Chess World.net presents Instructive Game: Don't play the Steinitz Gambit!

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Chess World.net presents Instructive Game: Don't play the Steinitz Gambit!

[Event "Middlesex League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2012.01.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "T, Gavriel"]
[Black "J, Wittmann"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C25"]
[Annotator "Tryfon"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[SourceDate "2012.01.06"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 (3. g3 {Much safer than f4}) (3. Nf3 {Also much safer
} Nf6 4. d4) 3... exf4 4. d4 (4. Nf3 g5 5. h3 (5. h4 g4 6. Ng1 (6. Ng5 f3 7.
gxf3 f6 8. Nf7 Kxf7 9. fxg4 Bd6 10. Bc4+ Ke8 11. d4 Bg3+ 12. Kf1 Qe7 13. Kg2
Bd6 14. Rf1 h6 15. Be3 {Black is better}) 6... Nf6 7. d3 Bd6 8. Nge2 f3 9. gxf3
gxf3 10. Nf4 f2+ 11. Kxf2 Nd4 12. Be3 Be5) (5. Bc4 g4 6. O-O gxf3 7. Qxf3 {The
Hamppe-Muzio Gambit (or Vienna Hamppe-Muzio Gambit) is characterised by the
moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.Nf3 g5 5.Bc4 g4 6.0-0 gxf3 7.Qxf3
(diagram). As with its close relative, the sharp Muzio Gambit, White
sacrifices the knight on f3 in return for a powerful attack against the black
king. It is named after Austrian theoretician Carl Hamppe and classified under
ECO code C25. The Dubois variation continues 7...Ne5 8.Qxf4 Qf6.} Ne5 8. Qxf4
Qf6 9. Qxf6 Nxf6 10. Bb3 Bc5+ 11. Kh1 Neg4 12. e5 Nf2+ 13. Rxf2 Bxf2 14. exf6
d6 15. d3) 5... d6 6. d4 h6 7. d5 Ne5 8. Nxe5 dxe5 9. Qd3 Nf6 10. Bd2 Bd7 11.
O-O-O Bc5 12. Nb5 a6 13. Na3 b5 14. Ba5) (4. Nf3 g5) 4... Qh4+ 5. Ke2 {he
Steinitz Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 exf4 4.d4, was a favorite of Wilhelm
Steinitz, the first World Champion. White allows Black to misplace White's
king with 4...Qh4+ 5.Ke2 (diagram), hoping to prove that White's pawn center
and the exposed position of Black's queen are more significant factors. Unlike
Steinitz, who famously opined that, "The King is a fighting piece!", few
modern players are willing to expose their king this way. The Steinitz Gambit
is thus rarely seen today.} d5 6. Nxd5 Bg4+ 7. Nf3 O-O-O 8. c3 f5 9. Qd3 (9.
Kd2 Qf2+ 10. Qe2 Qxe2+ 11. Bxe2 fxe4 12. Ng5 Bxe2 13. Kxe2 Rxd5 14. Nf7 Bd6 15.
Nxh8 Rf5) 9... fxe4 (9... Nf6 10. Nxf6 Qxf6 11. Kf2 Bxf3 12. gxf3 (12. Qxf3
Nxd4 13. cxd4 Qxd4+ 14. Be3 fxe3+ 15. Qxe3 Bc5 16. Qxd4 Bxd4+ 17. Kf3 fxe4+ 18.
