Some good moves improve with age – wait to play it.
Julien Arizmendi White
Alexander Grischuk Black
Reykjavik 2000
King’s Gambit C39
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 ♘f3 g5 4 h4!
White makes the kingside pawns vulnerable before Black can consolidate them into a phalanx with ...h6 and ...♗g7.
4...g4 5 ♘e5 ♘f6 6 ♗c4
The modern treatment is 6 d4 and 6...d6 7 ♘d3 ♘xe4 8 ♕e2 ♕e7 9 ♗xf4.
6...d5 7 exd5 ♗d6 8 d4 ♘h5 9 ♘c3
More common is the unclear 9 0-0 ♕xh4. White’s move invites 9...♘g3 and then: (a) a dubious sacrifice, 10 ♗xf4 ♘xh1 11 ♕d3, or (b) 10 ♗b5+ followed by 11 ♖h2.
Black should save ...♘g3 for later as per the maxim “Don’t make a good move too soon.”
9...0-0 10 ♘xg4?
Better is 10 ♘e4, which sets a cute trap: 10...♖e8 11 0-0 ♕xh4 12 ♗xf4 g3?.
Question 246: Why doesn’t that win?
10...♘g3!
Much stronger than a move ago (11 ♖g1 ♕xh4).
11 ♖h2 ♕e7+
A piece is lost after 12 ♔f2 h5! (13 ♘e5 ♗xe5 14 dxe5 ♕c5+ or 13 ♘h6+ ♔g7).
12 ♔d2 ♖e8! White resigns.
Black’s plan is 13...♔h8 and 14...♗xg4. Then 15 ♕xg4 is not check and White is mated after 15...♕e3+. This is stronger than 12...h5 13 ♘h6+ ♔g7.
Philipp Hirschfeld White
Ignaz Kolisch Black
Paris 1867
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 ♘f3 g5 4 h4 g4 5 ♘e5 ♘f6 6 ♗c4 d5 7 exd5 ♗d6 8 d4 ♘h5 9 ♗b5+ c6!? 10 dxc6 bxc6 11 ♘xc6 ♘xc6 12 ♗xc6+ ♗d7 13 ♗xd7+? ♕xd7 14 0-0 0-0 15 ♘c3 ♖ae8 16 ♘d5 ♕f5 17 c4 ♘g3 18 ♖e1?? f3! 19 gxf3 gxf3 20 ♗e3 ♖xe3! White resigns.