The Evans Gambit was invented by Captain and a strong chess player Evans

29 May

Posted by: admin in: Chess School, Chess Strategy, Chess Training

Play The Evans Gambit!

The Evans Gambit was invented by William Davies Evans, the first player to employ it more then 170 years ago.

Did you also know that Captain Evans was also a professional Ship Master and strong amateur?

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 Captain Evans discovered the amazing
idea of 4.b4! .

The basic intention behind the move 4. b4 is to give up a pawn in order to secure a strong centre and bear down on Black’s weak-point, f7. Often, the idea of Ba3, preventing black from castling,
is also in the air.

The Evans gambit has been played for over a hundred years, and it hasn’t
been refuted yet.

Morphy, Chigorin, Fischer, Kasparov, Timman, Shirov, Short and
Morozevich have all successfully played the opening

I’d like to start the show from two games played by Bobby Fischer.

Fischer needs no introduction, I believe. Just a few words about his play: he was a
wholesome player who mastered each and every phase of the game. His play was
harmonious and very instructive as well.

Fischer as well as Paul Morphy fought for the initiative at every move, presenting his
opponent with problem after problem until the game was his.

Well before the phrase became a cliché, winning was the only thing for
Fischer.

The Evans gambit was one of his favorite openings.

(138393) Fischer,Robert James - Boatner,J [C51]

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4

5. c3 Be7 Black has a few relevant answers 5…Ba5, 5 … Be7 and 5…. Bc5, indeed recently the move 5… Bd6!? Has also become very popular.

6.d4 d6? This move leads to an immediate disaster.

There are a few key squares in Black’s position that are often under attack or provide a target for a sacrifice by White. These squares are f7, g7 and h7

7. Qb3 The attack is to be directed against the weakest spot in the opposing position the pawn f7.

7…Nh6 The only way to stop Bf7, but white simply eliminates that knight.

8. Bxh6 gxh6 9.Bxf7+ Kf8 10.Bh5

There is no good way to stop Qf7, thus Black resigned.

(132790) Fischer,Robert James - Fine,Reuben [C52]

New York New York, 1963

There were a friendly game between the GM Reuben Fine and Bobby Fischer, nevertheless
the game was extremely instructive!

1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4!? Bxb4

5. c3 Ba5

6. d4 White immediately challenges the center.

6…exd4 The better defense here is 6…d6 7.0–0 Bb6 which was recommended by the second WC
Emanuel Lasker.

7.0–0 No time to count pawns! The initiative is much more dangerous when you have all
your pieces rapidly developed.

7… dxc3 Black is too materialistic. Better was to think about developing.

7…Bb6 8.cxd4 d6

8. Qb3 Very consistent, the f7 pawn is under attack and black has no time for the King side development.

8…Qe7 Another attempt is 8…Qf6 However after 9.e5! white increases his space advantage as

The f6 square is banned for a while.

Seems like it’s extremely dangerous to capture the pawn for example after 9…. Ne5 10. Re1! d6 11. Qa4 + the bishop a5 is lost.

Another possibility is 9… Qg6 10.Nxc3 Nge7 11.Ba3!

After this powerful move, which opens scope for the dark square bishop, Black’s position has become extremely dubious.

The Knight is on the way to the power d5 square! And it is not so clear how to stop it.

Black must take the opportunity to trade Ba5 for Nc3 but after 11… Bc3 12.Qc3 0-0, but after 13.Rad1, there are still too many unpleasant threats.

9. Nxc3 Nf6?

A decisive mistake. Anyway, it would be extremely hard for Black to survive White’s pressure.

Black was going to prepare the castling, but Fischer demolishes this illusion.

10. Nd5! This is a powerful place for the knight.

The opening of the “e” file would be deadly for the black king.

10…Nxd5 [10...Qxe4 11.Ng5]

11.exd5 Ne5 [11...Nd8 12.Ba3 d6 13.Qb5++-]

12.Nxe5 Qxe5 The King and the Queen are placed badly on the open file. White takes the advantage of this nuance.

13.Bb2 Now black has no any good defense against white’s mating attack.

13…Qg5 is the only temporally way to keep the pawn g7.

14.h4! White immediately distracts black’s only developed piece.

14…Qxh4

14…Qh6

15.Qa3+-

15.Bxg7 Rg8

Black defends the fortress of his king with his last remaining forces, but White’s heavy pieces are regrouping for the final assault.

