[Event “2019 World Open U 1800”]
[Site “Richmond”]
[Date “2019.07.05”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Jiri janko”]
[Black “mike c”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “C30”]
[WhiteElo “1789”]
[BlackElo “1741”]
[Annotator “Scholarship,Chess”]
[PlyCount “86”]

This game holds a special place for me in that it’s a King’s Gambit Declined.
Over and over you will hear me say, “If it’s the King’s Gambit, decline it, if
it’s the Queen’s Gambit, accept it! your opponent will never remember the
theory!!”! The fun part about playing the King’s Gambit Declined is that
technically speaking it’s a counter gambit not a declination! He said go
ahead take on f4 I dare you and I said, not a chance, I dare you to take on e5.
When I see the move, I actually get a little insulted. The King’s Gambit has
been played for centuries, how dare you imply that I don’t know anything about
this most fundamental of openings. Since you want to test me, how about I
test you!!} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 This system is not, nor has it ever been in
fashion. I saw a book on it back in the 80’s from Chess Digest. I wish I had
bought it. It was a thematic tournament from the early 20th century. No book
I’ve ever seen on the King’s Gambit has ever been able to give a detailed
theoretical explanation of the ideas, piece placements, or strategies behind
the opening. This is one of the most complicated games I’ve ever analyzed.  You will need 2 boards to watch this game.  To help you out, I put the main sidelines in Italics.  How can my opponents be prepared?!} 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 a6!?N

Believe it or not, black has already equalized and stolen the initiative. The bishop will remain an annoying pest until white finds a way to trade it off or close the diagonal. The pawn they will actually have to gambit will be the d or b pawns to get equality. In the meantime black will make sure that safety on the queenside is also questionable!} 5. Bc4 (5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O 8. Be3 Bb4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Nxe4 11. Bf3 Re8
is good for black!) or  (5. fxe5 dxe5 6. Nxe5 Nf6 7. Ne2 Nxe4 8. d4 Bb4+ 9. c3 Bd6
10. Bf4 Nc6 11. Ng3 Nxg3 12. hxg3 Qe7 13. Qh5 g6 14. Qe2 Bxe5 15. dxe5 O-O 16.
O-O-O Be6 leaves black with a slight lead in development.) or (5. b4 Ba7 6. d4
exd4 7. Nxd4 Nf6 8. Be2 O-O 9. Be3 Qe7 10. Qd2 Bxd4 11. Bxd4 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Qxe4
13. O-O Nc6 14. Bc3 {is equal again!) 5… Nf6 6. d3 Not in the spirit of the gambit at all! Nc6 7. h3 O-O 8. Qe2? Nh5 9. Qd1 Ng3 10. Rh2

10. ..Nh5? (Better is 10… Nd4!?  {This was the 1st time during a tournament game I’d gotten this type of advantage. I didn’t fully take in that white’s king side castling option was forever gone when I calculated this move. If there is a next time, this analysis will leave me better prepared. The analysis is very interesting!} 11. f5 b5 12. Bb3 c6 13. h4 or (13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Qf3 dxc3 15. Qxg3 d5 16. bxc3 Bxf5 17. exf5 Re8+ 18. Kf1 Qe7
with a nice attack!!) or (13. Qd2 a5 14. a3 d5 15. h4 h6 16. Rh3 Nh5 17. Qd1 Nf6
and this retains all of the advantage!) 13… a5 14. Nxd4 exd4 15. Nd5 cxd5
16. Bxd5 Rb8 17. Qf3 Nxf5 18. exf5 Re8+ 19. Kf2 Re5 20. g4 h5 21. gxh5 Rxd5 22.
Qxd5 Bb7 23. Qb3 Qe8 24. Bf4 a4 and that wins!) 11. f5 Nd4 12. h4 Nf6 13. Bg5
c6 14. a3 b5 15. Ba2 a5

