[Event "British Rapidplay Championship 2023"] [Site "Mercure Bradford, Bankfield H"] [Date "2023.04.16"] [Round "9.10"] [White "Hall, James"] [Black "Walker, David J"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C56"] [WhiteElo "1809"] [BlackElo "2250"] [Annotator "Donnelly,MJ"] [PlyCount "25"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [EventType "rapid"] [SourceVersionDate "2008.05.10"] {[%evp 0,25,25,25,10,25,13,2,0,-5,-27,-58,-42,-140,-197,-197,-200,-200,-200,-197,-119,-152,0,0,32,66,59,437]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 {The Scotch Opening an old fashioned opening favoured by, for instance, Blackburne that can compete well with the substantially more popular Ruy Lopex that arises after 3.Bb5.} exd4 4. Bc4 {Now the Scotch Gambit rather than the Scotch proper with} (4. Nxd4) 4... Nf6 {Preferred by Carlsen whilst other top GMs like} (4... Bc5) 5. O-O Nxe4 {Grabbing the second pawn looks dangerous but is fine provided Black is very familiar with the theory of the line.} (5... Bc5 {only appears safer as the game can become very wild after} 6. e5 d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. fxg7 Rg8 9. Bg5 f6 10. Re1+ Kf7 11. Bh6 Kg6 12. Qc1 Qd5 13. Nh4+ Kf7 14. Nd2 {Short-Fressinet, Olympiad-39 2010.}) 6. Nc3 $5 {a trickier move to face than the much more explored} (6. Re1 {when numerous games have gone} d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 {one example being Jones-So, NIC Classic Prelim chess24.com rapid 2021.}) 6... dxc3 {This is playable if followed up accurately.} ({Simplest though is} 6... d5 {a move that if it can be played successfully usually means Black is fine in 1.e4 e5 openings. For example} 7. Bxd5 ({but not} 7. Nxd5 {and White is lost after} Be6 8. Ng5 Bxd5 {Carlsen-Tang Lichess.org Bullet game 2021}) 7... dxc3 8. Bxe4 Qxd1 9. Rxd1 {with approximate equality as in Patt Rubinstein-Steinberg, Rosario 1952.}) 7. Bxf7+ ({If} 7. Re1 {then} Be7 {is good for Black as in Sliwicki-Warmerdam, Titled Tuesday intern op Chess.com blitz 2020.}) 7... Kxf7 {Forced as} (7... Ke7 {loses rapidly to} 8. Qd5 Nb4 ({or} 8... d6 9. Re1) 9. Bg5+ Nxg5 10. Qxg5+) 8. Qd5+ Ke8 (8... Kf6 {is scarey but even stronger. A recent example went} 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Qxe4 Kf7 11. Bg5 d5 12. Qf4+ Kg8 {stabilizing the game somewhat as in Grave-Antonio, Titled Tuesday intern op Chess.com blitz 2022.}) 9. Re1 Be7 10. Rxe4 Rf8 (10... d6 {is more natural when Black is keeping the game in balance as played in several games.}) 11. Bg5 h6 $2 {Fatal in weakening the e8-h5 diagonal. Neither does} (11... Rf7 {help Black as the king is too exposed eg} 12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. Ng5 Rf8 14. Rae1 cxb2 15. Qe5 b1=Q 16. Qxe7+ Qxe7 17. Rxe7+ Kd8 18. Nf7+ Rxf7 19. Re8# {Volkov-Aravindh, Titled Tuesday intern op Chess.com blitz 2020.}) (11... d6 {was essential} 12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. Rae1 cxb2 14. Qh5+ (14. Rxe7+ Qxe7 15. Rxe7+ Kxe7 {is comfortable for Black.}) (14. Qb5+ c6 15. Qxb2 {looks best with compensation for the material sacrificed.}) 14... Kd7 15. Nd4 c5 {and Black was winning but ended up losing in Sokolov-Rushnikov, URS-ch8 sf corr 1965 after} 16. Qg4+ Kc7 $2 17. Rxe7+ Qxe7 18. Rxe7+ Kd8 19. Qg5 h6 20. Rxb7+ {its mate in 3 moves maximum.}) 12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. Qh5+ {A gambit that proved an excellent choice in a rapid game-White took down an opponent rated over 400 Elo higher in a good representative example of sacrificial play to attack a centrally marooned king. After} (13. Qh5+ {White wins easily following} g6 ({as well as after} 13... Rf7 14. Ne5 g6 15. Nxg6 d5 16. Nh8 dxe4 17. Qxf7+ Kd7 18. Rd1+) 14. Qxg6+ Rf7 15. Rae1 d6 16. Rf4 $18 (16. Rxe7+ $18)) 1-0