C34 King's Gambit Accepted: 3.Nf3: 3...Nf6 and 3...d6 (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 d6)
The theoretical move order for this variation is 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Bc4 Nc6. If we would have followed the theoretical move order, I think I would not have played 3...Nc6. I definetely would not play that after the old post I came across yesterday. The post I am referring to was published April 2nd, 2012 titled "Rajlich: Busting the King's Gambit, this time for sure". It can be found at the Chessbase website. In that post Vasik Rajlich claimed that the King's Gambit had been solved. According to that extensive project he did, the best move against 3.Bc4 is 3...Nf6 and White should lose with best play. The project was inspired by Bobby Fischer's claims that he had refuted the King's Gambit. Interestingly enough it seems that Fischer was right about 3...d6 being the best answer to 3.Nf3. What is also interesting about this project is that the only move after 2...exf4 that keeps White in the game is 3.Be2 and with best play it is a draw. In practical play human players can still make bad moves, so it is not like you could get a guaranteed win in the lines that should be winning from this early on.
The game below was played in a second division, group 4 match between AS and SalSK 2 in 2010. I played on board 4 for SalSK 2 in this match. I was not unfortunately the only one who lost on our team, we also lost on boards 1 and 3. On board 2 we drew and the only win we got from our board 5 player. This meant that the final score was 3 - 1 in favor of AS. While this game started in a promising way for me, the longer the game went, the more the game started to gravitate in favor of my opponent. The position below is taken after my 7th move g5. My opponent played 8.Nc3, after which I should be clearly better. The best option for White to stay in the game is to play 8.d5 here.
I remained only clearly better until in the position below my opponent blundered and played 12.Bd3. Had I played 12...Nxd5, I might have been in a position that is close to winning, but alas I played 12...Re8 and I remained only clearly better.
The game went on being either clearly favorable or winning at times for me, up to the move 35.Kh2, but then the game started to slowly become favorable for my opponent. In the position below I played 35...Rf1, which gave my opponent a golden opportunity to punish me from my mistake and play 36.Bg4+. It would have resulted in a position where I need to sacrifice my bishop and even though I would only have a pawn for the bishop, I should have enough counterplay to compensate for the material. Especially since I would be likely to get a second pawn for the bishop from a2.
My opponent did not go for that plan and the position remained roughly even, with both players making some inaccuarete moves until we reached the position below. On move 40 my opponent moved his rook from e2 to d2. This was one of the turning points of the game. I played 40...Rc1, which at long last gave my opponent the advantage. I should have played 40...h5 in order to maintain equality of the position. Maybe also 40...b5 was a move to consider instead of the move played in the game.
Blunders did not end there of course. I was still hanging on in the game in the position below, I was only slightly worse at the time. With the move 44...Rb1 my position went down the drain, now it was my opponent who had the winning position. The correct move for me was 44...fxg2. While the move that my opponent chose was not the most accurate, he should still be winning after 45.Bd7+.
Even though I drifted into a position that seemed completely lost, for some reason I continued the struggle. Perhaps because this was a team match, I continued the game longer than I normally would. The fact that I did not give up, might have frustrated my opponent enough so that he made a mistake that allowed me to get into a position that was drawish. I should be completely lost in the position below, but one blunder can change that. My adversary played 61.Ke6, which with correct play is only good enough for a draw. 61.h4 was the best move for White. Stockfish thinks that White should be up by 24+ pawns after 61.h4. An advantage that should be enough for everyone to convert into a win.
The final mistake of the game came in the position below after my opponent had played 71.h6. The only move that could have drawn the game for me was 71...a2. For some reason I thought that move order is not important in this position and I played the horrible blunder 71...c4 before playing a2, but that was a judgement error that cost me the game.
71...a2 was much better because it forces 72.Bf6 and then I could have played 72...c4. I was so close to a draw, but still so far away. I did offer my best resistance in the game continuation, but it was in the end futile and I needed to resign after 81.Bxc3 as my pawns were forcefully removed from the board. I have added mate in one puzzles 524 & 525, a mate in two puzzle 745, a mate in three puzzle 670 and a mate in four puzzle 533 today.
