Check Printed Analysis!
By J. John Mackie
(Note: This article was originally published in the Australian Chess Forum (formerly the International Chess Forum) and is reprinted with the kind permission of its author, Mr. Mackie. jck)
From time to time those who faithfully follow published analysis fall victim to the poor performance by the experts! Nowadays the main reason for such an annoying experience is the desire to submit a copy for publication as soon as possible to earn a quick buck.
The late Paul Keres said more than once that it took him on average a week to annotate one game to an acceptable standard.
In the July 1998 issue the ACF published an article on BDG (not refuted by Maurice Newman's contrary opinion) showing poor analysis by amateurs. Those who like to play BDG may be interested to know that now the gambit is unsound and white either loses or at best draws in this variation:
1. d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 e5! (The Lemberger Countergambit)
This is the soundest response from black. Theory recommends 4.Be3 exd4 5.Bxd4 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Nge2 Qh4! 8.Nd5 0-0-0 9.Bxc6 Bxc6 10.Ne3 Nh6 11.c3 Bb5 12.Qb3 Bxe2 13. Kxe2 Qh5+ as played in the USA 1987 between Hansen and Purser, 1/2-1/2 in 67.
Sawyer in his BLACKMAR-DIEMER GAMBIT KEYBOOK admits (p.18) that many players with white avoid BDG for this reason alone.
Gary Lane, in his BLACKMAR-DIEMER GAMBIT, (p.117) says that the variation "gives equal chances." Wrong! Black wins thus:
13....c5! 14.Qc4 a6 (threatening 15..b5) 15.a4 Qh5+ 16.Ke1 Kb8! 17.Rd1 cxd4 0-1.
That the BDG is unsound can be deduced from the fact that there are no GM's indulging in this opening nowadays.
By far the more serious failure to analyze variations satisfactorily has occurred in the INFORMANT 71, p.62 in the game Lalic-Kotsur (A67) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5 Nfd7 9.a4 0-0 10.Nf3 Na6 11.0-0 Nc7 12.Bd3 a6 13.Re1 Re8 14.Be3 Rb8 15.a5?!
Here Kotsur shows an alternative in: 15.Bf2 b5 16.Bh4 Bf6 =. Wrong again!
White wins by 16.e5! and there is nothing that black can do to save the game.
One of several continuations could be: 16... dxe5 17.Bh4 Bf6 18.d6! Ne6 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.fxe5 c4 21.exf6 cxd3 22.Qxd3 Bb7 23.d7 Rf8 24.axb5 axb5 25.Nd5 Bxd5 26.Qxd5 Qxf6 27.Ne5 Qg5 (what else?) 28.Qd6! 1-0.
A couple of observations on this variation: It does not seem right for black to play 13...Re8. The Rook belongs on f8 to protect f7. Also 15...b5 is doubtful. Better is 15...b6 but then 14...Rb8 is a waste of a tempo.
In conclusion we stress once again that it is very important to do a lot of checking the printed analyses no matter who the authors may be! It is hard work but in the end it will bring benefits. Enjoy your chess!