Opening

Lanes
Gary Lane
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The Portsmouth Gambit
An old newspaper column kept in a scrapbook since 1978 reveals a forgotten
opening.
Fred Clough from England writes, "Have you come across Leonard Barden's
article in The Guardian, November 1978 with his excellent analysis and ideas
on this opening? He christened it the Portsmouth Gambit following the
considerable success of some contemporary Portsmouth players on the
weekend congress circuit. I have been playing this opening ever since, and
finally published an article on it myself in the BCCA Journal Correspondence
Chess in 2009. This expanded Barden's article, with updated game references
and ideas and original analysis of my own. I do not pretend to be in the same
league as Leonard Barden but I share his belief that this opening had been
then (and even now remains) neglected with barely a mention in books on
chess openings. I should have stressed that I refer to the variation 1 e4 c5 2
Nf3 Nc6 3 b4 which is a special case. It also appears now to be more popular
in mainland Europe than in England. My main reason in writing to you is that
as this opening might be gaining a wider interest, it is time that Barden's
original and perceptive article should be given recognition in particular his
designation as the 'Portsmouth Gambit'. My second reason is of course that I
should like to know whether my own work stands up to scrutiny. To these
ends I would be pleased to send you copies of Barden's original (tattered!)
article, as well as my own. I am not expecting any detailed critique, just a
general comment if you have time, but I hope you may find them interesting
and possibly useful."
I have to applaud Mr. Clough for his sterling work in promoting the gambit
with his own correspondence games and I thank him for sending on so much
of information. I should also note that the former British Champion Leonard
Barden still writes his prestigious Guardian column and has been doing so for
a whopping fifty-six years. Although the gambit has been played before, he
gave it the name of the English city according to the old column because it
had apparently been analysed in depth at the Portsmouth chess club during the
1970s, with several players trying their luck with the opening; in particular A.
Cullinane and G.Lambert. I have to add that Mr. Clough has done some
research and around the same time the German opening analyst Volker
Herbert was looking at it in Gambit Revue No 5. The reader did kindly present
a large amount of analysis, which, because of space constraints, I have not
included all of it. However, if there is positive feedback on the variation we
can return to the subject.
Incidentally, Paul Lowry from the USA wanted to known if there were any
developments in the 2 b4 Sicilian, so this relatively unknown sideline of the
Sicilian Wing Gambit seems to tick that box.
Here are some games to inspire everyone to take up this outrageous gambit:
Gary Basanta Nicholas Taylor
British Columbia Championship, Vancouver 1998
Sicilian Defence [B30]
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 b4!?
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[FEN "r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/2p5/1P2P3/
5N2/P1PP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 3"]
The Portsmouth Gambit is revealed. It has the obvious merit of gaining time
on the clock because Black will be certainly bewildered by the shocking
gambit; not knowing whether to be worried by his lack of opening knowledge
or whether he should start laughing. I had a good look at various other
gambits and did eventually find a line where a similar idea has a good
reputation: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 4 00 Bg7 5 Re1 e5 and now 6 b4!?,
which has been played by grandmaster Joel Benjamin. 3Nxb4 4 c3 Nc6 5
d4 The argument by connoisseurs of the Portsmouth Gambit is that the pawn
deficit is justified by the pawn centre. I have to admit the limited games in
this line do suggest that White does quite well, but I hasten to add that you
should choose your opponent carefully. 5cxd4 Black exchanges in the
centre with the aim of undermining it in the long term but it could be argued
that now the white knight can develop via the optimum square of c3. Also
possible is a) 5e6 6 d5 exd5 7 exd5 Nce7? (7Na5 should be preferred
when 8 Bf4 offers roughly equal chances) 8 d6 Nf5 9 Qe2+ 10, Thompson-
Bell, Southampton-Bell 1977. b) 5d5 6 exd5 Qxd5 and now a) I like 7 Na3
and if you put a pawn on b2, then it looks like a c3 Sicilian variation: 1 e4 c5
2 c3 d5 3 exd5 Qxd5 4 d4 Nc6 5 Nf3: 7Bg4 8 Bc4 Qe4+ 9 Be3 e6 10 00
cxd4 11 Nb5 000 (11dxe3 is critical) 12 cxd4 Bxf3 13 gxf3 Qh4 14 Qa4
Bd6 15 Rfc1 (15 Nxd6+ Rxd6 16 Rfc1 looks sharp and avoids the white king
going on a walkabout) 15Qxh2+ 16 Kf1 Nge7 17 Nxa7+ Kd7 18 Rab1
when amazingly White's attack will strike first, M.Bosboom-J.Van den
Bosch, Antwerp 1991.) 7 Be2 (apparently a suggestion by Boleslavsky aiming
for 00 and c3-c4) 7cxd4 8 cxd4 e6 once again the position is similar to a
c3 Sicilian with 3...d5 but it is not clear how White can use the semi-open b-
file to his advantage 9 00 Bb4 (or 9Nf6 10 Nc3 Qd8 11 Bf4 when White
still has work to do in order to justify the pawn deficit, A.Dragojlovic-B.
Tomic, Dvorovi 2005) 10 Na3 Bxa3?! 11 Bxa3 Nge7 12 Rc1 00 13 Rc5 Qd8
14 Bd3 Nd5 15 Qc2 h6 16 Be4 Re8 17 Re1 Nce7 18 Ne5 Bd7? (18f5 is
necessary, although after 19 Bf3 White maintains an edge) 19 Bh7+ Kf8 20
Rxd5! exd5 21 Re3 (21 Qe2! intending Qf3 is a killer move) 21Be6 22 Ng6
+ 10, G.Basanta-B.Neuhaus, Seattle 1988. 6 cxd4 e6 7 Bd3 White is a pawn
down but avoids advancing the centre pawns until the time is right and instead
seeks to complete development. Instead 7 d5? is the sort of forcing move that
can work well in this sort of wild variation but is in my opinion flawed. 7...
exd5? (7Qf6! attacking the queen's rook looks to be a big improvement) 8
exd5 Bb4+ 9 Bd2 Qe7+ 10 Be2 Ne5 11 00 Nxf3+ 12 Bxf3 Bd6 13 Re1 (the
pin on the e-file will prove to be fatal in the long-run) 13Be5 14 Na3 d6 15
Nc4 Nf6 16 Bb4! 00 17 Rxe5 Qxe5 18 Nxe5 Rd8 19 Nc4 10, I.Jones-B.
Schnoewitz, Internet 2010. 7Nf6 8 00 a6 9 Nc3

