[Event "Blindfold Simultaneous (GB), Malacky"] [Site "?"] [Date "1920.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Breyer, G."] [Black "\"Amateur\""] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C21"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "39"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.05.14"] 1. e4 e5 2. d4 {A move that ensures an open game right at the start so none of the potentially more subtle Vienna or Ruy Lopez openings can occur.} exd4 3. Nf3 {White does not need to recover the pawn immediately. Alternatives include} (3. Qxd4 {the Centre Game played with great effect by Chigorin in the past or Nepomniachtchi more recently. After} Nc6 4. Qe3 {is the main focus of a recent opening text by Marek Soszynski. (cf book review section of this web site)}) ({or} 3. c3 {the wild Danish Gambit often played by Marshall and in very recent times by Theodorou. Remarkably it occured in a super-blitz game Carlsen-Aronian in 2023 although then Black declined the gambit with d5.} dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 {sacrificing two pawns for two powerful bishops.}) ({Another move is} 3. Bc4 {keeping options open as to how White will proceed.}) 3... Bb4+ {Pefectly fine as played by Beliasvky and Karpov for example although} (3... Nc6 {is much more commonly chosen by Black players in particular the likes of Nakamura and Carlsen in the last year or two.}) 4. c3 (4. Bd2 {appears less logical as the attack on d4 is reduced and the White pieces are a little awkwardly placed following the retreat} Bc5 {as in Tomczak-Rabiega, BL-2 Nord Germany 2012.}) 4... dxc3 5. Nxc3 (5. bxc3 {looks slightly unnatural and can again be met by the bishop retreat} Bc5 {an example being Sanal-Tregubov, W-ch Blitz Moscow 2019.}) 5... Nf6 (5... Bxc3+ {is perhaps the most straightforward idea although providing White with the bishop pair. Play may then go} 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Bc4 {Hector-Smith, SWE-ch Ronneby 2018.} ({or} 7. e5 {Zezulkin-Karpov, Corsica Masters rap Bastia 2002.})) 6. Bc4 {The game references to this move and 6.e5 underscore how much life there is in these old openings even used in recent high level events.} (6. e5 {is White's main alternative immediately putting the question to the knight on f6.} Bxc3+ (6... Ne4 7. Qd4 {Idani-Cheng, Olympiad-44 Chennai 2022}) (6... Qe7 7. Bc4 d6 (7... Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d5 9. O-O dxc4 10. exf6 {EU-ch Bartel-Skvortsov, Vrnjacka Banja 2023.}) 8. O-O dxe5 9. Nxe5 Qxe5 10. Re1 {Camaratta-Plomp, W-ch 23 sf04 ICCF e-mail 1999.}) 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qd5 f5 ({not} 8... Nxc3 {as the knight is lost after} 9. Qc4) 9. Bc4 Qe7 10. a4 c6 11. Qd4 {Buschmann-Hibbeln, Ahrensburg Marathon 2002.}) 6... c6 {Not the best as Black is not able to play the desirable freeing move d5. Better chances were offered by} (6... Nxe4 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qb3+ d5 9. Qxb4 Nc6 10. Qb3 {Vujic-Paravyan, EU-ch Vrnjacka Banja 2023.}) ({or seeking safety with} 6... O-O {Dzhumaev-Teske, Chennai op 2013.}) 7. O-O {White follows the most natural plan of rapid development. Alternatively White has played} (7. e5 Bxc3+ (7... d5 {is again the best choice for Black as White is unable to prove the Black king is somewhat exposed following} 8. exf6 dxc4 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. Bh6 Ke7 12. O-O {due to} f6 {when f7 is a safe square.}) 8. bxc3 Ne4 9. Qd4 f5 10. O-O $14 {Szentmihalyi-Czimer, Budapest FS02 FM-C 2007.}) (7. Bxf7+ {is a reoccurring concept in this sort of position but here is a little premature if Black had replied more accurately} Kxf7 8. Qb3+ Ke8 (8... d5 {is far better}) 9. Qxb4 Qe7 10. Qb3 d6 11. O-O Be6 12. Qc2 Nbd7 13. Bg5 $16 {Pinto-Dischinger, BRA-ch zonal 3 Brasilia 1988.}) 7... Qc7 $2 {Ensures a double attack on e5 when White plays e5 but a losing move . As the Black king is still in the centre, and in danger, essential was} (7... O-O {so that if} 8. e5 d5 {works well after} 9. exf6 dxc4 10. fxg7 Re8) 8. e5 Ng4 9. Qb3 (9. Bxf7+ {is also very strong. Some possibilities are} Kxf7 10. Qb3+ Ke8 11. Qxb4 Nxe5 12. Bf4 d6 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. Rfe1 (14. Bxe5 Qxe5 15. Rfe1 $18) 14... Nd7 15. Bxe5 Nxe5 16. Qf4 $18) 9... a5 {Only apparently securing the bishop, but not the Black , which is now caught in the open.} ({In this postion} 9... d5 {doesn't work at all due to} 10. Qxb4 dxc4 11. Ne4 {as} Nxe5 {loses to} 12. Nd6+ Kf8 13. Nxe5 c5 14. Qxc4 Be6 15. Qf4 Qxd6 16. Ng6+ $18) 10. Bxf7+ Kd8 (10... Kf8 {is no better as} 11. Bh5 {attacks both f7 and g4 and of course} Nh6 {fails to} 12. Bxh6) 11. Qxb4 {The most attractive way to finish the game with an unexpected, to Black at least, queen sacrifice..} axb4 12. Bg5+ Nf6 13. exf6 g6 {All foced and seemingly Black has stabilised the position to threaten h6 and g5. However, White has a nice follow up offering more material.} 14. Bg8 Qd6 (14... Rxg8 {allows an interesting discovered checkmate by} 15. f7#) 15. Ne4 (15. f7+ {another winning line is} Kc7 16. Rfe1 bxc3 17. Re8 cxb2 18. Bd8#) 15... Qf8 16. f7+ Kc7 17. Bf4+ Kb6 18. Bd6 {Overwhelming the Black queen's capability to defend.} Rxg8 ({Returning material is of no avail. For example} 18... Qd8 19. f8=Q Qxf8 20. Bxf8 Rxg8) ({or} 18... Qxd6 19. Nxd6 {and queens next move.}) 19. Bxf8 Rxf8 20. Nd6 ({Following} 20. Nd6 {Black is defenceless against the twin threats of Ng5-h7 and Re1-e8 due to Black's lack of queen's side development..} Na6 (20... Kc7 21. Rad1 Rxa2 (21... h6 22. Rfe1 $18) 22. Rfe1 Rxb2 23. Re8 Rxf7 24. Rxc8+ {strongest as} (24. Nxf7 d5 {with 3 passed pawns gives a slight suspicion of hope for Black.}) 24... Kb6 25. Nxf7) 21. Ng5 h6 22. Nh7 $18) 1-0