8 Apply sound general principles – which can work if your opponent doesn’ t 7 Adopt little-known and sharp pet openings – see my earlier article on the Latvian 6 Provoke an early crisis – although you could also lose quickly! 5 Be prepared to sacrifice for the initiative and the attack – who dares wins 4 Never under-estimate knights! – see the game below 3 Target the king early – queenside attacks rarely result in quick wins 2 Play against slightly weaker players – stronger players rarely lose quickly, but much weaker players rarely lose attractively! 1 Be tactically aware – to exploit early opportunities.
The game below is not one of the most spectacular that I have played, but it is one of many that feature sudden death by knights.
White: R. C. Smith Black D. A. LeMoir London League 1986
1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 f4 d5 4 fxe5 Nxe4
I have reached this position, a standard in the Vienna Gambit, just twice in my life. Just a few years ago came the second occasion, against Swanson in the English Minor Counties Championship Final at Uppingham. He uncorked 5. Qf3, which I had always assumed was bad. The game went 5... Nc6 6. Bb5 Nxc3 7. dxc3!?, and now I looked at 7... Qh4 + 8. g3 Qe4 + 9. Qxe4 dxe4, but shied away from it. Swanson later told me that he has won a succession of games from that position, despite theory frowning upon it. After a very lengthy think I came up with the pawn sacrifice 7... Bd7!?, intending 8 Qxd5 Qh4 + 9 g3
Qe7 10 Nf3 0-0-0, when Black can hardly be prevented from regaining the pawn by... Bg4. Swanson declined the pawn with 8. Bf4, when I could achieve easy equality with 8... Ne7!. Instead I played sharply with 8... Qe7 9.0 – 0 – 0 g5?! 10 e6! Bxe6 11 Be5 Bh6?( 11... Rg8 is awkward, but safer) 12 Qg3( 12 Qh5! gives Black a big problem) 12... 0 – 0 – 0?( 12... 0-0 and 12... Rg8 both looked very dangerous, but White only has a small advantage after 13 Bxc7) 13 Bxh8, and White won at a canter.
Smith plays one of the standard lines.
5 d3 Nxc3 6 bxc3 d4 7 Nf3 Nc6 8 Be2
I knew a little about this line because an old sparring partner of mine, Maurice Staples, used to play the Vienna in the 1970s. I anticipated 8 cxd4 Bb4 + 9 Bd2 Bxd2 + 10 Qxd2 Nxd4 11 c3 Nxf3 + 12 gxf3 f6, with a sharp position. The quiet text move sank me deep into thought, most of which was presumably around whether or not to play 8... Bc5. In order to avoid any snap attacks with knight or bishop jumping into g5, I went for the less ambitious bishop move.
8... Be7 9 0 – 0 0 – 0 10 Bb2
White is trying hard to keep the knight out of d4, so he avoids the natural 10 cxd4 Nxd4 11 c3 Nxe2 + 12 Qxe2, when the knight has disappeared but Black has the two bishops. Now 10... Bc5, holding down the d4 square, probably attracted me, but I resisted the loss of tempo involved. The solution I hit upon should have satisfied White more than Black.
10... dxc3 11 Bxc3 f6
The idea is to exchange bishops, but after 12 exf6 Bxf6 13 Bxf6 Rxf6 14 d4, White has possession of the d4 square, and he no longer has a pawn at e5 getting in his way. Having said that, the liquidation makes the
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