16.Rfe1+ Kd8 [16...Bxe1 17.Rxe1+]

17.Qg3!

A nice finish! The White Queen has to be taken, but after

[17…. Qxg3 the black King is going to be mated by18.Bf6#]

1–0 It would be a good thing to
carry on with a Classical game by Paul Morphy, one of the brightest chess talents of chess History.

At a very young age Morphy became the best player in the USA and set off to conquer Europe,
where all the top players were.

At the age of 21 he shocked the world by defeating all the top masters there, including Lowenthal,
Harrwitz, and Anderssen in matches.

Though the best player in the world, he soon gave up chess completely, leaving behind
disappointed fans and hundreds of brilliant games.

(1709) Morphy,Paul - Hampton,Thomas Inglis [C51]

London, 1858

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4

5.c3 Ba5

6.d4 exd4

7.0–0
Bb6

8.cxd4 d6 Both sides complete their tasks. White gains the
strong center, when black remains a pawn up.

9.Nc3 White has easy development; therefore black has to
play extremely carefully.

9…Nf6? A dubious decision

The best alternative was 9… Bg4, while 9… Nge7? Can’t be recommended

As after10.Ng5! 0-0 11.Qh5 leads to a winning position for white.

10.e5!This pawn sacrifice opens up the lines around the opponent’s king, a theme that became typical after a few classical games performed by Morphy.

10…
dxe5

The other option 10… d5 we will be discussed later.

11.Ba3! White has a huge positional compensation for the small material deficit.
I don’t see any easy way for black to get rid of white’s terrific initiative.

11…Bg4 Too little, too late. White easily frees his
knight from this pin

12.Qb3 Bh5

13.dxe5 Ng4

Black somehow manages to finish his Queenside development,
however, it is clear to see the drawbacks of his position – A complete
disharmony amongst his pieces and a fatal weakness on f7 to boot.

14.Rad1 It’s important for white to bring the rooks to the center. The ideal place for the two rooks is on
e1 and d1. From these two squares they support a potential breakthrough in the
center.

Morphy displays an important lesson here: Utilizing his quick development to create strong pressure over the center which is very important in the opening phase.

14…
Qc8

15.e6!

Very direct!After this pawn’s move the black’s position collapses.

15…f6

16. Qb5 Bg6 It was already hard for Black to find a good
continuation.

17.
Bd5 Unexpectedly
black has no defense against the killing 18.Bc6+ move

1–0

(1805) Morphy,Paul - De Riviere,Jules Arnous [C51]

w:st=”on”>Paris m3
w:st=”on”>Paris, 1858

1.e4 e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bc4 Bc5
4.b4 Bxb4
5.c3 Bc5 6.0–0 d6 7.d4 exd4

8.cxd4 Bb6
9.Nc3 Nf6

10.e5 d5

This advance is not the one called for to solve
black’s positional problems.

11.
exf6!

Only
with energetic play will White be able to achieve something. After other moves
black would be given a chance to complete his development.

11…
dxc4

12.
fxg7 Rg8

Everything
goes smoothly. Black’s Kingside is totally exploded.

13.Re1+ Be6

14.d5! Thanks to the pin on the “e” file white gains a virtually winning
position.

14…Qf6 Black must try to aim at the only unprotected piece in the white camp.

15.Bg5 Qxc3

16.dxe6 White has now regained the sacrificed pieces and the black king is in a hopeless
situation. Let’s see how black got mated in just a few moves.

16…Qd3

17.
exf7+ Kxf7

18. Re7+ Kg6

19. Qe1 Exploits the hanging position of the Queen on
d3. Rd1 is coming!

19…Qd5

The black queen is buzzing around the board, desperately trying to divert the white
pieces, alas without such success.

20.Rd1 Nd4

All white’s pieces are harmoniously attacking. There is a very strong threat coming
up, how would you continue the attack?

21.Rxd4! The last hope is gone. By this simple sacrifice white eliminates the
only piece that was able to protect the King from the further decisive
check

21…Bxd4

22.Qb1+ 1–0

Black
resigned

(763) Morphy,Paul - Morphy,Alonzo [C51]

New Orleans m
New Orleans, 1849

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4

5.c3 Bc5

6.d4 exd4

7.cxd4 Bb6

8.0–0
Na5

Black
opts for this move, intending to remove white’s bishop from the a2-g8 diagonal,
where it aims the weakest spot – f7 pawn.

9.Bd3