The 19th century chess immortals, La Bourdonnais, Anderssen, and Morphy, whom some consider the first three unofficial World Champions, must all be smiling in their graves today. FM Gabriel Gaehwiler (2360) trotted out an Evans Gambit today in Pune to take down the #7 seed, GM Benjamin Bok (2591) (:
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Re: The immortals are smiling
A gentleman always accepts the Evans Gambit. I played it when I was a junior.Gary Ruben
CC - IA and SIM
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Re: The immortals are smiling
Well the loss wasnt because of the opening. Black got carried away trying to play against the pinned Be7.Comment
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Re: The immortals are smiling
I didn't play through the game other than in my head from the moves and not very deep.
What I had in mind is the Evans Gambit accepted and Kings Gambit accepted are from the romantic era of chess.Gary Ruben
CC - IA and SIM
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Re: The immortals are smiling
Oh very much so, definitely romantic era. However still a good surprise weapon (if played rarely) at the top. Nigel Short will put them on the board every once in a while. (amongst other top GM's)Comment
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Re: The immortals are smiling
I see that Morphy's most common opening with the White pieces at chessgames.com was the Evans Gambit. Of the 44 games cited therein, Morphy scored a remarkable 39 wins, just 2 losses (1 to Anderssen and the other to De Riviere), and 3 draws (:
Anderssen also played the Evans Gambit more than any other opening, a total of 105 games at chessgames.com. His score wasn't quite up to the standard of Morphy but still did score a very healthy plus 69, minus 33, and, lol, a mere 3 draws (:
The Evans Gambit was also La Bourdonnais's weapon of choice and his 20 games at chessgames.com score plus 14, minus 3 (all to McDonnell), and 3 draws (2 of which were to McDonnell).
Suffice it to say that these three chess immortals were exceptionally fond of the Evans Gambit, with the King's Gambit a very close 2nd choice (:Comment
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Re: The immortals are smiling
Here's one from a high school team championship from long ago. Board 1. It was called on curfew, but I was playing for a win but maybe it's not there. Win or lose, I loved this kind of chess. Sure dates me.
[Event "School Team Matches 1961"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2005.11.11"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Burstow, John"]
[Black "Ruben, Gary"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C52"]
[PlyCount "66"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d6 8.
cxd4 Nf6 9. d5 Ne5 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. Qa4+ c6 12. dxc6 O-O 13. Ba3 Re8 14. cxb7
Bxb7 15. Qb3 Qc7 16. Bd6 Qd7 17. Rd1 Rad8 18. Na3 Bxe4 19. Bxe5 Qb7 20. Qxb7
Bxb7 21. Bxf6 gxf6 22. Nb5 Ba6 23. Bxf7+ Kxf7 24. Nd6+ Ke7 25. Nxe8 Kxe8 26.
Rxd8+ Kxd8 27. Rd1+ Ke7 28. Rd4 Bb6 29. Re4+ Kf7 30. Ra4 Bb5 31. Rb4 Bd3 32.
Rf4 Be2 33. h4 a6 1/2-1/2Gary Ruben
CC - IA and SIM
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Re: The immortals are smiling
Looks like youre having all the fun at the end (two bishops on an open board). John Burstow theres a name from the past. I beat him in a nice game in the 1983 Canadian Open.Comment
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