[FEN"r1bqkb1r/1p1p1ppp/p1n1pn2/8/
3PP3/2NB1N2/P4PPP/R1BQ1RK1 b kq - 0 9"]
Basanta is doing the basic things right by simply developing his pieces before
looking for a tactical breakthrough. 9d5 10 e5 Ng8 Maybe this is being a
bit too clever because it will take time to get the rest of the kingside pieces
into action. I suspect that 10Nd7 is the right choice aiming to play ...Be7
and castle. 11 Be3 Be7 12 Rc1 Bd7 13 Na4 White is steadily trying to make
progress. The problem for Black is that by now he should have castled and the
longer the king remains cemented on e8 the longer the rook on h8 takes no
active role in the game. 13b5 14 Nc5 Nb4 15 Bb1 a5 16 Ne1 h5?! The
pawn certainly covers the coveted g4-square making it unsafe for White to
plant a queen there but the drawback is that it weakens the Black kingside
structure. 17 a3 Na6 18 Ned3 Bxc5 19 dxc5 Qc7 I reckon that 19Ne7 is the
right idea to stop the advance of the c-pawn and at last get the king's knight
back into the action although after 20 Nf4 I prefer White's chances. 20 Nf4 g6
21 c6! Bxc6

[FEN"r3k1nr/2q2p2/n1b1p1p1/pp1pP2p/
5N2/P3B3/5PPP/1BRQ1RK1 w kq - 0 22"]
22 Bxg6 The right way to make Black suffer and it should be no surprise
since White has all his pieces primed for an attack. 22Ne7 Or 22fxg6 23
Nxe6 Qd7 24 Nd4 gives White a terrific attack. 23 Bd3!? I rather like 23
Bxh5 which prepares the strong Nxe6 to take advantage of the h5-e8 pin
while the obvious riposte 23Qxe5 is undone by 24 Bd4 winning material.
23Qxe5

[FEN"r3k2r/4np2/n1b1p3/pp1pq2p/5N2/
P2BB3/5PPP/2RQ1RK1 w kq - 0 24"]
24 Rxc6! The start of a clever combination which seals Black's fate. 24
Nxc6 25 Bxb5 Nab8 26 Bd4 The final point of the combination is revealed:
the pinned knight on c6 no longer protects the d4-square, allowing White to
gain material. 26Qxf4 27 Bxh8 h4 28 Re1 Basanta brings the rook into
play and immediately threatens Qxd5 to take advantage of the pin on the e-
file. 28Kd7 29 Be5 Qf5 30 Qc1!

