Relentless

When people ask me what my middle initial stands for, I sometimes say jokingly, "Relentless!" Those of you who have been following my over-the-blogs debate with Dennis Monokroussos can understand why. Every time Monokroussos finds a line that is advantageous for White against the Philidor Counter Gambit, I redouble my efforts to find a better move for Black. This time, my never-say-die approach seems to have paid off because I think that I have finally found an equalizing path in the variation favored by Monokroussos, namely 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Neg5 exd4 7.Bb5+ c6 8.Bd3 Bb4+ 9.Bd2.


But, first, let me digress. On Marvin Barker's recommendation of 9.c3!?, I initially gave 9...Qe7+ 10.Kd2 dxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qf6 12.Re1+ Ne7 13.Qc2 Bd6 14.Nxh7 Rxh7!? 15.Bxh7 Kf8 16.Kd1 Bg4 17.Qe2 Nd7 18.Bg5 Bxf3 19.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 20.gxf3 Kf7 21.h4 Rh8 22.Bc2 Nc5 23.Rb1 b5?!. But Monokroussos's 24.a4! favors White because it allows him to trade off his weak a-pawn while opening lines for his queen rook. Instead of 23...b5?!, Black should play 23...b6 with a position where the second player is down a full exchange but has compensation for it in White's shattered pawn formation.


Getting back to the position after 9.Bd2, I have discovered that the thematic 9...Qe7+! may equalize for Black although it involves a pawn sacrifice after 10.Kf1 Nf6 11.Bxb4 Qxb4 12.Qe1+ Qxe1+ 13.Rxe1+ Kf8 14.Nxd4 a6! (14...a5!?) 15.c4 h6 16.Nge6+ Bxe6 17.Nxe6+ Kf7 18.cxd5 Nxd5 19.Bc4 b5 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Nc7 Ra7 22.Nxd5 Rd8 23.Nc3 b4 24.Ne4 Rc7. In true counter gambit fashion, Black is temporarily down a pawn but has the initiative and is almost guaranteed of regaining the pawn with an equal position.


No doubt, Monokroussos will have something to say about all this!