The king side pawns are faster than they look. My opponent underestimated them! 16. Nb1? (16. g4! This move would have definitely been a game changer. One of us would have lost on time trying to figure out this mess. This is where analysis pays off! I will go over this position over and over again! It will help me fully understand the
workings of f5, h4 and the unprotected g4 push. There are landmines all over
the place in the complications that follow. In some lines black must part
with his queen to keep the advantage!! That’s true King’s gambit swashbuckling style!! Black’s advantage can be made minimal in some lines, some are totally unclear!. 16. …Ra7!?  This rook has to get protected and in the game! (16… Bb7?! 17. Rh3 Re8 18.
Bxf6 Qxf6 19. Ng5 Re7 20. Nxh7 Qh6 21. Ng5 Kf8 22. Qd2 Kg8 23. O-O-O Rd8 and white is back in the driver’s seat!) or (16… a4 17. Kf1 Bb7  or (17… Nxg4 18. Nxd4 Nxh2+ 19. Kg2 Qc7 20. Nxc6 Qxc6 21. Bd5 Qa6 22. Bxa8 Qxa8 This is almost equal even with white down a pawn!) 18. Rg2 Ba6 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. g5 Qe7 21. h5 Kh8 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Ne2 Qe5 24. Qd2 d5 25. Ng3 dxe4 26. Nxe4 Qxf5+ 27. Qf2 Qxf2+ 28. Rxf2 Be7 with equal play as well!) 17. Rg2 Re8 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 19. g5 Qe7Analysis Diagram

Both of the coming moves 20. g6!!, and 20. f6! are going to cause black to give up his queen to keep the advantage. I only want to study like this, but know I can play like this if I have to!} 20. g6!! best! (20. f6 Qd8 21. fxg7 Kxg7 22. h5 With no way for white to infiltrate the dark squares, blacks position should hold. Kh8 23. h6 d5 24. exd5 cxd5 25. Bxd5 (25. Nxd5?? e4 26. Nxd4 Bxd4 27. dxe4 Rxe4+ 28. Kf1 Bh3 29. Qf3 Bxg2+ 30. Qxg2 Rae7 31. Nxe7 Rf4+ 32. Ke2 (32. Ke1 Qxe7+ 33. Kd1 Bb6 34. Be6 fxe6 35. Kc1 Rf2 36. Qh3 Qxg5+ 37. Kb1 Bd4 38. Qb3 a4 39. Qd3 e5 40. Qxb5 Qg8 41. Qd3 Qf7 42. Kc1 Qb7 43. b4) 32…Qxe7+ 33. Kd1 Bb6 34. Be6 Rd4+ 35. Kc1 Qxe6 {White is toast again}) 25… b4
26. axb4 axb4 27. Rxa7 bxc3 28. g6 Qxd5 29. Ng5 Qxg2 30. Nxf7+ Kg8 31. gxh7+
Kxh7 32. Ng5+ Kxh6 33. Rh7+ Kxg5 34. Rg7+ Kf6 35. Rxg2 The threats of 36. Rh8 and 36. cxb leave black winning.) 20… hxg6 21. Rxg6 Nxf5 22. Ng5 Nxh4 23. Bxf7+ Qxf7 24. Nxf7 Rxf7 25. Qh5 Nxg6 26. Qxg6 Re6 27. Qg5 Bf2+ 28. Kd2 Rh6 Analysis Diagram

With an incredible battle on the horizon!!)