[FEN"rn6/3k1p2/2n1p3/pB1pBq2/
7p/P7/5PPP/2Q1R1K1 b - - 0 30"]
White is doing an excellent job of increasing the pressure on Black with the
latest threats being Qc5 to infiltrate on the d6-square and also Bxb8 to
exchange the defender on the knight on c6. 30Kd8 31 Bxc6 Nxc6 32 Qxc6
It really is time for Black to put his coat on and leave the building. 32Rc8
33 Qb6+ Ke7 34 Qb7+ Kd8 35 Bd6 Qg5 36 f4 Qf6 37 Be5 10
This all looks rather positive, so time to consider 3cxb4 and how White can
play and win:
Patrick Chandler Peter Bittner
Frankfurt 2002
Sicilian Defence [B30]
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 b4 cxb4 4 d4

[FEN"r1bqkbnr/pp1ppppp/2n5/8/1p1PP3/
5N2/P1P2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4"]
White has given up a pawn and in return has a pawn centre. Perhaps more
importantly Black is probably bewildered by the opening choice. 4d5 A
standard response to contest White's supremacy of the pawn centre. Instead
4e6 is another main line and the most exciting response is 5 d5 which
invites complications upon 5Qf6. For example, 6 c3 bxc3 7 dxc6 c2 8 Qxc2
Qxa1 9 Bd3 Qf6?! (the queen gets out of harm's way but 9bxc6 looks like a
critical test to me) 10 Bg5 Qg6 11 cxd7+ Bxd7 12 Qb3 f6 13 00 b6 14 Be3
Ne7 15 Nd4 e5? (15Rc8!? should be considered) 16 Nb5 Bh3 17 Nd6+
(surely the line 17 g3 Bxf1 18 Bxf1 just looks good for White) 17Kd7 18
Bb5+ Kxd6 19 Qd3+ Kc7 20 Rc1+ Nc6 21 Rxc6+ Kb7 22 g3 Rc8 23 Qd5
with terrific play, F.Clough-G.Coleman, Correspondence 2010. 5 exd5 Qxd5
6 c4 bxc3 This seems to be a popular position but debate is still raging about
Black's best response: a) 6Qa5 7 d5 Nd8 (or 7b3+ 8 Nbd2 Qc3 9 Ba3 b2
10 Bxb2 Qxb2 11 dxc6 bxc6 12 Bd3 aiming to castle kingside and rightly rely
on the extra development to make up for the gambit pawn) 8 Nbd2 e6 9 Nb3
Qa4 10 Bb2 Nf6 11 d6 Bd7 12 Ne5 gave White a strong initiative in V.
Saulespurens-L.Burijovich, Dos Hermanas 2004. b) 6Qe4+ (the queen
check appeals to many who spot the idea of exchanging queens on c2 but the
evidence suggests White is doing fine) 7 Be3 Bf5 8 Nbd2 Qc2 9 Qxc2 Bxc2
10 d5 and now b1) 10...Na5 11 c5 (11 Nb3 needs to be investigated by Mr
Clough and I reckon 11Nxb3 12 axb3 favours White in view of 12Bxb3?
being met by 13 Nd4!) 11000 12 Nd4 Bg6 13 N2b3 Nxb3 14 axb3 e5 15
dxe6 Bxc5 16 Rc1! Rd5 17 exf7 Bxf7 18 Bc4 b6 19 Bxd5 Bxd5 20 Nf5 with a
winning position, H. Kilicaslan-A.Ataman, Ankara 2008. b2) 10Nd8 11 c5
(and yes no prizes for spotting that Bb5+ is the major threat) 11Ba4 12 Rb1
Nf6 (instead 12a5?! can be strongly met by 13 Nc4!) 13 Rxb4 Bd7 14 Bc4
with excellent play and White for once is not a pawn down, C.Sochacki-A.
Favarel, Nimes 2009. 7 Nxc3 Qa5

