11... Bd7? 11... g6 was necessary here.
12. Rxf6! Bxf6 13. Qh5 Re8 14. Bh7 + Kh8 15. Nxf7 #
Emil Josef Diemer Stefan Weinmann Baden Baden, 1980
The BDG almost always lends itself to a quick kingside attack for White. This game is a good example of how White’ s knights can wreak havoc in the BDG. Take note in this game how White’ s knights have command of the board and are in complete control of the game.
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e4 dxe4 4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 g6 6. Bc4 Bg7 7.0 – 0 0 – 0 8. Qe1 b6 9. Qh4 Qd7 10. h3 Ba6 11. Ne5 Qe8 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Bh6 Nh5 14. Bxg7 Nxg7 15. Nd5 f6? 16. Nc6
16... Rf7? 17. Ncxe7 + Kh8 18. Nxg6 + Kg8 19. Nge7 + Kh8 20. Nxf6 1-0
Charles Diebert John F. Burke US Amateur Team, 1987
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e4 dxe4 After Diemer breathed new life into the BDG with 3. Nc3, a veritable cornucopia of defenses emerged. Black steers clear of the Hubsch Gambit( 3 … Nxe4 4. Nxe4 dxe4) in order to keep an important defender on the board.
4. f3 exf3 5. Nxf3 e6 Black selects the Euwe Defense.
13
6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8.0 – 0 h6 9. Bf4 c6 10. Kh1 0 – 0 11. Qd2 Re8 Black’ s position is cramped; his bishop on c8, which is locked in by the pawns on e6 and c6, looks particularly dismal. At the cost of a mere pawn, White has completed his development and his pieces have scope and mobility. This is a position that BDGers are born for.
12. Bxh6 It doesn’ t take much prompting for White to start sacrificing material in order to launch a swift and dangerous attack. Objectively, any computer worth its megabytes will rate this move as unsound, but that totally misses the swashbuckling spirit of the BDG.
12 … gxh6 13. Qxh6 As with most BDG games, White has now come to the point of no return and must continue the attack by striking first before Black has a chance to consolidate his pieces and benefit from his huge material advantage.
13... Bf8 14. Qh4 Bg7 15. Ne5 Qe7? 15... c5 was Black’ s last opportunity for counterplay as after 16. Ne4 Nxe4( 16... cxd4? does not work because of 17. Nxf6 + Nxf6 18. Rf3) 17. Qxe4 Nxe5 18. dxe5 Qg5 not only has White’ s attack dissipated, he is down material and must defend against numerous threats.
16. Rf3 Nf8 16 … c5 now would not work because 17. Rg3 Ne4 18. Qxe4 f5 19. Qf4 cxd4 20. Qxd4 Qc5 21. Qxc5 Nxc5 22. Bc4 Kf8 23. Ng6 + Kf7 24. Rf1 Bxc3 25. Rxf5 + wins.
17. Rh3 c5 18. Rf1 cxd4 19. Rff3 White intuitively presses on with his attack knowing his positional advantage is his only chance to secure the win.
19... dxc3? Objectively, Black must forego winning more material and concentrate on keeping the position as level as possible with 19... Ne4 20. Qxe4 dxc3 21. Qh7 + Nxh7 22. Bxh7 + Kh8 23. Nxf7 + Qxf7 24. Bg6 + Kg8 25. Bxf7 + Kf8 26. Bh5 + Ke7 27. Rf7 + Kd6 28. Rd3 + Ke5 29. Rxg7 cxb2 and although White still has an advantage, his initial attack has been repelled.
20. Rfg3 Ng6 21. Bxg6 Qd6 22. Bd3 Not 22. Bxf7 +? because the pawn is poisoned and after 22... Kf8 23. Re3 cxb2 leads to a winning position for Black.
22... Kf8 23. Qg5 Ng4? If 23 … Ke7 24. bxc3 Rh8 and Black can at least play on.
24. Ng6 Black must have been hoping to swindle White into playing 24. Nxg4?? when capturing this knight would cost White the game after 24... cxb2 25. Rf3 b1( Q)+ 26. Rf1 Qxf1 + 27. Bxf1 e5 and Black’ s material advantage should be enough to win.
24... fxg6?? This move opened the floodgates. 24 … Kg8 would have been no better as the science of computer technology shows us 19 forced moves leading, mercifully, to checkmate: 24... Kg8 25. Rxg4 cxb2( 25... fxg6?? leads to instant demise in 4 26. Qxg6 Qxh2 + 27. Rxh2 Re7 28. Rh8 + Kxh8 29. Qh7 #) 26. Rh8 + Bxh8 27. Nxh8 + Kf8 28. Ng6 + Kg8 29. Ne5 + Kf8 30. Qh6 + Ke7 31. Qh4 + f6 32. Rg7 + Kd8 33. Nf7 + Kd7 34. Nxd6 + Re7 35. Qa4 + Kc7 36. Qc4 + Kd8 37. Rg8 + Kd7 38. Qb5 + Kxd6 39. Qb4 + Kd5 40. Bc4 + Kc6 41. Bb5 + Kd5 42. Qc4 + Ke5 43. Qc5 + Kf4 44. Qd4 + Kf5 45. Bd3 #.