Game position after 16. Nb1

16… Re8?! (16… h6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. g4 I didn’t play 16. h6 in an attempt to avoid this
position. After 18…d5 the queen has lots of room on the 6th and the center
can be busted open!! I’m humbly blown away! 18. …d5! 19. g5 Qd6 20. Nbd2 see diagram below where you see the Italics again! (20. gxh6 Qxh6 21. Nxd4 Bxd4 22. c3 Qf4 23. Rg2 Qxh4+ 24. Ke2 Bb6 25. Qe1 Qh5+ 26. Kd2 dxe4 27. Qg3 (27. dxe4 Qf3 28. Re2 Ba6 29. b4 Rfd8+ 30. Kc2 Bb7 31. Kb2 axb4 32. cxb4 Bd4+ {he’s toast!}) (27. Qxe4 Bxf5 28. Qe2 Qh6+ 29. Kc2 Rad8 30. Rg3 Rxd3 31. Rxd3 Rd8 32. Bxf7+ Kxf7 33. Qf1 Qg6 34. Nd2 Rxd3 35. Re1
Can’t believe how the center collapses and the way the other pieces are out of
the picture.) 27… Qh6+ 28. Qg5 Qxg5+ 29. Rxg5 Rd8 30. f6 Rxd3+ 31. Kc2 g6
32. Rxg6+ Kf8 33. Rg7 Ra7 34. Rh7 Rh3 35. Rxh3 Bxh3 Wow! this is winning!) or  (
20. Rg2 Bxf5!! 21. exf5 (21. Nxd4 Bxd4 22. c3 dxe4 23. cxd4 Qxd4 24. dxe4
Qxe4+ 25. Qe2 Qxh4+ 26. Qf2 hxg5 {That’s a lot of pawns!}) 21… Nxf5 22. Qd2
Ne3 23. Rg1 hxg5 24. hxg5 e4 25. dxe4 Qf4 26. Qc3 dxe4 27. g6 Nc4 28. Bxc4 (28.
Nd4 Qc1+ 29. Kf2 Qf4+ 30. Ke1 fxg6 31. Bxc4+ bxc4 32. Qxc4+ Rf7 33. Kd1 Qf2 34.
Re1 Bxd4 {The tactics here are instructive and inspiring!}) 28… Qc1+ 29. Ke2
exf3+ 30. Kxf3 Qxg1 31. gxf7+ Kh7 32. Qe5 Qf2+ 33. Kg4 Qg2+ 34. Qg3 Qe4+ 35.
Qf4 Qxf4+ 36. Kxf4 bxc4 37. Kg3 Bd6+ 38. Kh3 Rxf7 This is so much fun to watch)

20… Bxf5!! This one recurring sacrifice makes the whole system make sense.  After white’s f5, I must be ready to sac my c8 bishop at the right time if I can keep his king in the center!! 21. exf5 e4 22. dxe4 Qg3+ 23. Kf1 Nxf3 24. Nxf3 dxe4 25. Rg2 Qf4 26. gxh6 exf3 27. Rxg7+ Kh8 28. b4 axb4 29. axb4 Bb6 30. Qd3 Rxa2 31. Re1 Qxh4 32. Qxf3 Rxc2 33. Rg3 Rd8 34. h7 Qh2 35. Rg8+ Kxh7 36. Rg7+ Kh8 37. Re8+ Rxe8 38. Rg8+ Rxg8 39. Ke1 Rg1+ 40. Qf1 Rc1#) 17. Bxf6?! {White should redevelop
and hold on to this Ace to make me calculate it again, again, and again each
turn in the hope of me playing h6. The pawns are more and more dangerous the
closer he gets to being fully redeveloped! (17. g4 d5 18. c3 Nxf3+ 19. Qxf3
Ba6!?  This move is the only move I found easy to play. all the others give the game back!?