[FEN"r1b1kbnr/pp2pppp/2n5/q7/3P4/
2N2N2/P4PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 8"]
8 d5!? This is arguably the tricky line that could see Black in a lot of trouble
straight from the opening. Mr. Clough regards 8 Bd2 as the main line and this
will probably be examined in more detail in the future. In the meantime here
is a glimpse of possible play: a) 8Bg4 9 d5! Bxf3 10 Qxf3 (I also like 10
gxf3) 10Ne5 (or 10Nd4 11 Qe4 Qc5 and now 12 Na4! wins) 11 Qe4 Nd7
12 Nb5 Qb6 13 Rc1 Ngf6 14 Qa4?! (14 Qc4! looks strong in view of 14
Kd8 15 Be2 when the black pieces lack harmony) 14Nxd5 was played in
the game A.Cullinane-Thompson, Hampshire Championship 1974, and now
Barden's 1978 suggestion of 15 Be3 does not quite come up to scratch upon
15Nxe3! 16 Nc7+ Kd8 17 Nxa8 Qb2 when chances are about equal. For
example, 18 Rc7 Nb6 19 Nxb6 Qb1+ 20 Kd2 Qb2+ 21 Ke1 Qb1+ and the
game will end in a draw by repetition. b) 8Nf6 9 Bb5 e6 10 d5 exd5 11
Nxd5 Qd8 12 Nxf6+ Qxf6 13 00 Bg4 14 Qc1 (this looks delightful but
nowadays White should go for 14 Qe1+! Which is certainly looks good 14
Be7 15 Ne5 h5 16 h3 Bf5 17 Bc3 with the game heavily in White's favour)
14Bxf3 15 Re1+ Kd7 16 Re3 Bd5 (16Bxg2! looks to be the best chance
in these difficult circumstances but 17 Rd3+ Ke8 18 Kxg2 Be7 19 Bc3 gives
White excellent practical chances) 17 Rd3 Qe5 18 Bf4 Qe4 (the threat is
checkmate but it is desperate stuff from Black who is suffering from the poor
position of his king) 19 f3 Qe6 20 Qd2 Bc5+ 21 Kh1 Kc8 22 Rxd5 Bb4 23
Qd3 Qf6 24 Rd1 a6 25 Bxc6 bxc6 26 Be5 Qe6 27 Rd8+ F.Clough-T.
Hammond, Correspondence 1994. 8Qxc3+ Mr. Clough reckons that 8e6
is the right way to handle the position, which is not obvious and suggests that
after 9 dxc6 Bb4 10 Bd2 Bxc3 Black regains the piece and the initiative. This
is true but 9 Qd2 is worth another look. For instance, 9exd5 (or 9Bb4 10
Bb2 exd5 11 a3! Be7 12 Nxd5 Qxd2+ 13 Nxd2 Kf8 otherwise Nc7+ or Bxg7
will be deadly with promising play for White) 10 Nxd5 Qxd2+ 11 Bxd2 Bd6
12 Bc3 f6 13 Rd1 when White has reasonable play for the gambit pawn. 9
Bd2 Qf6 The main alternative is 9...Qa3 when 10 dxc6 bxc6 11 Qc2 can see
play proceed a) 11Qd6 12 Bf4 Qb4+ 13 Bd2 Qd6 14 Be2 (a silent rejection
of the offer to repeat moves) 14Nf6 15 00 Nd5 16 Rfd1 e6 17 Ne5 Be7 18
Nxc6 00? (18Bd7 is about level) 19 Bb4! Nxb4 20 Rxd6 Nxc2 21 Nxe7+
Kh8 22 Rb1 a5 23 Bf3 Ra7 24 Nxc8 10, T.Yilmaz-I.Veinger, Kusadasi
1990. b) 11Bd7 12 Rb1 and now b1) 12e6 13 Ne5 (White feels the need
to do something urgent to justify the two pawn deficit but I would suggest that
the emphasis should be on development first and then look for tactical
chances; with 13 Bc4 intending to castle looking rather promising) 13Qc5
14 Qb2 Nf6 15 Rc1 Qb6 16 Qc2 Bb4 led to the better game, M. Descarrega
Palau-A.Kogan, Tarragona 2003. b2) 12e5 13 Rb3 (13 Bc4! looks like an
excellent choice when White is on top) 13Qe7 14 Bc4 f6 15 00 with the
brighter prospects, M. Steinbacher-R.Wenzel, German Team Championship
1994. 10 dxc6 bxc6 11 Rc1 Instead 11 Ba5 is useful and of course the big
idea is Qd8 checkmate. 11Bg4 (maybe 11Bf5 is also an easier way to
deal with the threat while 11...Qe6+! 12 Be2 Ba6 13 Nd4 Qe4 is about equal)
12 Be2 Nh6 13 00 e5? 14 Nxe5! Bxe2?? Yes, this does happen in
international tournaments. 15 Qd7 checkmate 10, Z.Csapo-G.Szilardfy,
Budapest 2005. 11e5 There is some discussion on how White should
proceed because he has a lead in development and a couple of weak pawns on
c6 and e5 to target. 12 Be2 Chandler just wants to be in a position to castle
kingside and bring another rook into the action. Also possible is a) 12 Qa4
Bd7 13 Ba6 (13 Bc4 with a view to playing castle kingside or even Ng5 in the
right circumstances) 13Rb8 14 00 Bd6 15 Rfe1 Ne7 16 Bg5 when Black
has weathered the storm and should be able to make the most of the extra
pawns, M.Elsayed-A.Zozulia, Cairo 2003. b) 12 Qb3 Bd6 (12Ne7 is met by
13 Bc4 with excellent compensation) 13 Rxc6 Ne7 14 Bg5 Nxc6? (14Qg6
is certainly an improvement although admittedly 15 Bd3 looks awkward for
Black but 15e4 16 Ne5 Qe6 17 Rxd6 Qxb3 18 axb3 exd3 19 Nxd3 is an
amusing way to achieve an equal position) 15 Bxf6 gxf6 16 Bb5 led to a
winning position in C.Loehn-D.Osswald, Eilendorf 1992. 12Be7 13 00

