My opponent in Game #2 is Neil Abramson of London, Ontario, Canada who played white and was the gambiteer. The event was the USCF Golden Knights Finals (85Nf 15) played in 1991-93.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 Nf6 5.e5 Ne4 6.Qe2 f5 7.exf6 d5 8.Nbd2 d3 9.Qe3 Bc5 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.Nd4 Bxd4 12.cxd4 Bf5 13.Bxd3 Qe7 14.Bb5 0-0-0 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Nxe4 Bxe4

See Game #1 (Good-Bacon) for notes on the first 16 moves and the reply 16....dxe4. I much prefer the Bishop recapture in this position as it solidly centralizes this piece attacking both wings, while preserving the black pawn structure in the center, AND baiting a trap. The surprising fact is that I know of no published games with this seemingly logical choice.

17.f3?!

And white goes for the bait. In my opinion white must "bite the bullet" here and play 17.0-0, swallow hard, and brace himself for the coming King side attack. True, black's forces are beautifully poised for an all-out frontal assault after capturing the g7 pawn, but this is preferable to what now takes place.

17...Qxg7!

An electric shock for white, as black ignores the threatened Bishop and goes full bore on a King side attack immediately!

18.g3

White is already "in the soup", as he now realizes that 18.fxe4 does not work. 18....Qxg2 19.Rf1 Rdf8! and now;

A) 20.Rxf8+ Rxf8 (threatening .....Rf1 mate)

A1) 21.Qe2 Qg1+ 22.Kd2 Rf2 wins.

A2) 21.Qd3 Rf2! and white cannot prevent the threat 22....Qg1 mate. Of course 22.Qh3 Qxh3 23.Kxf2 is an easy black win.

A3) 21.Kd1? Rf1+ 22.Qe1 Rxe1+ etc is also easily won for black.

B) 20.Rf4 Qxh2 (threatening both 21...Rg1+ and 21...Rxf4) 21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 and white is totally helpless against the threat 22....Qh1+ 23.Kd2 Qg2+ winning the Queen with either 23.....Rg3/g2/g1, depending upon white's choice of poison.

C) 20.Rf5 Qh1+ 21.Kd2 Rxf5 22.exf5 Qxh2+ again winning the Queen as in B above.

D) 20.Rf2 Qg1+! 21.Ke2 (21.Rf1? Qxf1+ wins) Rxf2+ 22.Qxf2 Rg2 etc wins.

18...Rde8 19.0-0 Bf5 20.Qd2

Here if white tries;

A) 20.Qf2 Bd3! 21.Re1 (21.Rd1 Re2!) Rxe1+ 22.Qxe1 Qxd4+ 23.Be3 Qxb2 with a black advantage.

B) 20.Qc3 Bh3 21.Rf2 Qxd4! followed by 22....Re1! wins.

C) 20.Qh6? Bh3 etc. is similar to the game.

20...h5

And the black King side attack is now in full bloom and is inexorable. In desparation white tries the plan of sacrificing the Exchange to help defend the King and develop the Queen side.

21.Qf4 Rgf8 22.Be3

Here white can try instead;

A) 22.Qh4?! Bg4! (with threats of ....Qxd4+ snd ....Bxf3) 23.fxg4 Qxd4+! begins a mating attack with 24.Kg2 Rxf1 and now;

A1) 25.Kxf1 Qd1+ 26.Kg2 Re2+ 27.Kh3 (or 27.Kf3) Qf1 mate.

A2) 25.gxh5 Re2+ 26.Kh3 Rxh2+! 27.Kxh2 Qg1+ 28.Kh3 Qh1+ 29.Kg4 Qf6+ 30.Kg5 Qf6+ 31.Kg4 Qf5 mate.

A3) 25.Be3 Qxb2+! wins.

A4) 25.Bf4 Re2+ 26.Kh3 Rxh2+! 27. Kxh2 Qg1+ 28.Kh3 Qh1 mate.

A5) 25.Kh3 hxg4+! 26.Qxg4 Rh8+! also leads to mate.

B) 22.Rd1 Bd3! 23.Rxd3 (23.Qh4 Rxf3 with black advantage) Re1+ 24.Kf2 Rxf5 25.Kxe1 Rxd4 again with black advantage.

22...Bh3 23.Qh6 Qxh6 24.Bxh6 Rf6 25.Bg7

Or 27.Bg5 Rf5 etc.

25...Rg6 26.Be5 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 c5 28.Rc1

Better here is 28.f4 cxd4 29.Bxd4 etc, and white still has life.

28...cxd4! 29.Bxc7

Instead of the text here, white may have been planning 29.Rxc7+, but...Kd8 30.Bf4 (not 30.f4 Rxe5! 31.fxe5 Kxc7 wins) Rf8 (threatening ....Rxf4!) 31.Be5 Re6! 32.Bg7 Kxc7 33.Bxf8 d3! wins.

29...Kb7 0-1

And white resigns, not wishing to see the sequel; 30.Bf4 Rc6 31.Rd1 (31.Rxc6 Kxc6 wins handily for black, as the white King is cut off from the Queen side) Rc2 32.Kf1 Ree2 and black "shuttle-rakes" the second rank winning easily.