King's Gambit, McDonnell Gambit
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Nc3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | McDonnell vs. La Bourdonnais, London 1834, match 3, game 1[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Alexander McDonnell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | King's Gambit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The McDonnell Gambit is a chess opening gambit in the King's Gambit, Classical Variation that begins with the moves:[2]
or alternatively via the Quaade Gambit:[3][4]
The opening is named after Alexander McDonnell, a 19th-century Irish chess master, who successfully introduced it in his third match with Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais. The aim is to gain a significant lead in development (knight, bishop, and queen) for the sacrificed knight, followed by a kingside attack.
The McDonnell Gambit has always been much less popular for White than the similarly motivated Muzio Gambit (4.Bc4 g4 5.0-0). Although considered obsolete by MCO,[5] it has not been thoroughly tested.[2]
5...gxf3
[edit]After 5... gxf3 6. Qxf3 is usual, though the wild 6.0-0 is occasionally seen. Now 6...Bh6 (as in the McDonnell–La Bourdonnais game below) is regarded as inferior. Better options for Black are:
- 6... d5 7.Nxd5 Nc6 led to approximate equality in Charousek & Fahndrich – Halprin & Marco, Vienna 1897 after 8.0-0 Bd6 9.d4 Nxd5 10.Qh5 Be6 11.Bxf4 Bxf4 12.Nxf4 Bxc4 13.Qe5+ Kf8 14.Qxh8 Bxf1 15.Rxf1 Qf6 16.Qxh7 Qxf4.[6][7]
- 6... d6 7.0-0 Be6 8.Nd5 c6 9.Qc3 cxd5 10.Qxh8 dxc4 11.Qxg8 Qb6+ 12.Kh1 Nc6 13.b3 Qd4 and Black is better (analysis by J. Malkin, Wiener Schachzeitung 1911).[6]
McDonnell vs. La Bourdonnais, London 1834
[edit]1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Nc3 gxf3 6. Qxf3 Bh6 7. d4 Nc6 8. 0-0!
- Continuing his policy of development over material.
8... Nxd4? 9. Bxf7+!
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
- A frequently seen move in the King's Gambit as it strips away a key defensive pawn.
9... Kxf7 10. Qh5+ Kg7 11. Bxf4 Bxf4 12. Rxf4 Nf6 13. Qg5+ Kf7 14. Raf1
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 | | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
- McDonnell has built up a winning attack almost effortlessly.
14... Ke8 15. Rxf6 Qe7
- Looking for some counterplay with his queen and at the same time freeing a square for his king.
16. Nd5! Qc5
- One last try; if McDonnell is inattentive he could miss the discovered check 17...Nf3+! followed by 18...Nxg5 when suddenly he has a lost position.
17. Kh1! Ne6
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |             | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
18. Rxe6+! dxe6 19. Nf6+!
- White will win the queen next move, so La Bourdonnais resigned here.
Maróczy vs. Chigorin, Vienna 1903
[edit]1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. Nc3 gxf3 6. Qxf3 d6![4] 7. d4 Be6 8. Nd5 White can try 8.d5!? Bc8 9.Bxf4 as in Dufresne–Anderssen, Berlin 1851 (Korchnoi).[9] 8... c6 9. 0-0 cxd5 10. exd5 Bf5 11. Bxf4 Bg6 12. Bb5+ Nd7 13. Rae1+ Be7 14. Bxd6 Kf8? Black had a clear advantage after 14...Qb6! 15.Qa3 Qxd4 16.Rf2 Be4 17.Bxe7 Nxe7 18.d6 Rg8 19.Rxe4 Qxe4 20.Re2 Qxe2 21.Bxe2 Nc6 in Barth–Lenz, corr. 1913 (Korchnoi).[9] 15. Rxe7 Nxe7 16. Re1 Kg7 17. Bxe7 Qa5 18. Qe2 Nf8 19. Bf6+ Kg8 20. Qe5 h6 21. Bxh8 f6 22. Qe7 Kxh8 23. Qxf6+ Kg8 24. Re7 1–0[10]
Alternatives to 5...gxf3
[edit]- 5...Nc6 transposes to the Hamppe–Muzio Gambit after 6.0-0, or to the Pierce Gambit after 6.d4.
- 5...d5 is also likely to lead to a transposition after 6.Bxd5 gxf3 7.Qxf3 or 6.Nxd5 gxf3 7.Qxf3.
Marshall vs. Leonhardt, Hamburg 1911
[edit]1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 g4 5.Nc3 d5 6.Bxd5 gxf3 7.Qxf3 Nf6 8.Qxf4 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.b4 a5 11.Bb2 axb4 12.Ne2 Ra6 13.Qh6 Kh8 14.Nf4 Rg8 15.Bxf7 Bf8 16.Qh5 Rg4 17.Ne6 Bg7 18.Bxf6 1–0[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "McDonnell vs. La Bourdonnais, London 1834, match 3, game 1". Chessgames.com.
- ^ a b Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 241. McDonnell Gambit.
- ^ Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 328. Quaade Gambit.
- ^ a b Kasparov & Keene (1982), p. 289.
- ^ de Firmian, Nick (2008). Batsford's Modern Chess Openings (15th ed.). p. 6.
- ^ a b Korchnoi, Viktor; Zak, Vladimir (1986). The King's Gambit. Macmillan Publishing Company. p. 35. ISBN 0-02-022020-0.
- ^ "Charousek & Fahndrich vs. Halprin & Marco, Vienna 1897". Chessgames.com.
- ^ "McDonnell vs. Louis Charles Mahe De La Bourdonnais, London 1834". Chessgames.com.
- ^ a b Matanović 1981 (Vol C), p. 180, n. 38.
- ^ "Geza Maroczy vs. Mikhail Chigorin, Vienna 1903". Chessgames.com.
- ^ Frank Marshall vs. Paul Saladin Leonhardt 365chess.com
Bibliography
- Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992]. The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
- Kasparov, Gary; Keene, Raymond (1982). Batsford Chess Openings. American Chess Promotions. ISBN 0-7134-2112-6.
- Marsh, Sean (2014). The Batsford Book of Chess: From Beginner to Winner. B.T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 978-1849941648.
- Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1981). Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. C (2nd ed.). Yugoslavia: Chess Informant.