[FEN"r1b1kbnr/p4ppp/2p2q2/4p3/8/5N2/
P2B1PPP/2RQKB1R w Kkq - 0 12"]
13Qd6 The queen makes way for the knight to enter the fray on f6 because
he is behind on his kingside development. Thus, the key for White is to stop
the plan for as long as possible. Bittner is struggling to find the perfect way to
get the rest of his pieces into play. Instead 13Nh6 suggests itself but 14 Bg5
Qd6 (or 14Qe6 15 Bc4 Qd7 16 Bxh6 gxh6 17 Bxf7+! wins) 15 Qxd6 Bxd6
16 Rxc6 Be7 17 Bxh6 gxh6 18 Nxe5 favours White. 14 Qa4 Bd7 Instead 14
Bb7?! runs into 15 Ba6! when 15Bxa6 16 Rxc6 wins. 15 Bc3 Bf6 The
bishop defends the e5-pawn and makes room for a knight to be developed via
e7. Maybe 15f6 is the best chance of survival although after 16 Rfd1 Qa3
17 Qc4 White is on top. 16 Rfd1 Qc7 17 Ba5

[FEN"r3k1nr/p1qb1ppp/2p2b2/B3p3/Q7/
5N2/P3BPPP/2RR2K1 b kq - 0 17"]
The chase is on for the black queen. 17Qc8 18 Bb4 Ne7 Bittner is relieved
to finally get his knight into action but White still has designs on the black
queen. 19 Ba6! The black queen will soon run out of useful squares. 19Qc7
20 Ba5 10
I hope that people are inspired to play the Portsmouth Gambit on the Internet
or even over the board in tournaments. If you win let me know and if you lose
in a horrible fashion a pawn down in the ending on no account mention this
column.
Bill Ward from England e-mailed, "Dear Gary, it was wonderful to see my
game in your book Prepare to Attack but not so good that you try to refute my
favourite opening The Woodseats Variation. I still think it is playable for
Black but just in case can you suggest another line to play?"
Well, that should confuse the majority of readers who will fail in trying to
look up anything called Woodseats in their reference books. I should add
some background information: in my latest book I make a point of mentioning
how sometimes our opening choices can be wrong because we win a game
brilliantly and then spend the rest of our time trying to replicate the feat. I
know Bill which is why I chose his pet line, which did inspire him to win a
fine game but ever since the gambit has arguably hindered his progress
because he always seems to be a pawn down. It is time to reveal the
Woodseats Variation:
A. Gkountintas William Ward
Sheffield 1991
Scandinavian Defence [B01]
1 e4 d5 This signals the Scandinavian which is also known as the Centre-
Counter Defence. It is ideal for players with limited time to study because you
immediately manage to get your opening on the board on move one. 2 exd5
Nf6 3 d4 c6!? A little bit unusual but offering the gambit pawn to allow the
knight to develop to c6 has been tried and tested. The main alternatives are
considered to be 3Qxd5 and 3Nxd5. 4 dxc6 e5?

