Here at gingergm we should be feeling very privileged to have a guest annotator in the form of Bob Eames! Bob is well-known for his inspiring attacking play and in this post he is going to demonstrate his win against G. Kjartansson from Hastings.

This was a brilliant game and a top contender for best game prize. It was an exciting King’s Gambit opening. This opening has gone out of fashion recently but it often leads to some of the most exciting positions in chess.

Bob wants to inspire a King’s Gambit blog, leading to a flood of creative games and ideas! Good luck Bob and nice game!

Before I demonstrate the game I would just like to point out that any of my comments will be put in Italics (Simon Williams).

Eames,Robert S (2276) – Kjartansson,Gudmundur (2391) [C34]

Hastings Masters (8.10), 04.01.2010

1.e4 e5 2.f4

The King’s Gambit! It’s more interesting than a Petroff or a Berlin, that’s for sure!

As used by many of the world’s most attack-minded, creative players: Anderssen, Bronstein, Spassky, Fischer, Grischuk, Morozevich, Shirov, Short, Williams (cheers Bob will buy you a drink later), Eames….

2…exf4 3.Nf3

The King’s Knights’ Gambit

3.Bc4, the Bishop’s Gambit is the major alternative of course! For a taste of this, see:-

Anderssen-Kieseritzy (The Immortal Game)

Fischer-Evans (one of Bobby’s 11-0 clean sweep of the US Champs 1963/4)

Williams-Howell (missed piece win in the British Champs 2009! Sorry Simon!) (there goes that drink I was going to buy you!)

Also interesting are 3.Be2, the “Little Bishop’s Gambit (never seen this move before, it looks odd to out the bishop on such a passive square but at leaat White gets castled quickly), and 3.Nc3, the

“Mason Gambit”, which Mark Lyell used to beat me up with when I was little! (I have been thinking about using this move myself but I do not like the idea of moving my king around the board!)

3…g5

Some other fascinating lines are:

a) 3…Be7 4.Nc3 Bh4+5.Ke2 c6 6.d4 d5 7.Qd2! is the Hebden variation of the King’s Gambit, which I had the audacity to play against Mark the last time I played him. Don’t seem to have any record or memory of how that game continued. How very convenient! One possibility is 7..de 8.Nxe4 Nf6 9.Qxf4 Qe7 10.Kd3! Nxe4 11.Qxe4 Qxe4 12.Kxe4

With a better endgame for white!

b) 3…Nf6 4.e5 Nh5 5.d4 d5 6.c4! is the Queen’s Gambit King’s Gambit!, when 6…g5 7.g4!!

Is simply good for White. (Hey? What a move! But why can’t Black play 7…Bxg4? well I guess 8 Rg1 gives White good compensation!)

4.d4

The Rosentreter Gambit!

A critical alternative is the Kieseritsky Gambit with 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5, but I’m saving my huge TNs in this line for my World Championship match with Carlsen!

4…d6

Transposing to Fischer’s defence

4…g4 5.Bxf4 gf 6.Qxf3 is the gambit accepted, which seems to be interesting for white! (see Fedorov-Adams 1-0)

A good alternative line for Black here is: 4…Bg7!, when 5.h4 h6 6.hg hg 7.Rxh8 Bxh8 8.g3 d6 9.gf g4 10. Ng5 f6 is interesting. 11.f5!? fg 12.Qxg4

Could still be worth a second go, but some unsound sacrificing led to an early bath for white in Eames-Cox (0-1),4NCL !

5.h4 g4 6.Ng1 Bh6

6…Qf6! here is, in my humble opinion, stronger, with the key line going 7.Nc3 Nge7 8.Nge2 Bh6 9.Qd2 Nc6 10.Nb5! Kd8!

When both 11.d5 and 11.e5! with a complete mess are worth checking out!

7.Nc3 c6

A slight weakening of the d6 square which will prove fatal! 7…Be6 was possibly which is a better way of covering Nd5.

8.Nge2 Qf6 9.g3!

This is a typical idea in the King’s Gambit. With the move g3 White opens up some space on the kingside.

9…fxg3 10.Nxg3 Bxc1 11.Rxc1 h5?

11. … Qf4!

Was the move, with 12.Nce2 Qe3 13.Qd2 being a safe line, and 13.c4 Ne7 14.Rc3 Qh6 15.Bg2 the complicated option!

12.e5 dxe5 13.Nce4 Qe7 14.Bc4 f5

15.0–0!

Bob at his best! I would be shaking in my pants if I was playing the Black pieces here!

12…Nh6

Gudmundur didn’t fancy 15…fe due to 16.Rf7!

Which is indeed what I was intending to play (honest!). I guess the critical line must be 16… Qxh4 17.Nxe4 g3 18.Nd6+ Kd8 19.Rf8+ Kd7!

(19…Ke7 20.Re8+ Kxd6 21.de+ Kc7 22.Qd6+ Kb6 23.Qb4+Kc7 24.Rxc8+ Kxc8 25.Be6+

Winning the Queen on h4! or 19 …Kc7 20.Rxc8+ Kb6 simply 21.Qd2! defending against the mate and winning on the back rank!)

20.Qd2! with the same ideas of defending mate and hovering minor pieces on the back rank!

Don’t know what a computer engine (say Rybka!) would make of all that. There may be a big hole in it, especially as I am analysing blindfold from the diagram position!

I am not even going to try and analyse this position it is far too complicated but it is fair to say that White has very good compensation for the piece in all the variations.

16.dxe5 fxe4 17.Nxe4 Nd7 18.e6 Kd8 19.Qd4 Re8

20.exd7 20 Nf6!? looks interesting as well. 20…Bxd7 21.Nc5 Kc7 22.Rcd1!

I do not like Black’s position. All of White’s pieces are attacking. Bob finishes things off very nicely.

22…Rad8 23.Rfe1

23…Qf8 maybe 23…Qxe1+ was worth a try, for example, 24 Rxe1 Rxe1+ 25 Kf2 Ree8 but I expect that White is still winning after 26 Qf4+ 24.Rxe8 Qxe8 25.Qd6+

25.Na6+

Was a quicker and more picturesque win, as pointed out by Dave “Smartypants” Ledger!

25 …Kc8

If 25 … Kb6, then 26.Na4+ not surprisingly leads to mate, as demonstrated by Paul Kelly in the Pig in Paradise!

26.Ne6 1–0

Thanks Bob!!

I think that your agree that was a very impressive game. With great attacking play from White, just makes me want to go out and try the King’s Gambit!! I will do at the next chance!!