Kxe4 Rhe8+ 19. Kf4 Bxb2) 12... Bc5 13. Qb5 (13. Be2 Nxd4 14. cxd4 Rxd4 15. Qc3
Rc4+) 13... Bxd4+ 14. cxd4 fxe4 15. fxe4 Qxd4+ 16. Ke1 Qxe4+ 17. Qe2 Qxh1 18.
Qg2 Qxg2 19. Bxg2 Nb4 20. Kf2 Nd3+ 21. Kf3 Ne1+ 22. Kxf4 Rhf8+) 10. Qxe4 g5 (
10... Nf6 11. Nxf6 gxf6 12. Bxf4) 11. Bd2 Qh5 12. Kd1 (12. Kf2 Rxd5 13. Qxd5
Nf6 14. Qb3 Ne4+ 15. Kg1 Bxf3 16. gxf3 (16. Qe6+ Kb8) 16... Qxf3 17. Qe6+ Kd8
18. Be1 Qe3+ 19. Kg2 f3+ 20. Kh3 f2+ 21. Kg2 fxe1=Q 22. Rxe1 Qf2+ 23. Kh3 Qf3#)
(12. Kf2 Bxf3 13. gxf3 g4 14. Nxf4 Qh4+ 15. Kg1 Bh6 16. Be1) 12... Nh6 (12...
Qg6 13. Qxg6 (13. Bd3 Rxd5 14. Qxd5 Qxd3) 13... hxg6 14. c4 Bg7) 13. Nf6 Bxf3+
(13... Qf7) (13... Qf7 14. Nxg4 Nxg4 15. Nxg5 Nf2+ 16. Kc2 (16. Ke2 Nxe4 (16...
Qh5+ 17. Kxf2 Qxg5 18. Bxf4) 17. Nxf7) 16... Qd7 17. Qxf4 (17. Qf3 Qf5+) 17...
Nxh1 18. Bd3 Bd6 19. Qf5) 14. gxf3 Qf7 15. Bh3+ Kb8 16. Qe6 Bg7 (16... Qxe6 17.
Bxe6 Rd6 18. d5 Ne5 19. h4 Nxf3 20. hxg5 Nxg5 21. Bxf4 Rd8 22. Bxg5) 17. Qxf7
Nxf7 18. Nh5 (18. Nd7+ Ka8 19. Kc2 b6 20. Rae1 Kb7 21. Rhg1 h6) 18... Nxd4 (
18... Bxd4 19. cxd4 Nxd4 20. Rf1 Ne5 21. Bc3 Nexf3) 19. cxd4 (19. Rf1 Be5 20.
cxd4 Bxd4 21. Kc2 Bxb2 22. Rae1 Bd4 (22... Ne5 23. Re4)) (19. Nxg7 Nxf3) 19...
Bxd4 20. Kc2 Bxb2 21. Rab1 (21. Kxb2 Rxd2+ 22. Kc3 Rhd8 {Black is slightly
better here}) 21... Bd4 22. Rb3 Ne5 23. Re1 c5 24. Bg4 (24. Nf6 Nxf3 (24... Ka8
25. Ne4 c4 26. Ra3 h6) 25. Re7 b6 26. Nd7+ Rxd7 27. Rxd7 Ne5 28. Re7 Nc6 29.
Re6 Nd8 30. Rh6) 24... Rhf8 25. Bc3 Nc6 (25... Nc4 26. Ng7 Ne3+ 27. Kb1 Nxg4
28. fxg4 Bxc3 29. Rxc3 Rf7 30. Nf5) 26. Reb1 (26. Ng7 Bxc3 27. Kxc3 Nd4 28. Rb2
b6 29. Re4 Rd5 30. Ne6 Nxe6 31. Bxe6 Rd1 32. Bc4) 26... b6 27. a4 Rfe8 28. Re1
Bxc3 29. Rxe8 Rxe8 30. Rxc3 Re2+ 31. Kd3 Ra2 (31... Rxh2) 32. Ke4 Rxa4+ 33. Kf5
Rb4 34. Kxg5 a5 35. Nf6 (35. Nxf4 h6+ 36. Kf5 Nd4+ 37. Ke5 Nc6+ 38. Kd5 Ne7+
39. Ke6) 35... a4 36. Nxh7 (36. Ra3 c4 37. h4 Rb5+ 38. Kxf4 Ra5 39. Ra1 h6)
36... Rb3 37. Rc1 a3 (37... Nd4 38. h4 Ne2 39. Ra1 c4 40. Rxa4 c3 41. Bf5 b5
42. Ra1 b4 43. h5 Ra3 44. Rb1 b3 45. h6 Ka7 46. Nf6 c2 47. h7 Ra5 48. Kh6 Rxf5
49. Ra1+ Kb6 50. h8=Q) 38. h4 a2 39. Ra1 Nb4 (39... Ra3 40. h5 b5 41. Nf6 b4
42. Be6 Nd4 43. Bxa2 b3 44. h6 Kc7 (44... Rxa2 45. h7 Rxa1 46. h8=Q+ Kb7 47.
Qh7+ Kb6 48. Nd7+ Kb5 49. Qd3+ Kc6 50. Ne5+)) 40. Bf5 Rb2 41. h5 Nc2 42. Bxc2
Rxc2 43. Nf6 Rg2+ 44. Kxf4 b5 45. Nd7+ Kc7 46. Nxc5 Kd6 (46... b4 47. Na6+) 47.
Nd3 Kd5 48. Rxa2 Rxa2 49. Nb4+ Kd6 50. Nxa2 1-0