[FEN"rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/2P2n2/4p3/3P4/8/
PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 5"]
The start of the Woodseats Variation, named after Mr. Ward's chess club. It is
an amusing move that will either frighten White who will wonder why he has
never seen it before and sound alarm bells at the prospect of how Black can
give away so many pawns or just make him gleefully start counting his extra
material. It is similar in a way to the Portsmouth Gambit because of the shock
value for an opponent who will no doubt have to think for himself after just a
few moves. However, if there is no surprise factor, then the opening lacks
punch under closer analysis. If Mr. Ward is really keen on the line, then he
must adapt slightly his style and think about adopting 4Nxc6 which is
better known and is favoured by gambit players who wish to gain time
developing. 5 dxe5 White is happy to pick up another pawn. After all the
books always say that endings are better when up on material so combining
the pawn gain with exchanging queens seems logical. 5Qxd1+ 6 Kxd1 Ng4
The problem with the king being on d1 is that now the knight fork is slightly
awkward, with the double threats of Nf2+ and Nxe5. 7 Nh3!? I reckon
that 7 cxb7! must be best in order to add more pawns to his collection when
admittedly 7Bxb7 8 Nh3 Nxe5 gives Black some active play thanks to the
influence of the light-squared bishop and White's poorly placed king. 7
Nxc6 8 Bb5 Ngxe5

[FEN"r1b1kb1r/pp3ppp/2n5/1B2n3/
8/7N/PPP2PPP/RNBK3R w kq - 0 9"]
After starting with a wild opening variation Black has managed to achieve a
position where already he has enough compensation for the pawn. This is due
to the fact that he can develop smoothly with ...Bg4 followed by ...000 to
take advantage of White's poorly placed king. 9 Re1 Bg4+ 10 Be2 Instead 10
f3 to block the check allows 10000+ 11 Nd2 Nxf3 12 gxf3 Bxh3 which
is good for Black. 10000+ 11 Bd2 Bc5

[FEN"2kr3r/pp3ppp/2n5/2b1n3/6b1/
7N/PPPBBPPP/RN1KR3 w - - 0 12"]
The opening has worked out well for Black who has maintained his lead in
development and can now pursue tactical chances. The Woodseats Variation
has done the trick of confusing White. 12 Ng5?! This triggers a series of
exchanges that turn out to be a hindrance to White's prospects. Maybe 12 f4
should be tried. 12Bxf2 13 Nxf7 Bxe1 14 Nxd8 Or 14 Bxg4+ when a
sample line continues: 14Nxg4 15 Nxd8 Rxd8 16 Kxe1 Nd4! (Black finds a
way to stretch the White king by troubling him with the dashing knights) 17
Na3 Re8+ 18 Kd1 Re2 favours Black. 14Rxd8 15 Bxg4+? It is a mistake to
encourage the Black knights to attack. His lack of development constantly
gives White problems because 15 Kxe1 runs into 15Bxe2 16 Kxe2 Nd4+
17 Kd1 Rf8! intending Rf1+ followed by trying to take the kingside pawns.
18 Bc3 Rf1+ 19 Kd2 (19 Be1 allows 19Nc4! winning easily due to the
threat of ...Nxb2 and ...Nce3+) 19Nc4+ 20 Kd3 Rd1+ 21 Kxc4 Nxc2
winning. 15Nxg4 16 Kxe1 Nd4 17 Na3 After 17 Kd1, Black has all the fun
after 17Rf8 For instance, 18 Nc3 Rf1+ 19 Be1 Ne3+ 20 Kd2 Nxg2 when
White will go home early. 17Re8+ 18 Kd1 Nf2+ 19 Kc1 Ne2+ 20 Kb1
Rd8

[FEN"2kr4/pp4pp/8/8/8/N7/
PPPBnnPP/RK6 w - - 0 21"]
A glorious winning position where the Black knights have taken up residence
on the second rank reducing White to near total passivity. It is no wonder that
Mr.Ward has been trying to replicate it ever since. 21 Nc4 b5 22 b4 bxc4 01
By the way, in many sources, including Megabase on Chessbase, this game is
credited to the American player Wesley Ward. Now I have looked at a few of
Wesley's games and I can confirm that he does not throw away a couple of
pawns in the opening, so it is clearly not him. Therefore, feel free to adjust the
details of the game on your database to William and blame him the next time
you visit Sheffield in England, if you copy such a madcap opening. Just for
the record, I recommend in my book 5 cxb7 when after 5Bxb7 I go for 6
Nf3! and think that the complications favour White.
Mr. Ward should continue to play the Scandinavian/Centre Counter and
maybe take up my suggestion outlined in the game of 4Nxc6. If not, then
he should keep playing the opening but just give it a twist. My suggestion
would be the 3Qd6 line which would suit his attacking style. The following
game should be an inspiration:
Hilton Bennett Wang Li
Kuala Lumpur 2010
Scandinavian Defence [B01]
1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qd6

