Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Simmons - Zilbermintz with Newark Gambit

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz [pictured] describes one of his games, from a Newark Gambit thematic tournament at Chess.com.

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Recently I completed a theoretically important correspondence game with the Newark Gambit. Although my British opponent was rated 404 points lower than I am, he initiated a dangerous attack by sacrificing his knight with 6.Nxe5.

This is the line that the Spanish player Alejandro Melchor says gives Black a "ruinous position." Perhaps so, but Black manages to survive and win. Accurate play is absolutely essential for Black in this tricky line.

Philidor Counter Gambit

Steve Simmons (CC 1547) - Lev Zilbermintz (CC 1951), Correspondence Tournament, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 b5 5.Bb3 fxe4 6.Nxe5


This is the sacrificial line. Black has to accept the sacrifice, or else he will be in bad shape.

6...dxe5 7.Qh5+ Kd7 8.dxe5 Kc6


Very similar to the Latvian Gambit!

9.Qe2 Bc5 10.Qxe4+ Kb6 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Qxe3+ Kb7 13.Nc3 Nc6 14.Qc5 a6 15.Bd5 Nge7 16.O-O-O Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Be6 18.Nb4 Qe8 19.a4 Nxb4 20.Qxb4 Qc6 21.f3 Qc4 22.Qxc4 bxc4 23.c3 Rad8


24.Rd2 c6 25.Re2 Rd5 26.Kc2 g5 27.h4 g4 28.f4 Bf5+ 29.Kc1 Rhd8 30.e6 Re8 31.e7 Kc7 32.Rhe1 Kd7 33.Rd1 Rxd1+ 34.Kxd1 Rxe7 35.Rd2+ Kc7 36.Rd4 Rd7, White resigns.