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Philidor Counter Gambit
Damon Garrett (USCF 1820) - Lev Zilbermintz (USCF 2117), West Orange NJ 1/29/2013
To begin with, I arrived 7 minutes late because of taking a later bus than I usually do. Still, since I think fast, that is not a problem.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Bc4 b5
This is the Newark Gambit, invented by me in 2003. It is very trappy and complicated. Many of its lines are not for the faint-hearted!
5.Bb3
The Bishop Retreat Variation of the Newark Gambit Declined is usually played by those who wish to avoid the complications arising from the Newark Gambit Accepted after 5.Bxb5+ c6!
5...fxe4 6.Ng5
White avoids going for the Knight Sacrifice Variation 6 Nxe5?!, preferring instead to hit the vulnerable kingside.
6...d5!
Here my opponent spent 16 minutes on his next move.
7.Nc3 c6
The move 7...Bb4?! is not good since the b5 and d5 pawns are vulnerable after 8.Bd2!
8.Ncxe4! Nf6!
Black has to trade knights and buy time for his king to castle.
9.Nxf6+ Qxf6 10.dxe5 Qxe5+!
This move delays White long enough for Black to finish development. Of course, 11.Kd2?? loses the knight, while 11.Kf1 blocks the rook. Thus, there is no choice but the text move.
11.Qe2 Qxe2+ 12.Kxe2 Bd6
Now Black has leveled out the position.
13.h3? O-O 14.Be3 a5 15.c3 b4!
At this point, I have 85 minutes on the clock left to my opponent's 60.
16.Bc2 h6 17.Nf3 Nd7 18.Rhd1 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.Kd2?
This move creates many problems. Safer was 20.Bd4! cutting off the power of the bishop on e5. Now, with the king on d2, this is no longer possible, since the f2 pawn is vulnerable.
20...Rb8
White has 42:02 left; Black, 81 minutes.
21.Ba4 bxc3+! 22.bxc3 Rb2+ 23.Bc2
The move 23.Kc1 fails to 23...Bxc3 24.Bxc6 Bf5! 25.Bxd5+ Kh8 with a winning attack.
23...Bf5 24.Rdc1 c5!
Opening up the lines.
25.Bxc5 Rc8
White has 34:23 left; Black, 79 minutes.
26.Ba3 Bxc3+ 27.Kd1 Rxc2! 28.Rxc2 Bxc2+, White resigns.
At the end, White had 31 minutes left; Black, 1 hour and 8 minutes.