[FEN"rnb1kbnr/ppp1pppp/3q4/8/8/2N5/
PPPP1PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4"]
This has been known for some time but failed to capture the imagination
because Black has recorded decent results with 3...Qa5 and this is where the
heavy analysis concentrated on in recent decades. The change in fashion has
come about because of the faster time-limits where the experienced
tournament campaigners are constantly trying to revive the old lines. In the
weekend or one day tournament arena it is perfect because it is barely
mentioned in older chess books. Indeed, I remember someone playing it in the
1980s and was ticked off because according to Modern Chess Openings it had
been refuted in the Karpov-Lutikov game from 1979. That advice struck me
as ironic years later when I recommended 3...Qd6 in a repertoire book so what
does the latest edition of MCO suggest? I turned to the fifteenth edition where
once again it is barely mentioned with just one game chosen from the
thousands possible and it features 5 Nf3 and now 5...c6 from 2006. Now, no
reference book can be perfect but it does reflect the fact that the average
player will struggle to know exactly what to do against a queen posted on d6.
4 d4 Nf6 5 g3?! A small inaccuracy that allows Black to seize the initiative.
White knows that a decent set-up against the variation is a kingside fianchetto
but it soon transpires that move-orders can make a difference allowing Black
to increase the tension in the opening. 5 Nf3 is the standard move and Black is
likely to choose a different response: a) 5a6 this is the latest fashion to put
off White from playing Bb5 or even Nb5 with the idea of ...Bg4, Nc6 and
queenside castling. 6 Be3 White just gets on with the job of developing his
pieces: a1) 6Nc6 7 Qd2 Bg4 8 Ng5 e5?! (8e6 looks more sensible and is
a standard move in this opening to stop the advance of White's d-pawn) 9 d5
Nb4 10 f3 Bf5 11 Nge4 Qd7 12 000 (the threat is simply 13 a3 to trap the
Black knight) 12c6 13 dxc6 Qxd2+ 14 Rxd2 Bxe4 15 Nxe4 Nxc6 16 Nxf6+
gxf6 17 Bd3 gave White a much better position due to his superior pawn
structure and well placed pair of bishops, Karpov-Lutikov, USSR 1979. a12)
6b5 (a natural reaction to open up the option of ...b5-b4 to annoy the
queen's knight and to allow the bishop to occupy b7) 7 Bd3 Bb7 8 00 Nbd7 9
Qe2 e6 10 Bg5 Be7 11 a4 b4 12 Ne4 Qd5 13 c4 (as usual White is always
keen to chase the Black queen but it is fairly harmless) 13.bxc3 14 Nxc3
Qa5 15 Rad1 Rd8 Goldin-Stripunsky, San Diego 2004 and now 16 Bh4 was
played offering equal chances. Black eventually won although 16 Ne4 gives
White an edge, because 16Qxa4 can be met by 17 Ra1 when 17Qb3 18
Rfc1 gives an initiative. b) 5c6 this is the line examined by MCO so I will
give it some extra attention: 6 Ne5 Nbd7 7 Bf4 Nd5 and now: b1) 8 Nxd5
Qxd5 9 Qd2 Nxe5 10 Bxe5 (10 dxe5 has been tested but White
understandably wants to keep the queens on the board to increase his options)
10Bf5 11 f3 (it looks a little odd but White stops any chance of a check on
e4 which can make a difference in lines such as 11 c4 Qe4+ 12 Qe2 000
when the position is level and you would need a Herculean effort to win it for
White against a good player) 11e6 12 Qc3 a5 13 a3 f6 14 Bc4 Qd7 15 Bg3
Bd6 16 Ba2 00 17 000 led to roughly equal chances in McShane-
Samsonkin, Toronto 2010.b2) Bg3 Nxc3 (or 8Nxe5 9 Bxe5 Qb4 10 a3 Qa5
11 Qd2 Bf5 is worth investigating because it offers equal opportunities and
has the seal of approval from Dutch grandmaster Tiviakov) 9 bxc3 Nxe5 10
Bxe5 Qg6 (10...Qa3 is interesting aiming to play ...Qb2 and grab the a-pawn
although Black's lack of development is a worry) 11 Rb1 "White is more
active" according to MCO but it looks fairly equal to me, L'Ami-Grotenhuis,
Hilversum 2006. 5Bg4!?

