From LeelaKnightOdds with Lev

Candidate master Lev Zilbermintz [pictured], who was my board 3 at the USATE 2025, disagrees with ArnieChipmunk on the position below, as in Barnes-Morphy, London 1858.

ArnieChipmunk writes that "the engine has effectively killed" 8...d4.

After 10.Bc4, Lev likes 10...Bxe6 11.Bxe6 Qxe6 12.Nxh8 g6.

Worthy of consideration after 10.Bc4 is 10...h5, with the idea of 11...Rh7 while avoiding 11.g4, as in Sinding-West, USATE 2000.

PCG & PCG Reversed 7/29/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

Jerrymayo (Chess.com 2070) - JimWest (Chess.com 2034), Chess.com 7/29/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.O-O f4 6.d4 Qf6 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qd3 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nd7 11.Rd1 O-O-O 12.Nc3 Ne7 13.Qg4 h5 14.Qe6 Qxe6 15.Bxe6 Rh6 16.Bxd7+ Rxd7 17.Rxd7 Kxd7 18.g3 g5 19.b3 Nc8

20.Bb2 fxg3 21.fxg3 Bc5+ 22.Kg2 Bd4 23.Rf1 Nd6 24.Nd1 Bxb2 25.Nxb2 Ke7 26.Nd3 Re6 27.g4 hxg4 28.hxg4 Nxe4 29.Rf5 Kd6 30.Ne1 Rf6 31.Kf3 Rxf5+ 32.gxf5 Nf6

33.Ng2 e4+ 34.Kg3 Ke5 35.c3 Kxf5 36.Ne3+ Ke6 37.Nc2 c5 38.a4 b6 39.b4 cxb4 40.Nxb4 Nd5 41.Nc6 Nxc3, White resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit Reversed

JimWest (lichess 2095) - LA-789 (lichess 1979), lichess 7/29/2025

1.e3 e5 2.e4 Nf6 3.d3 Bc5 4.f4 Nc6 5.Nc3 exf4 6.Bxf4 d6 7.Nf3 O-O 8.Be2 d5 9.e5 Ng4 10.d4 Bb4 11.O-O Bxc3 12.bxc3 f6 13.exf6 Nxf6 14.Bg5 Qe8 15.Bd3 Ne4

16.Re1 Nxg5 17.Rxe8 Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 Rxe8 19.Qxd5+ Be6 20.Qe4 g5, Black resigns.

2 PCG Games 7/28/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

Oldbagoftricks (Chess.com 2017) - JimWest (Chess.com 2030), Chess.com 7/28/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Bb4 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.a3 O-O 11.Qd2 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Rb1 a5 15.Qe3 Bg4 16.Be2 Bxe2 17.Qxe2 e3 18.O-O exf2+ 19.Rxf2 Qd6

20.Rxf8+ Rxf8 21.a4 Qf4 22.Rf1 Qxf1+ 23.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 24.Kxf1 Kf7 25.Ke2 Ke6 26.g4 g5 27.Kd3 Kd6 28.c4 c5 29.cxd5 Kxd5 30.c4+ Kd6 31.Ke4 cxd4 32.Kxd4 c5+ 33.Kd3 Ke7

34.Ke3 Kf6 35.Kf3 Ke7 36.Ke3 Kd6 37.Kd3 Ke5 38.Ke3 h6 39.h3 Kf6 40.Kf3 Ke5 41.Ke3 Kd6 42.Kd3 Ke5 43.Ke3, draw.

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Philidor Counter Gambit

raf1959joker (lichess 2177) - JimWest (lichess 2088), lichess 7/28/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.exf5 Bxf5 5.c3 Nd7 6.O-O Ngf6 7.d4 e4 8.Nh4 Bg6 9.Bg5 Be7 10.f3 d5 11.Bb3 c6 12.Nd2 e3 13.Bxe3 Bd3 14.Re1 O-O 15.Bc2 Bxc2 16.Qxc2 Ng4 17.Nf5 Nxe3 18.Rxe3 Bg5

19.Re2 Bxd2 20.Rxd2 Qg5 21.Ng3 h5 22.Re2 h4 23.Nf1 Rxf3 24.Rae1 Raf8 25.Qd1 R3f7 26.Kh1 h3 27.Ng3 hxg2+ 28.Rxg2 Qh4 29.Reg1 Rf2 30.Qe1 Rxg2 31.Qe6+ Rf7 32.Rxg7 Qf6

33.Re2 Qxe6 34.Rxe6 Nf6 35.Kg2 Kf8 36.Nf5 Nh5 37.Re5 Nf4+ 38.Kg3 Nd3 39.Re3 Rxf5 40.Rxd3 Kf7 41.Re3 Rf1 42.Re2 Rf6 43.h4 g6 44.Kg4 Re6 45.Rxe6 Kxe6

46.Kg5 Kf7 47.b3 a5 48.b4 b6 49.a4 Kg7 50.bxa5 bxa5 51.Kf4 Kf6 52.Kg4 Kf7 53.Kg5 Kg7 54.Kg4 Kf7 55.Kg5 Kg7, draw.

LeelaRookOdds versus PCG

ArnieChipmunk sends another game.

