Vince's Favorite Gambit!

The Blackmar Diemer Gambit (-1- d4 d5 -2- e4) is another offbeat opening that I like to play with the White pieces. Master chess players rarely resort to the Blackmar Diemar Gambit, because it surrenders a pawn in the opening. However, there is a tenacious worldwide Blackmar Diemar Gambit chess community that sponsors Blackmar Diemar Gambit tournaments (usually correspondence), publishes games, and defends the gambit's reputation.

The creators of the Blackmar Diemar Gambit have their own interesting personal histories. Armand (?) Blackmar (1826-1888) ran a music publishing business in Lousiana before the Civil War until his death.

Mr. Blackmar was born in Vermont! He was active in Lousiana chess circles for 30+ years. He introduced his gambit (Blackmar Gambit) with -1- e4 e5 -2- e4 P x P -3- f3 and published several articles in a respected chess magazine in 1882 that gave several of his Blackmar Gambit games with annotations.
In the 20th Century, Emil Diemer of Germany (1908-1990), a master player who loved to experiment with various gambits for the White pieces, showed that the Blackmar Gambit could be improved with -3- Nc3.

Diemar (like many Germans in the 1930's) was a strong supporter of the Nazi government, competed in Nazi chess tournaments in the 1930's and during World War II ( it is amazing that Nazis and Jews both loved chess, although Adolf Hitler was said to disparage chess and chess players - it was a "Jewish game". After World War II, Diemar continued playing in chess tournaments - he was known for eccentricities - he never married, but wrote wrote books and articles promoting the Blackmar Diemar Gambit. His most famous book had the uncompromising title - "Toward Mate From Move One!" Diemar held court in the Black Forest region of Germany, and eventually died in 1990. I don't know if Diemar's politics ever changed (Diemar grew a beard in his later years), but Diemar loved chess and chess dominated his life.

I mention a bit of Blackmar Diemar history because I have a Blackmar Diemar Gambit game to show you.

My opponent was my wonderful chess sidekick, Ken Henkelman. Even though I won the game, and even though Ken's rating is USCF 1800, it was not my best game, and several Henkelman mistakes helped me win. Even at the end, with his position in tatters, he probably could have salvaged a draw. However, i did play well in the early part of the game - and this game may illustrate "how to play the Blackmar Diemar Gambit in the opening" and "how to win a Blackmar Diemar Gambit game if your opponent makes mistakes". We played this game on March 5th in a Barnes & Noble coffee shop area.

Casual Game John DeVries vs Ken Henkelman 03-05-10

DEVRIES (White) HENKELMAN (Black)
-1- d4 d5
-2- e4 P x P (d5 x e4)
-3- Nf3 Nf6
-4- f3 P x P

I have sometimes played the "Ryder Gambit" against Ken and other players. This involves taking the pawn on f3 with the Queen instead of the Knight. The problem is that Black can capture a second pawn on d4 with their Queen. White moves against the Queen with Bd3 and pushes development at all costs. Ken has been beating me recently when I play Ryder Gambit. I have been playing the more "conservative" and "safer" (?) Blackmar Diemar Gambit with -5- N x P.

-5- N x P Bg4

In past games, I have often immediately attacked the White Bishop - this often leads to ....B x N, Q x B, .....c6 and I often don't make much progress. In this game, I decided to focus on development ignore the pin on the knight.

-6- Be3 c6
-7- Bd3 QNd7
-8- 0 - 0 e6

I really like my development at this point - it is time to go after Ken's Bishop.

-9- h3 B x N
-10- Q x B Bb4

On move Eleven, I try for a "cheap" checkmate threat with Ne4 - if ....N x N, then Q x f7. Of course, when you are playing Ken Henkelman, this does not work.

-11- Ne4 Be7
-12- c3 Qa5
-13- b4 Qh5

Ken wants to trade Queens, but I wisely decline.

-14- Qg3 N x N

The easy thing would be to take Ken's Knight with my Bishop, but I thought I saw some tactical play. Ken certainly expected -15- B x N, and my 15th move certainly confused him. My text move was unsound, but it looked good at the time.

-15- Q x P at g7 ??! Rf8?

I think that -15- ...Bf6! would have held Ken's position. He would have entered the middle game with a three pawn advantage (or minor piece for one pawn + gambit pawn).

-16- B x N 0 - 0 - 0
-17- B x RP Qe2
-18- Bg5 B x B
-19- Q x B f5
-20- a4 Nf6
-21- Qh6 Qc4

-21- .....N X B may have been better for Black. On Move 22, Ken makes a bad move.

-22- QRe1 Ne4?
-23- R x N ! P x R at e4
-24- R x R Q x P at c3
-25- Q x P check Kc7
-26- R x R K x R?

I think that Ken could salvage a perpetual check draw by checking me with his Queen on Move 26 and subsequent moves, ignoring the loss of a Rook on Move 26. Maybe.

-26- .... K x R ends the game - and the game ends with an artistic checkmate.

-27- Qd6 check Ke8
-28 Bg6 checkmate

John DeVries
Waco Chess Club