Strategic crush vs Playing the position video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAW1wrAz0iA

Spreadsheet comparison:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah_4o158iqlcdHRIdTJHcl9lUVpqWXN3...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• chess
• letsplaychess.com
• chessworld.net
• middlesex
• league
• gavriel
• wittmann
• Steinitz
• Gambit
• romantic era
• gambit
• unsound

[securuslol]

Hi KG, two questions, what do you mean when you say a player is a hacker? Is that the kind of player that slowly tries to get to the opponents king? Or win by tactics? I ask because english is not my first language, and you use that word from time to time. Also, what does ECF mean? is that some other kind of Elo rating?

[kingscrusher]

@securuslol Hacker - emphasis on King attacks. ECF - the rating system used by the English Chess Federation.

[northlondonguitarist]

Great game and video! My heart bleeds for Jochen Wittman. Congratulations Kingscrusher! You kept your cool.

Incidentally - we, the King's Head chess club, have never won the Middlesex league (or at least, not for many, many years). A couple of seasons ago we came second by half a point against Hendon, who hired Grandmasters such as Simon Williams and Summerscale when they played us. So in 2009-2010 we were the top amateur club.

[kingscrusher]

@northlondonguitarist Not that long ago - surely - here is info from the Middlesex league site: 2005/06 Kings Head

2006/07 Kings Head

2007/08 Kings Head

2008/09 Ealing

2009/10 Hendon

2010/11 Ealing

[pattydee2]

Yudovich in his book on gambits analyses 5...d5 6.ed5: ( instead of your 6.Ktd5: ) Bg4+ 7.Ktf3 O-O-O 8.dc6: Bc5 and stops with the comment that this gives birth to a nightmarish position that can be found in the games of Steinitz and Chigorin. Is this better than 6.Ktd5: or just another dead end for White?

[northlondonguitarist]

@kingscrusher I stand corrected! 

[brucewallace2]

Yeah ECF = English Chess Federation rating. A truely eccentric system which is completely unique to England. CS = Chess Scotland rating which is practically the same as an ELO rating. When will the ECF come into the modern world? Apart from that I thought this was a terrific game! Double edged crazy popsition. OK let off the hook but Nf6 was hard to find over the board. Well played KC but my god your King was hairy!!!.

[LoFidelityBeatz]

Nevermind just thot abt it, its check

[LoFidelityBeatz]

Shouldn't it be Qe6+ after Nf6 Bxf3 then win the queen? Please answer, I'm not looking at the position because I have posted this from my android phone

[object16]

why not at 12:50 black rook to e8, pinning the e pawn, followed by f5xe4, attacking the pinned knight, and creating all kind of devastation?