....

White takes advantage of the weakness in g6 square.  If 15....hxg5, then 16. fxg6 Kg7, 17. gxf7 Kxf7, 18. Qh7+ ... White's attack is decisive.  Now, in this variation, after 17. gxf7 Rf8, 18. Nf5+ ... White threatens Rxe7 and the attack remains decisive.

In the same variation above, if 16....Ne5, then 17. Rxe5 dxe5, 18. gxf7 Kxf7, 19. Qh7+ Kf8, 20. Qh8+ Kf7, 21. d6 mate.

15. .... Kg7
16. fxg6, fxg6
17. Bf4, Ng4
18. h3, Nge5
19. Bxe5, Nxe5
20. Rxe5, dxe5
21. Nh5+, gxh5
22. Rf7+, Resigns

Black's position is hopeless after 22....Kxf7, 23. Qh7+ Kf8, 24. d6! and White threatens mate at f7 or f8.

If after 22....Kxf7, 23. Qh7+ Kf6, 24. Ne4 mate.

Nimzo-Indian Defense, Classical - Noa Variation

IVAN SOKOLOV vs. LEVON ARONIAN
37th Chess Olympiad, 2006

1. d4, Nf6
2. c4, e6
3. Nc3, Bb4
4. Qc2, d5

The Noa Variation of Nimzo-Indian Defense.

5. cxd5, exd5
6. Bg5, c5
7. dxc5, h6

Black tries to "unpin" his Knight.

8. Bh4, g5
9. Bg3, Ne4
10. Bxb8, Qf6

Adding pressure on the beleaguered Knight at c3.

11. Bg3, Nxc3

Now, White's problem starts to grow.

12. a3, Bf5
13. Qd2, Ba5
14. b4, Ne4
15. Qc1, Rc8
16. Ra2 ....

If 16. bxa5 Rxc5, 17. Qd1 Qc3+ White loses the game.

16. .... Rxc5!!

17. Qa1, Qc6

Black takes advantage of the pin, threatening Rc1+, and offers the h8 Rook as a freebie.

18. Qe5+, Kd8
19. Qxh8+, Kd7

White resigns. There is no stopping Rc1 threatening mate.

Slav Defense, Winawer Countergambit

ALEXANDER BELIAVSKY vs. BORIS GELFAND
Linares 1992

1. d4, d5
2. c4, c6
3. Nc3, e5

The Winawer Countergambit of the Slav.

4. dxe4, d4
5. Ne4, Qa5
6. Nd2, Nh6

The Black Queen could have taken the e4-pawn, but Black decides to complicate the position.

7. Nf3, Nf5
8. g3, Ne3
9. fxe3, dxe3
10. a3, Bf5
11. Bg2, Bc5
12. b4 ....

White decides to trade his Rook for the opponent's Bishop in order to ease Black's attack on the kingside.

12. .... Bxb4
13. axb4, Qxa1
14. 0-0, exd2
15. Qxd2, 0-0
16. Bb2, Qa6
17. Ng5, Bg6
18. e6!!, f6

If 18....fxe6, 19. Rxf8 Kxf8, 20. Nxf6 the position favors White.

19. e7, Re8
20. Bh3 ....

White sets up a poisoned pawn.

If 20....Rxe7, then 21. Be6+ (....Kh8, 22. Rxf6 gxf6, 23. Bxf6 mate) Kf8, 22. Bxf6 gxf6, 23. Qd8+ Re8, 24. Rxf6+ and mate in succeeding moves.

Black cannot take White's Knight because of the threat Be6+ followed by Rf8+.

20. .... Qb6
21. c5, Qc7
22. Be6+, Kh8
23. Rxf6, Nd7
24. Rxg6, Resigns

Black realizes that hope is lost after 24....hxg6, 25. Nf7+ Kh7, 26. Qg5 with a mating attack.

Modern Defense, Standard Line

JUDIT POLGAR vs. ALEXEY SHIROV
Amsterdam, 1995

1. e4, g6
2. d4, Bg7
3. Nc3 ....

The Standard Line of the Modern Defense.

3. .... c6
4. Bc4, d6
5. Qf3, e6
6. Nge2, b5
7. Bb3, a5
8. a3, Ba6
9. d5, cxd5
10. exd5, e5
11. Ne4, Qc7
12. c4!, bxc4
13. Ba4, Nd7
14. N2c3, Ke7?!