[FEN"rn2kb1r/ppp1pppp/3q1n2/8/3P2b1/
2N3P1/PPP2P1P/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 6']
This is an attempt to exploit White's casual fifth move by upping the pressure
in the opening and forcing White into an inferior variation compared to lines
with 5 Nf3 when the difference is that after 5Bg4 6 h3 Bxf3 7 Qxf3 Nc6
can be met by 8 Bb5 with advantage to White. 6 Nf3 Nc6! An excellent way
to try and make the most of White's move-order by immediately increasing
the pressure on the d4-pawn. In the past some players have opted out of any
hard work by playing 6a6 when 7 Bg2 returns to normal lines. 7 Bf4
Instead 7 Bg2 is well met by 7000 because compared to standard lines
Black has saved a move by avoiding ...a6. The difference compare to other
lines is that now 7 Bb5 looks a bit silly with a pawn on g3 because the
kingside will be weak on the light squares.; 7 Be3 runs into 7e5 when 8 d5
Nb4 is just good for Black. 7Qe6+ I also quite like 7Qb4!? when White
is suffering because of the varied threats and with ...000 coming next move
the problem of defending the d4-pawn will increase. 8 Be3 000 9 Ng5 Or 9
Bg2 allows Black to once again pinpoint the d4-pawn with 9Qf5
preparing ...e5 with advantage. 9Qd7 10 f3 Bh5 The bishop defends against
the threat to f7 and as usual Black is threatening the pawn on d4. White's
despair at dealing with such a position is understandable considering he has
been tricked into an unfamiliar position and left to his own devices in a
position where it is so easy to go wrong. 11 Bb5 a6 12 Bxc6 Qxc6 13 00?

[FEN"2kr1b1r/1pp1pppp/p1q2n2/6Nb/3P4/
2N1BPP1/PPP4P/R2Q1RK1 b - - 0 13"]
I was watching this game being played and it seemed that White was relieved
to finally castle but a closer inspection of the position suggests 13 Qe2 to
avoid tactics because of the rook pinning the d4-pawn. Even so, after the
sample line 13h6 14 Nge4 Nxe4 15 Nxe4 f5 Black is still firm favourite to
clinch victory. 13e5! The killer move and it has not taken long to put the
New Zealand international on the brink of defeat. The big problem is that
there is no adequate defence to 14...exd4 15 Bxd4 Rxd4 16 Qxd4 Bc5 because
something like 14 Kh1 allows the line: 14exd4 15 Bxd4 Bc5 16 Ne2 h6 and
White can resign. 14 d5 Nxd5 15 Nxd5 Rxd5 Black is a clear pawn up and
still has the initiative. The game was soon wrapped up: 16 Qe2 Be7 17 Ne4
Rd7 18 Qf2 f5 19 Nc3 g5 20 Rae1?

[FEN"2k4r/1pprb2p/p1q5/4pppb/8/
2N1BPP1/PPP2Q1P/4RRK1 b - - 0 20"]
A mistake in a poor position. 20f4 21 Bc1 Bc5 01
Finally, Simon Bartlett from England sparked an amusing debate on my
most famous game that I never played. This is the Ruy Lopez Exchange
brilliancy Wahls-Lane, Malmo 1985/6 where White wins in a puzzle-book
fashion. The fact that it was Icelandic IM Saevar Bjarnason playing Black
never seems to get a mention. I asked readers for any more sightings of the
game and I am delighted and honoured to report that Ren Olthof from The
Netherlands left a comment. He is of course the supervisor of the NIC
Yearbook Series: "The game Matthias Wahls Saevar Bjarnason, Malm
1985/86 (7) can also with a diagram! wrongly be found in NIC Yearbook
4, page 194 with Gary Lane being black."
Any more sightings will be appreciated.
Opening Lanes is based on readers questions. Do you have a question about
a particular opening line? Baffled by a branch of the Benoni or Budapest?
Submit your questions (with your full name and country of residence please)
and perhaps Gary will reply in his next ChessCafe.com column.
Yes, I have a question for Gary!
2011 Gary Lane. All Rights Reserved.
Comment on this month's column via our Contact Page!! Pertinent responses
will be posted below daily.



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