My father likes to send me his chess games (especially when he wins), and so I thought I would post his most recent victory - a quirky defense of the Latvian Gambit!
John DeVries: I played a casual chess game last night (Halloween night!) with Ken Henkelman, an 1800 USCF rated chess player who does not play any more in rated chess tournaments. I play Ken every week at Waco Chess Club meetings - he beats me at least 3/4 of the time! However, sometimes the stars align just right, and I beat Ken! Last night was just such a time.
The following game is worthy of review. It is a "Latvian Gambit" ( I played Black). "Latvian Gambit" was actually invented 400+ years ago by a great Italian player, Greco. It was called the "Greco Roman Gambit" until the 20th Century. The great 19th Century English Grandmaster, Joseph Blackburne, played the ""Greco Roman/Latvian Gambit", but stopped using it after he was crushed in an important international grandmasters' tournament. The "Greco Roman Gambit" reputation collapsed. No masters played it. Then, in the years before World War II, a group of masters from Latvia (Russia) (Mikail Tal came from Latvia but was not part of this group) began experimenting with it and challenged several chess clubs to Latvian Gambit correspondence games (these chess clubs were filled with master players) and never lost. Okay, a few of the games were draws. Since that time, it has been called the "Latvian Gambit".
Today's grandmasters totally disregard the Latvian Gambit, and the Latvian Gambit is humorously derided by my friends in the Waco Chess Club. I keep playing it, because I don't feel comfortable playing
-2- ....Nc6 when White opens with e4.
Grandmaster Anatoly Lein wrote a book on the Latvian Gambit - a chess master friend in San Antonio gave me the book, and I lost the book ! So most/all of my knowledge regarding the Latvian Gambit comes from my over-the-board experience.
The Latvian Gambit goes as follows. It is a gambit for the player with the Black pieces. -1- e4 e5 -2- Nf3 f5?!
In last night's game, Ken made a couple small, but important errors. Still, I slaughtered him. I'm going to keep the following game in my "DeVries Great Chess Games Database" (the database has a very small number of games!). The game (please see below) is worthy of review. If I ever get to play you with the Black pieces, and you play
-1- e4 and -2- Nf3, I will play the Latvian Gambit. Enjoy!!!
Ken Henkelman vs John DeVries 10-31-2009 (Casual Game)
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 f5
- 3. Nxe5 Qf6
- 4. d4 d6
- 5. Nc4 fxe4
This is all standard - now the battle begins
- 6. Nc3 Qg6
- 7. f3 Nf6
- 8. Qe2 Be7
- 9. fxe4 Bg4
One of the key moves in the game for Black --- I don't mind going one pawn down here.
White never gets to castle in this game.
- 11. Bd2 Nc6
- 12. Nd5 Nxd5
- 13. exd5 Bf6
Black 13th move is nice!
- 14. Qg3 Nxd4
- 15. Bd3 Rae8+
- 16. Ne3 Nf5
The White Knight at e3 is pinned.
- 17. Bxf5 Qxf5
- 18. c3 Bg5
- 19. h3 Bxe3
- 20. Bxe3 Bh5 - 20. hxg4 might have saved White
Black's Bishop on h5 will prove decisive.
- 21. Kd2 Qxd5+
- 22. Kc1 Qd3
Now it is over for White.
**EDIT by CCGC Blogger** Please click the link below if you'd care to play through this game.
Ken Henkleman-John DeVries
[Event "Casual Game"]
[Site "Waco Chess Club"]
[Date "2009.10.31"]
[Round ""]
[White "Ken Henkleman"]
[Black "John DeVries"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteELO ""]
[BlackELO ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qf6 4. d4 d6 5. Nc4 fxe4 6. Nc3 Qg6 7. f3 Nf6 8.
Qe2 Be7 9. fxe4 Bg4 10. Qe3 O-O 11. Bd2 Nc6 12. Nd5 Nxd5 13. exd5 Bf6 14. Qg3
Nxd4 15. Bd3 Rae8+ 16. Ne3 Nf5 17. Bxf5 Qxf5 18. c3 Bg5 19. h3 Bxe3 20. Bxe3
Bh5 21. Kd2 Qxd5+ 22. Kc1 Qd3 23. Re1 Bg6 0-1
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