So far my statistics are: 2 games with the black pieces, 1 win (50%), 1 loss (50%).
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 d6 5.0-0 Be6 6.Bb5 Bd7 6...a6 7.Ba4 b5 8.Bb3 Nf6 9.d3 Qd7 10.Bxf4 Ne5 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Bxe5 Rd8 13.Bxe6 Qxe6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Qf3 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Ke7 17.Nc3 c6 18.Qf5 Rdg8 19.Qxc5+ Kd7 20.Qf5 Ke7 21.Qxe6+ 7.d4 g5 7...Qe7 8.Bxf4 0-0-0 9.Nc3 Nb4 10.Bc4 Be6 11.d5 Bg4 12.Qe2 c6 13.a3 cxd5 14.axb4 dxc4 15.Nd5 Qd7 16.Rxa7 Qb5 17.Ra8+ Kd7 18.Ne5+ Ke8 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Nxf7+ Kc8 21.Qxg4+ Kb8 22.Bxd6+ 8.Nc3 8.d5 Ne5 9.Bxd7+ Kxd7 10.Bd2 8...Bg7 9.Nd5 h6 10.c3 Nf6 11.Qe2 0-0 12.Bd3 12.Nxf6+ Qxf6 13.Bd3 Rae8 12...Re8 12...Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne7 13.Nxf6+ Qxf6 13...Bxf6 14.g3 g4 15.Nd2 14.h3 14.Bd2 Rac8 14...Bf5 14...Ne7 15.Qd1 15.Qc2 Bg6 16.Qb3 Rab8 16...Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Nxd4 18.Nxd4 Rxe4 19.Qxb7 17.Qd5 a6 18.Re1 18.Bd2 Qe6 19.Qxe6 fxe6 18...Qe6 18...Ne7 19.Qc4 c5 20.dxc5 19.Qxe6 fxe6 19...Rxe6 20.h4 d5 21.exd5 Rxe1+ 22.Nxe1 20.Bc4 20.b4 Rbc8 20...Rbd8 20...Na5 21.Bf1 21.Bf1 21.h4 g4 22.Nh2 Na5 21...Ne7 22.e5 22.b4 e5 23.d5 Bf6 22...dxe5 22...Nc6 23.exd6 cxd6 24.Bc4 23.Nxe5 Bxe5 24.Rxe5 Nc6 25.Re1 Kg7 26.Bc4 26.g3 e5 27.Bg2 26...e5 27.dxe5 27.b3 e4 27...Rxe5 27...Nxe5 28.Bxf4 gxf4 28.Rxe5 Nxe5 29.Be2 Bd3 30.Bh5 Kf6 31.b3 31.a4 31...Kf5 31...Be4 32.Be2 Kf5 32.Ba3 Be4 33.Re1 33.Rd1 Rxd1+ 34.Bxd1 Kf6 33...Rd2 34.Re2 Rd1+ 34...Rxe2 35.Bxe2 Bb1 35.Kh2 Rf1 35...Rd3 36.Bg4+ Nxg4+ 37.hxg4+ Ke5 38.Bb2 36.Bc5 36.Bg4+ Nxg4+ 37.hxg4+ Kxg4 38.Rxe4 Rf2 36...Nd3 36...Bd3 37.Rd2 f3 38.Bxf3 Nxf3+ 39.gxf3 Rxf3 37.Bg4+ Ke5 37...Kg6 38.Rxe4 Nxc5 39.Re5 38.Bg1 38.Bd4+ Kd5 39.Rd2 c5 38...Re1 38...c5 39.b4 39.Bd4+ Kd5 40.Rd2 Rc1 40...h5 41.Bxh5 Ke6 41.Bg7 Kc6 