Opening Forum : Budapest Gambit - Fajarowicz Variation by Life Master James R . West
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In March 2007 , while playing in a tournament at the Polgar Chess Center in Queens , I bought “ The Fighting Fajarowicz ” [ Chess Digest , 1996 , 228 pages ] by Tim Harding . One advantage to purchasing a book in person rather than on-line or by mail is that it affords you the opportunity to browse before buying . My shopping spree has already paid dividends , as I have defeated a couple of masters and drawn another with the Fajarowicz after the opening moves 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . c4 e5 3 . dxe5 Ne4 . There has also been a draw against a master who declined the Budapest Gambit with 3 . d5 .
The Fajarowicz Variation is to 1 . d4 what the Philidor Counter Gambit is to 1 . e4 , namely fighting chess ! You will not find many positional moves in these sharp lines .
Game # 1
Mark Kernighan ( 2215 ) James R . West ( 2200 )
3rr Hamilton Quads , TL 40 / 80 15 / 30 , April 21 , 2007 , ECO A51
Budapest Gambit – Fajarowicz Variation 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . c4 e5 3 . dxe5 Ne4 4 . Nf3 Bb4 + 5 . Nbd2 Nc6 6 . Qc2 d5 7 . exd6ep Bf5 8 . Qd1 Qxd6 9 . e3
( 9 . a3 Bxd2 + 10 . Bxd2 O-O-O 11 . Qc1 Rhe8 12 . b4 Nd4 13 . Nxd4 Qxd4 14 . Be3 Qe5 15 . Bf4 Rd1 +! 16 . Qxd1 Qc3 + 17 . Bd2 Nxd2 18 . Qxd2 Qxa1 + 19 . Qd1 Qxa3 , 0-1 , Ziewitz- Hagen , Schleswig 1963 )
9 … O-O-O 10 . Be2 Qf6 11 . Qb3 Nc5 12 . Qd1 Nd3 + 13 . Bxd3 Bxd3 14 . a3 Bxd2 + 15 . Nxd2 Ne5 16 . f4 Nxc4 17 . Nxc4 Bxc4 18 . Qg4 + Kb8
White might have tried 30 . b4 axb4 31 . axb4 hoping for 31 ... Qxb4 ?! 32 . Rea3 , but 31 ... R8d3 maintains Black ' s edge .
30 ... Qc5 31 . b4 axb4 32 . Qb2 R8d3 33 . Rxd3 Qg1 + 34 . Kg3 Rxd3 + White Resigns
It is interesting to note that White ' s rook and bishop stayed parked on their original squares !
Game # 2
Sandi Hutama ( 2219 ) James R . West ( 2200 )
3rr Mt . Arlington Quads , TL G / 90 , April 28 , 2007 , ECO A51
Budapest Gambit Declined 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . c4 e5 3 . d5 Bc5 4 . e3 O-O
( 4 ... d6 5 . Nc3 O-O 6 . Nf3 c6 7 . Be2 cxd5 8 . cxd5 Bf5 9 . O-O a6 10 . a4 Nbd7 was equal , however , it was 0-1 in 41 moves , Bekmuhkamedova-Vo , Bratislava 1993 )
5 . Nc3 c6 6 . g4
( 6 . Bd3 cxd5 7 . cxd5 a6 8 . a3 b5 9 . b4 Bb6 10 . Bb2 Re8 11 . Nge2 d6 12 . Ng3 Bb7 13 . Qb3 Nbd7 14 . h3 Rc8 15 . O-O with a small advantage for White although 0-1 in 72 moves , Pixton-Monokroussos , Internet Chess Club 2000 )
6 … cxd5 7 . cxd5 Qa5 8 . Bg2 d6 9 . g5 Ne8 10 . Nge2 f6 11 . h4 b5 12 . Bd2 b4 13 . Ne4 Na6 14 . gxf6 Nxf6 15 . Nxf6 + Rxf6 16 . Ng3 Bd7 17 . Ne4 Rg6 18 . Bf3 Rf8 19 . h5 Rh6 20 . Rg1 Bb6 21 . Ng5 Nc5 22 . Be2 Bd8
Although material is even with bishops of opposite colors , Black has a huge plus due to his lead in development .
19 . Kf2 Rd6 20 . Re1 Rhd8 21 . Qf3 Bb3 22 . e4 Rd3 23 . Re3 Bd1 24 . e5 Qb6 25 . Qg3 g6 26 . h4 a5 27 . Kg1 Bc2 28 . Qf2 Rd1 + 29 . Kh2 Bf5 30 . a4
23 . a3 Bxg5 24 . axb4 Qd8 25 . bxc5 Bh4 26 . Rg2
Black now seizes the opportunity to force a draw by perpetual check .
26 ... Rxf2 27 . Rxf2 Bxf2 + 28 . Kxf2 Qh4 + 29 . Kg1 Qg3 + 30 . Kh1 Bf5 31 . Ra4 Qh3 + 32 . Kg1 Qg3 + 33 . Kh1 Draw Agreed
Game # 3
FM Ilye Figler ( 2300 ) James R . West ( 2200 )
Marshall Chess Club , TL G / 30 , July 29 , 2007 , ECO A51
Budapest Gambit – Fajarowicz Variation 1 . d4 Nf6 2 . c4 e5 3 . dxe5 Ne4 4 . Nf3 Bb4 + 5 . Bd2 Nxd2 6 . Nbxd2 Nc6 7 . a3 Bxd2 +
( 7 ... Bf8 !? 8 . Qc2 g6 9 . Qc3 Bg7 10 . Ne4 Nxe5 ! 11 . Nxe5 Qe7 12 . f4 d6 =/+, Vol-Glaskov , Moscow 1990 )
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