(19… Bb7?! 20. Nd2 b4 21. Bxf6 (21. Kf1?! bxa3 22. bxa3 d4 23.
Rb1 Ba6 24. cxd4 Qxd4 25. Ke2 Nd5!! 26. exd5 e4 27. Nxe4 Rxe4+ 28. Kd2 Rae8)
21… Qxf6 22. g5 Qd6 23. f6 bxa3 24. bxa3 Bxa3 25. fxg7 Kxg7 26. Rf2 Rf8 27.
Qf6+ Qxf6 28. gxf6+ Kg6 29. exd5 cxd5 30. Bxd5 Bxd5 31. Rxa3 and the board is still a mess! Black has retained the initiative.) (19… Ra7?! 20. Nd2 d4 21. cxd4 Bxd4 22. O-O-O a4 23. Rg2 Qe7 24. Bxf6 Qxf6 25. g5 Qd6 26. g6 hxg6 27. Rxg6 Be6 28. Bxe6 Rxe6 29. Rxg7+ Kxg7 30. fxe6 Qxe6  Looks equal but I don’t trust it. That passer looks really mean!) 20. Bxf6 Qxf6 21. g5 Qd6 22. h5 b4 23. h6 The computer likes it but I think it gives
control of all the colors of the board to black. g6 24. fxg6 Qxg6 25. Nd2 bxc3
26. bxc3 Rad8 27. c4 Bxa3! (27… d4?! 28. Rf2 Rb8 29. Qg3 Bc8 30. Qh4
Qd6 31. Bb3 Re7 32. Kf1 Reb7 33. Bd1 Qe6 34. Kg2 Rb2 35. Bh5 R8b7 36. Qg3 a4
It’s equal with a slight initiative and that’s it!) 28. cxd5 Bb4 29. Rc1 (29.
Re2 cxd5 30. Bxd5 Kh8 31. Rg2 Rxd5 32. exd5 Bxd3 33. Qe3 e4 Even this late, a king in the center is a bad thing!) 29… cxd5 30. Bxd5 Rxd5 31. exd5 Bxd3 32. Rc6 Qe4+ 33. Qxe4 Bxe4 34. Rb6 Bxd5 Hay makers all over the place but black keeps an edge.) 17… Qxf6 18. Ng5 ( 18. g4 Over and over again, this turns out to be the move to be feared and prepared for! This time it appears to be too little too late. d5 19. c3 Nxf3+ 20. Qxf3 Qd6 21. Nd2 Rd8 22. g5 b4 23. f6 bxc3 24. bxc3 Bxa3 25. Rb1 Rb8  Not at all like before. Very instructive!) 18… d5 19. c3 (19. g4 And again!
h6 20. Nxf7 Qxf7 21. c3 Qc7 22. cxd4 exd4 23. Rf2 Bd6 24. Kf1 Bg3
g4 was the way out, now it’s just the last hope!) 19… h6 20. cxd4 Bxd4?
( 20… exd4 21. Qh5 Bxf5 22. Qxf7+ Qxf7 23. Nxf7 Kxf7 24. Kf2
Blacks winning again!) 21. Nc3 hxg5 22. Qh5 g6?? This would have put a
nail in the coffin and I missed it. Both of us are in serious time trouble.
I still should have taken more time to just realize that keeping the files
closed ends the attack! (22… g4 23. Nd1 b4 24. Rc1 bxa3 25. bxa3 Ba6 26. Qg5
Bxd3 27. exd5 cxd5 28. Bxd5 Qd6 29. f6 g6 30. Nf2 Rac8 and we may not make it to the time control!!) 23. hxg5 gxh5 24. gxf6 b4 25. Ke2 Bxf5 {!!} 26. exf5 e4 27. Rxh5 Bxf6 28. Na4 bxa3 29. g4 axb2 30. Rah1 Bg7 31. g5 f6 {Diagram # I was feeling pretty bad here. I knew I was on the defense, but I had no Idea how much I’d blown, or how bad it was. We are both just glued to the table and trying to hold on before we run out of time! 32.
gxf6?? Bxf6 33. Rg1+ Kf8 34. Rh7 exd3+ 35. Kxd3 Re7 36. Rh6 Rf7 37. Rgh1 Ke7
38. Nc5 Rg8 39. Re1+ Kd8 40. Ne6+ Kc8 41. Nc5?? Always get up and walk off
the time control. He doesn’t and makes a mistake.} Rg3+ 42. Kc2?? or 2 (42.
Ke2 Kc7 43. Bb1 a4! 44. Reh1 a3 45. Ne6+ Kd7 46. Rd1 Rg2+ 47. Ke3 Be5 48.
Rg6 Rc2 49. Bxc2 a2 50. Nc5+ Kc7 51. Nb3 Rh7 52. Rgg1 Rh3+ 53. Ke2 Rh2+ 54. Kd3
c5 55. Nxc5 a1=Q 56. Rxa1 bxa1=Q 57. Rxa1 Bxa1 58. Ne6+ Kd6 {
With a long but theoretically won ending.}) 42… Rc3+ 43. Kxb2 Rxc5+
All I can say is, “What a game!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 0-1