42.c4 42.Re2 Re1 43.Rxe4 Rxe4 44.Bf3 42...Ne1 42...b5 43.cxb5+ axb5 44.Bxh6 43.Bxh6 43.Re2 Bd3 44.Re6+ Kc5 45.Bxh6 43...f3 44.Bxg5 Rb1 44...fxg2 45.Rxg2 Rc3 45.Bd7+ 45.Be3 b6 46.Bd7+ Kb7 47.g4 45...Kc5 46.Be3+ 46.Be7+ Kb6 47.b4 Ka7 46...Kb4 47.g4 Nd3 47...Nc2 48.Bh6 Rh1+ 49.Kg3 Kc3 48.Kg3 Kc3 49.Rh2 Rb2 49...Rd1 50.Bf5 Bxf5 51.gxf5 50.Rxb2 Kxb2 50...Nxb2 51.Bf5 Kd3 51.Bf5 Bxf5 52.gxf5 Kxa2 52...f2 53.Bxf2 Kxa2 53.Kxf3 Ne5+ 54.Ke4 Nf7 54...Nd7 55.Kd5 Nb8 56.Ke6 55.b4 Kb3 56.Kd5 Kxb4 57.Bc5+ Kb3 58.f6 a5 59.Ke6 Ng5+ 60.Kf5 Nf7 61.Ke6 61.h4 Nd8 62.Be7 61...Ng5+ 62.Ke7 Kxc4 63.Be3 Nh7 64.h4 a4 65.Bc1 b5 66.f7 b4 67.f8Q Nxf8 68.Kxf8 a3 69.h5 Kb3 70.Bg5 c5 71.h6 c4 71...a2 72.Bf6 c4 72.h7 a2 72...c3 73.h8Q a2 74.Qh1 Kc4 75.Ke7 c2 76.Kd6 c1R 77.Qxc1+ Kd4 78.Qd2+ Kc4 79.Qc2+ Kd4 80.Qxa2 Kd3 81.Kc5 b3 82.Qd2+ Ke4 83.Qd5# 73.h8Q c3 74.Qh1 Kb2 74...Kc4 75.Qf1+ Kd5 76.Ke7 Kd4 77.Kd6 a1R 78.Qxa1 Ke4 79.Qf1 c2 80.Qf4+ Kd3 81.Qd2+ Kc4 82.Qd5+ Kc3 83.Bf6# 75.Qc1+ Kb3 76.Ke7 Kc4 76...a1N 77.Qxa1 Kc2 78.Ke6 b3 79.Qc1+ Kd3 80.Qd1+ Kc4 81.Qd5+ Kb4 82.Be7+ Ka4 83.Qc4+ Ka5 84.Bd8# 77.Bf6 77.Kd6 Kb3 78.Kc5 c2 79.Bf6 a1Q 80.Bxa1 Ka4 81.Qxc2+ Ka3 82.Qb2+ Ka4 83.Qxb4# 77...Kb3 77...Kd5 78.Qd1+ Ke4 79.Qe2+ Kf4 80.Be5+ Kf5 81.Qe3 a1Q 82.Qf4+ Kg6 83.Qg4+ Kh6 84.Bf4+ Kh7 85.Qf5+ Kh8 86.Be5+ Kg8 87.Qg6# 78.Kd6 Kc4 78...a1B 79.Qxa1 Kc2 80.Kc5 Kd3 81.Qf1+ Kc2 82.Kc4 b3 83.Qe2+ Kb1 84.Kxb3 c2 85.Qxc2# 79.Be5 79.Qd1 Kb5 80.Qd5+ Ka4 81.Qxa2+ Kb5 82.Bd8 c2 83.Kd5 b3 84.Qa5# 79...Kb3 79...Kd3 80.Kd5 Ke2 81.Ke4 a1Q 82.Qxa1 b3 83.Qxc3 b2 84.Qf3+ Kd2 85.Qd3+ Kc1 86.Bf4# 80.Kc5 Ka4 80...a1R 81.Qxa1 Kc2 82.Kc4 Kd2 83.Qf1 Kc2 84.Qe2+ Kb1 85.Kb3 c2 86.Qxc2# 81.Bxc3! 81.Bxc3 a1N 82.Qxa1+ Kb3 83.Qb2+ Ka4 84.Qxb4# 1–0
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| Ojanen,J | 2007 | Vierjoki,T | 1838 | 1–0 |
| EhsanAliabadi | 1251 | Vierjoki,T | 1382 | 0–1 |
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