A better continuation for Black is N8f6, which could have prevented the incoming slaughter.

15. Nxd6!! ....

15. .... Qxd6

Not 15...Kxd6, because of 16. Ne4+ Ke7, 17. d6 double check.

16. Ne4, Qxd5
17. Bg5, Ndf6

If 17....f6, then 18. Rd1 Qb7, 19. Rxd7 and White wins.

18. Rd1, Qb7
19. Rd7+, Qxd7
20. Bxd7, h6
21. Qd1, Resigns

Black could not prevent 22. Qd6+ which ensures victory for White.

If 21....hxg5, 22. Qd6+ Kd8, 23. Bc6+ Kc8, 24. Bxa8 ....

A fantastic game!

Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Countergambit - Fianchetto Variation

JOHN VAN DER WIEL vs. SERGEI TIVIAKOV
Staunton CC Albin Theme Invitational, 2001

1. d4, d5
2. c4, e5

The Albin Countergambit.

3. dxc5, d4
4. Nf3 ....

If 4. e3 Bb4+, 5. Bd2 dxe3!!, and the position would take us to a popular chess opening trick called the Lasker's Trap.

4. .... Nc6
5. g3, Bg4
6. Bg2, Qd7

Black should not be in haste to take the e5 pawn.  If 6....Bxf3, 7. Bxf3 Nxe5, 8. Bxb7 and White gets compensation for the pawn.

7. 0-0, 0-0-0
8. Nbd2, h5
9. b4 ....

Designed to open up the b-file.  But Black takes the bait ....

9. .... Nxb4
10. a3, Na6
11. Nb3, d3
12. Be3, Ne7
13. Na5, b6
14. e6, Qd6

If 14....Qxe6, then 15. exd3 which solves the pawn problem.

If 14....fxe6, then 15. Ne5 threatening the Queen and the g4 Bishop.

15. Ng5!! ....

Threatening both b7 and f7 squares.  Black could not parry the simultaneous threats.

15. .... dxe2
16. Qa4, exf1=Q
17. Rxf1, fxe6

If 17...bxa5, then 18. Rb1! with good attacking possibilities.

18. Nb7, Qd3
19. Qxa6, Resigns

White threatens Nc5 check with consequent mate at b7, which cannot be prevented without loss of materials.

If 19....Re8, then 20. Nc5+ Kd8, 21. Nf7 mate.

Queen's Gambit Declined, Alapin Variation

HARRY NELSON PILLSBURY vs. MAX JUDD
Saint Louis, 1898

1. d4, d5
2. c4, e6
3. Nc3, b6

The Alapin Variation of Queen's Gambit Declined.

4. Nf3, Bb7
5. Bf4, Bd6
6. Bxd6, Qxd6
7. cxd5, Bxd5
8. e4, Bb7
9. Rc1, a6

Prevents 10. Nb5 ... which would be disastrous for Black.

10. Bd3, Ne7
11. 0-0, 0-0
12. e5, Qd8
13. Bxh7+ ....

A classic attack at the opponent's flank.

13. .... Kxh7
14. Ng5+, Kh6

If 14....Kg6, Black's position would be aggravated by 15. Qg4 with a menacing pin.

15. Qd2, Kg6
16. Ne2!!, Nd5

Black's move prevents 17. Nf4+ but White has other things in mind.

17. Qd3+!!, Kxg5
 

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Black has no choice but to accept the offered Knight.  If 17....Kh6, then 18. Qh7+ Kxg5, 19. f4+ and Black would be ensnared in a mating web.

18. f4, Kh6
19. Qh3, Kg6
20. f5!!, exf5

If 20....Kg5, Black would be totally helpless against 21. Rf3 followed by 22. Rg3 mate.

21. Rxf5 ....

If 21. Qxf5+ Kh6, 22. Rf3 g6, 23. Rh3+ Kg7 and the King is safe.

The text move threatens 22. Qh5 mate.

21. .... Rh8
22. Qg4+, Kh7
23. Rxf7!, Resigns

White threatens 24. Qxg7 mate.  If Black protects the pawn, White still mates by 24. Qh5.