Many people would rather not fall under an attack in the King’s Gambit Accepted, and don’t fancy the slightly depressing King’s Gambit Declined either—so they go all out with a countergambit on move 2! This is of course the famous Falkbeer Counter Gambit, at one time considered so strong that even Bobby Fischer declined it—and only drew!
However, according to current theory, this countergambit is under a cloud in the main line which was seen in Bronstein-Tal given in the notes.
Bronstein himself tried to rehabilitate the Falkbeer in a rapid game against GM Michael Stean, but only made a draw and attracted no followers—until my young opponent Coraretti, in the first round of the recent National Open, went Bronstein one better: he played Bronstein’s rare 6… Bd6—and then immediately sacrificed a piece on the next move!
I felt one good sac deserved another, and with a timely counter offer I seized the initiative and won stylishly.
This game will definitely appear in my upcoming King’s Gambit book, which will follow my just released Slay the Sicilian.
Taylor,Timothy – Coraretti,Benjamin J
King’s Gambit – Falkbeer Counter Gambit
National Open Las Vegas, 15.06.2012
1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5
3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Nxe5 Nd7 5.Nc3 Ngf6 6.Bc4 Nxe5 7.fxe5 Qd4 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.exf6 Bc5 10.Qe2 gxf6 11.Rf1 h5 12.b3 e3 13.Qc4+ Qxc4 14.bxc4 exd2+ 15.Bxd2 Re8+ 16.Kd1 Bg4+ 17.Kc1 Ba3+ 18.Kb1 Rad8 19.Nd5 Re6 20.Bc1 Be2 21.Re1 Bc5 22.a4 Bxc4 23.Rxe6 Kxe6 24.Nxc7+ Kf5 25.a5 Rd7 26.Ra4 Bf7 27.Nb5 Rd1 28.Kb2 Be8 29.Rc4 Bg1 30.Nc3 Rd4 31.Rc7 Bc6 32.Ne2 Rb4+ 33.Kc3 Rb1 34.Nxg1 Rxc1 35.Ne2 Rb1 36.Nd4+ Ke5 37.Nxc6+ Kd6 38.Rf7 Kxc6 39.Rxf6+ Kc7 40.Rf5 h4 41.h3 Ra1 42.Rg5 Kc6 43.Kc4 Ra2 44.Kb3 Ra1 45.Rg6+ Kb5 46.Rg5+ Ka6 47.Rg4 Rb1+ 48.Kc4 Kxa5 49.Kc3 Rg1 50.Rg7 Kb6 51.Kc4 Rc1 52.Rg6+ Ka5 53.Kd3 Kb5 54.Rg4 a5 55.Rxh4 a4 56.Kc3 a3 57.Rb4+ Kc5 58.Ra4 Rg1 59.Rxa3 Rxg2 60.Kb2 Rh2 61.Rc3+ Kb5 62.Kb3 Rh1 63.Rg3 b6 64.Rg5+ Ka6 65.Rh5 Rb1+ 66.Kc3 Rh1 67.Rh8 Kb5 68.h4 Rh3+ 69.Kd4 Kb4 70.h5 Rh4+ 71.Ke5 Kc3 72.h6 Kxc2 73.Kf6 b5 74.Kg5 Rh1 75.Rb8 Rg1+ 76.Kf5 Rh1 77.Kg6 Rg1+ 78.Kf7 Rh1 79.Kg7 Rg1+ 80.Kh8 Rg5 81.h7 Kc3 82.Rc8+ Kd4 83.Rg8 Rh5 84.Rg4+ Kc3 ½–½ (84) Fischer,R-Szmetan,J/Buenos Aires 1971/Fischer
3…e4 4.d3 Nf6 5.dxe4 Nxe4 6.Nf3 Bd6
6…Bc5 7.Qe2 Bf5 8.Nc3 Qe7 9.Be3 Nxc3 10.Bxc5 Nxe2 11.Bxe7 Nxf4 12.Ba3 Nd7 13.0–0–0 Be4 14.Ng5 Bxd5 15.g3 Bronstein couldn’t resist playing like Tal! 15…Bxh1 16.gxf4 c5 17.Bc4 Bc6 18.Nxf7 b5 19.Nd6+ Ke7 20.Nxb5 Rhf8 21.Nd4 Bg2 22.Ne6 Rf5 23.Rg1 Be4 24.Nc7 Rd8 25.Rxg7+ Kf6 26.Rf7+ Kg6 27.Re7 Nf6 28.Ne6 Rc8 29.b3 Rh5 30.Ng5 Bd5 31.Bd3+ Kh6 32.Bb2 c4 33.Bf5 c3 34.Bxc8 cxb2+ 35.Kxb2 Rxh2 36.Rxa7 Rf2 37.Ra4 Kg6 38.Rd4 h5 39.a4 h4 40.a5 Bg2 41.a6 Nh5 42.Bb7 Nxf4 43.Rxf4 1–0 (43) Bronstein,D-Tal,M/Riga 1968
7.Bd3 0–0
7…Nf6 8.Nc3 0–0 9.0–0 c6 10.dxc6 Nxc6 11.a3 Re8 12.Kh1 a6 13.Ng5 g6 14.Nge4 Be7 15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.Nd5 Be6 17.Nxf6+ Qxf6 18.Qf3 Rad8 19.Bd2 Nd4 20.Bc3 Nxf3 21.Bxf6 Rxd3 22.cxd3 Nd2 23.Bc3 Nxf1 24.Rxf1 Bd5 25.Re1 Rxe1+ 26.Bxe1 f5 27.Kg1 Kf7 28.Kf2 g5 29.g3 g4 30.Ke3 Ke6 31.Kd4 h5 32.Kc5 Bh1 33.Bc3 Bg2 34.Kb6 Kd7 ½–½ (34) Stean,M (2420)-Bronstein,D (2540)/London 1976
8.Bxe4 Re8 9.Nc3 f5 10.Ng5 fxe4 11.Qh5 h6 12.Ngxe4 Bd7 13.0–0 Qe7 14.f5!!
Planning the following sacrifice of two pieces for a rook.
14…Qe5 15.Bf4 Qd4+ 16.Kh1 Rxe4 17.Nxe4 Qxe4 18.Bxd6 cxd6 19.Rae1 Qxd5 20.Re7!
The threat is Rxg7+ and f6+ winning the Queen.
20…Qc4 21.Rfe1 Nc6 22.Rxd7 Ne5 23.Rxd6 Qb4 24.Red1 Rf8 25.f6 Ng4 26.Qd5+ Kh7 27.Qf5+ Kg8 28.f7+ Kh8 29.Rd8 Ne3
I deliberately allowed this fork, as I had the final combination in mind.
30.Rxf8+ Qxf8 31.Rd8!
Only White does the attacking!
1–0
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