Boats in Poole Harbour, Dorset, looking out to Brownsea Island

Alan Dommett analyses Brian Curran v Simon Fox from the B&DCL Div 3 match Poole C v Southbourne C, played 21 Sep ’17 (Apologies for wrongly reporting this as Two Towns previously!)

A Blackmar-Diemer Gambit with Brian playing 11. Bc4!? (main line 11. g5) and white went on to win.

[Event "B&DCL 2017"]  [Site "Poole"]  [Date "2017.09.13"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Brian Curran, 158."]  [Black "Simon Fox, 135."]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "D00"]  [WhiteElo "158"]  [BlackElo "135"]  [Annotator "Doe,John"]  [PlyCount "48"]   1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 Bg4 6. h3 Bh5 {Decision time  for Black - retain the bishop or capture on f3 - either line being very  playable and popular when it comes to bog standard defence in a BDG, but both  needing good basic knowledge of what is required on opting to keep a key  defender on the b1/h7 diagonal or immediately trading on the king's knight.} 7.  g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 Nbd7 {After following the main line of this Teichmann Defence  religiously Black takes an early opportunity to challenge the e5-knight rather  than continue with 8...e6 and the general principle for White in such  circumstances is to remove the white-squared bishop. However, another BDG rule  of thumb is to strive for quick and superior development so, already behind in  that department, the next thematic queen move has to take precedence.} 9. Qf3  c6 {9...Nxe5? 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.e6! wins the knight because of the threat of 12  Bb5+ if it moves and 12 Qxb7 threatening 13 Bb5+ should 11...Ne5 or 11...Nb8  be played. Black could (and probably would) try 11...fxe6, but after 12 Qxb7  his position is shot to pieces.} 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Bc4 $5 e6 {11...Qb6!? is an  interesting alternative and White must be prepared to let the d-pawn go as  follows:- 12.Bb3 (12.g5? Qxd4 13.Bb3 Qh4+! leaves the white king searching for  a safe haven.) 12...Qxd4 13.Be3 Qd6 14.g5 Ne5 15.Qe2 Nfd7 16.Ne4 Qb4+ 17.Bd2  Qb6 18.0-0-0 e6 19.Bf4 and despite a two-pawn deficit White has good  compensation, Stockfish evaluating the position as level} 12. O-O $6 {Missing  the potency of 12...Qb6! played a move later and with the white king now  placed on the same diagonal, thereby allowing a crucial check that  significantly improves the previous line. More precise was 12 Rf1 maintaining  the pressure down the f-file without putting the king in the firing line.  Fortunately for Brian his opponent is sufficiently distracted by the threat of  13.g5 to deploy his queen in a purely defensive role.} Qe7 $2 13. Bf4 $5 Nb6 {  13...0-0-0?? 14.Qxc6+! bxc6 15.Ba6mate was a typical BDG trap just waiting to  be sprung!} 14. Bb3 Nbd5 15. Bxd5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 cxd5 17. c4 $5 Qd7 $6 {Even  though Black remains that gambit pawn ahead and offering an exchange of queens  in a BDG is never thought of as anything other than a good idea, here it is  tantamount to issuing an open invitation to attack an exposed king at a time  when all your minor pieces are still at home and Brian duly takes full  advantage. Fortune favoured the braver  17...dxc4 when White would have had to  have gone all-in with 18.b3!? cxb3 19.Rac1 placing his faith in a rook on the  7th rank. Of course Black can keep pawn-grabbing and then, as the following  analysis shows, what appears to be a lap of the gods type of game somewhat  surprisingly ends in equality:- 19...bxa2 20.Rc7 Qb4 21.Rxb7 Qc4 (21...Qxd4+  22.Be3 a1Q 23.Qxf7+ Kd8 24.Qc7+=) 22.Rc7 Qd5 23.Qxd5 exd5 24.Re1+ Kd8 25.Rxf7  Ba3 26.Rb7 Re8 27.Ra1 Re2 28.Kf1 Rc2 29.Rxg7 Rac8 30.Re1 Be7 31.Rgxe7 a1Q 32.  Re8+ Kd7 33.R8e7+ Kd8=} 18. cxd5 Qxd5 19. Qxd5 exd5 20. Rac1 $1 Rxh3 $2 {...  but Black cannot resist.} 21. Kg2 Rd3 22. Rfe1+ Kd8 23. Rc7 f6 24. Rf7 $1 {  Ignoring the b-pawn in pursuit of mate.} Bb4 $4 {24...Bb4?? and on making this  move Black realised it was about to be delivered (25.Bc7+ Kc8 26.Re8 mate) and  resigned. 1-0} 1-0

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