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Chess Notes

Weekly chess column

The 19th European Team Chess Championship, held recently, yielded an interesting game between Baadur Jobava of Georgia and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan. Jobava offered an ancient variation of the Vienna Gambit, which was declined, but failed to get his king out of the center.

European Team Championship Warsaw 2013

Jobava (2695) — Mamedyarov (2757)

1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Behold the Vienna Opening, which at first was named the Hamppe Opening after Carl Hamppe (1814-1876), a Viennese government official who played this at the cafés in Vienna. White hopes to avoid all the nuances of the Ruy Lopez, the dull nature of the Petroff’s, the insanity of the immediate King’s Gambit and the ancient dust of the Giuoco Piano but still have chances for enterprising chess. The Vienna is actually home to one of the more colorful named variation in all of the chess: “The Frankenstein – Dracula” line – 2…Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nb5 g67.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6 where Black, despite being a rook down, hopes to overwhelm White with his center and to win eventually the trapped White’s knight. I am thinking that the jury is still out on this line. 2...Nf6 3.f4 The Vienna Gambit, which for many years one of the main attractions of the Vienna. 3...d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 or the trap 5.d3 Qh4+ 6.g3 Nxg3 7.Nf3 Qh5 8.Nxd5 Nxh1 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 Be7 11.Bg2 Bh4+ 12.Kf1 Nf2 13.Qe1 with a winning position for White as the knight is trapped or Black will lose his bishop. 5...Bc5 A rare move. Much more common is 5…Be7. 6.Qe2 Almost standard is 6.d4 but White seems to be saying that he is not scared of 6…Bf2+ (not 6…Nf2 as after 7.d4 White will win two pieces for the rook.) That Mamedyarov does not play it seems to say that White is right. By 6.Qe2, White is putting the question to the knight of e4. 6...Bf5 7.Nd1 Really hoping to embarrass Black’s knight with d3. 7...Nc6 8.d3 Now what? 8...Qe7! (Diagram) Piece? What Piece? 9.Ne3 If he takes the Knight he gets into a lot trouble after say, 9.dxN dxe 10.Nd2 Nd4 and White's queen is hard pressed to find a good square. 9...Be6 10.c3 0–0–0 11.d4 Bb6 12.Qc2 g5! Now White will have a hard time catching up in development while dealing with all of Black’s threats. 13.g3 The computer “suggests” that White’s best is: 13.Bd3 g4 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Nd2 Nxe5 16.Qxe4 Qg5 17.b3 Nc6 18.Ndc4 Bxd4 19.cxd4 Rxd4 20.Qb1 Qf6 21.a4 Re8 22.Ra2 Bf5 with a good plus for Black but White has chances to hold. 13...f6 Opening lines while White’s king is still in the center.  14.exf6 Qxf6 15.Bg2 g4 16.Nh4 Bxd4! 17.Rf1 Necessary to prevent a check on f2 if he takes the bishop immediately. 17...Qe5 18.cxd4 Nxd4 19.Qa4 The computer “claims” that 19.Qd3 may hold. I have my doubts but after 19…Qa4, Black starts to run all over White. 19...Kb8?! No need. Just 19…Nc5 should do the trick, i.e.; 19...Nc5 20.Qd1 Rhf8 21.Rf2 Nf3+ 22.NxN gxN 23.Rxf d4! 20.Bxe4 Bd7 A finesse, clearly the e-file for a rook. 21.Qa5 Qxe4 22.Rf4 or 22.Kd2 Bb5 23.Rf2 Rhf8 24.Ke1 Nc2+ 25.Kd1 Qd3+ 26.Qd2 Nxe3+ 27.Ke1 Qf1+ mating. 22...Qh1+ 23.Kf2 Nf3 24.Nxg4 or 24.Nxf3 gxf3 25.Rxf3 d4 26.Nf1 Bh3 27.Bf4 Qg2+ 28.Ke1 Rhe8+ 29.Be5 Qxf3 30.Qxc7+ Ka8 winning 24...b6 25.Qc3 Nxh4 26.gxh4 Bxg4 27.Be3 or 27.Rxg4 Qxh2+ 28.Ke1 Rde8+ 29.Be3 Rhf8 30.Rc1 Rf3 winning. 27...Qxh2+; 0–1