Ferrero Plays Latvian Gambit

This past weekend, at the Viking Quads in Mount Arlington, Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero won a game with the Latvian Gambit. About to lose a pawn, his opponent sacrificed a piece unsoundly and then made matters worse by swapping down into a hopeless endgame.

Round Two: Latvian Gambit

Alexander Katz (USCF 1768) - Steve Ferrero (USCF 1837), Mount Arlington NJ 6/30/2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.Ne3 c6 8.Be2 Nf6 9.O-O d5 10.f3 exf3 11.Bxf3 Bd6 12.Qe2 O-O 13.Bd2 Na6

I played this move with the idea of provoking a3 and posting the knight to e6 via c7. [Ferrero]

Already Black stands better. White did not play aggressively enough. For example, he could have considered 7.Nd5. Another possibility was to play 8.f3. [West]

14.Rf2 Bd7 15.Raf1 Rae8 16.a3 Nc7 17.g3 Ne6 18.Nexd5 cxd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd4 20.Qc4

I don't believe this is best. [Ferrero]

It is as good a move as any in this lost position. On 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Bd5+ Kh8, White is busted. [West]

20...Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Be6 22.Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qb5 Rxf3 24.Rxf3 Re7 25.Qd3 Bc5+ 26.Kg2 Qxd3 27.Rxd3 Rd7 28.Rxd7 Bxd7 29.Kf3 Bc6+ 30.Kg4 Kf7 31.b4 Bd4 32.c4 b5 33.cxb5 Bxb5 34.Bc1 Kf6 35.Kf4 Bc6 36.g4 g5+ 37.Kg3 Be5+ 38.Kf2 Bxh2 39.Ke2 Bb5+ 40.Kd1 Bd7 41.Kc2 Bxg4 42.a4 Bd7 43.b5 Bd6 44.Be3 Bb8 45.Kd2 Bf4 46.Bxf4 gxf4 47.Ke2 Kf5 48.Kf3 h5, White resigns.