PCG & PCG Reversed 7/26/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

CFossa (Chess.com 1902) - JimWest (Chess.com 2070), Chess.com 7/26/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.e6 Bc5 7.Nf7 Qf6 8.Qe2 Bxe6 9.Nxh8 Nc6 10.Nc3 O-O-O 11.Be3 d4 12.Nxe4 dxe3 13.Nxf6 exf2+ 14.Qxf2 Bxf2+ 15.Kxf2 Nxf6 16.Ng6 hxg6 17.Bd3 Bf5 18.Bxf5+ gxf5

19.Rad1 Ne4+ 20.Kf3 Nd4+ 21.Ke3 Nxc2+ 22.Ke2 Nd4+ 23.Ke3 c5 24.Rhf1 Re8 25.Kd3 g6 26.b4 b6 27.bxc5 bxc5 28.Kc4 Kc7 29.h3 Kc6 30.g4 Nd6+ 31.Kc3 Re3+ 32.Rd3 Ne4+ 33.Kc4 Re2

34.Rc1 Rxa2 35.Rxd4 Ra4+, White resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit Reversed

JimWest (lichess 2077) - Alex_062 (lichess 2103), lichess 7/26/2025

1.e3 e5 2.e4 Nf6 3.d3 Bb4+ 4.c3 Ba5 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 Nc6 8.O-O Qe7 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Bxf3 O-O-O 11.f5 g6 12.fxg6 hxg6 13.Bg5 Bb6+ 14.Kh1 Kb8 15.Be2 Rh7

16.Bxf6 Qf8 17.Nd2 Re8 18.Nc4 Re6 19.Nxb6 axb6 20.Bg4 Re8 21.Bd7 Nd8 22.Bxe8 Qxe8 23.Bxd8 Qxd8 24.Qf3 Qg8 25.a4 g5 26.Kg1 Rh4 27.Qxf7, Black resigns.

PCG Reversed & PCG 7/25/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit Reversed

JimWest (Chess.com 2094) - RedPastSnake (Chess.com 1937), Chess.com 7/25/2025

1.e3 e5 2.e4 Nf6 3.d3 d5 4.f4 exf4 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxf4 Nc6 7.d4 Be7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Bb5 Na5 10.O-O a6 11.Bd3 Nb6 12.c3 c5 13.Nbd2 Nc6 14.Rc1 h6 15.h3 Be6 16.Bb1 cxd4 17.cxd4 f6 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Be5 Rf8

20.Nb3 Nc4 21.Qe2 Bf5 22.Bh2 Kh8 23.Ne5 N6xe5 24.Bxe5 Bxb1 25.Rxb1 Nxe5 26.Qxe5 Rxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Bd6 28.Qf5 Bc7 29.Nc5 Bb6 30.Ne6 Qh4 31.Qf4 Qe7 32.Qf7 Qxf7 33.Rxf7 Re8

34.Nc5 Bxc5 35.dxc5 Re2 36.Rxb7 d4 37.c6 d3 38.c7 Re8 39.Rb8 d2 40.Rxe8+ Kh7 41.Rd8, Black resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit

edmundriegler (lichess 2144) - JimWest (lichess 2069), lichess 7/25/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Ng5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.Bb3 Bxf5 8.O-O c6 9.Nc3 Bb4 10.Bf4 Bxc3 11.bxc3 O-O 12.Be5 Kh8 13.f3 Nbd7 14.fxe4 Nxe4

15.Rxf5 Rxf5 16.Ne6 Qh4 17.Bxg7+ Kg8 18.Qe1 Qxe1+ 19.Rxe1 Re8 20.g4, White resigns.

2 PCG Games 7/24/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

Kurotoaka (Chess.com 2071) - JimWest (Chess.com 2089), Chess.com 7/24/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 f5 4.d3 Nf6 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.O-O O-O 8.b3 a5 9.Bb2 Na6 10.exf5 Bxf5 11.d4 e4 12.Nh4 Bg4 13.Qd2 d5 14.h3 Be6 15.Ne2 Nd7

16.c4 Bxh4 17.gxh4 Qxh4 18.Qxa5 Bxh3 19.Bxh3 Qxh3 20.cxd5 Nf6 21.dxc6 Ng4 22.Ng3 Qh2#.

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Philidor Counter Gambit

DrAgOnBiShOp_2012 (lichess 1955) - JimWest (lichess 2059), lichess 7/24/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Nfd2 Bxf5 6.Nc3 d5 7.Nb3 Nf6 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Be2 O-O 10.O-O c6 11.f3 Nbd7 12.fxe4 Nxe4 13.Nxe4 Bxe4 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Bf3 Nf6 16.Nd2 Bxf3 17.Nxf3 Qe3+ 18.Kh1 Ne4

19.Qe1 Qxe1 20.Raxe1 Rae8 21.Ne5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Rf8 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8 24.g3 Ke7 25.Kg2 Ke6 26.Kf3 a5 27.c3 a4 28.a3 c5 29.Kf4 cxd4 30.cxd4 g5+ 31.Kg4 h6 32.Kh5 Kf5

33.Kxh6 g4 34.Kh5 Nf6+ 35.Kh4 Ke4 36.Nxg4 Nxg4 37.Kxg4 Kxd4 38.h4 Ke4 39.h5 d4 40.h6 d3 41.h7 d2 42.Kg5 d1=Q 43.h8=Q Qd2+ 44.Kg6 Qd6+ 45.Qf6 Qxg3+ 46.Kf7 Qc7+ 47.Qe7+ Qxe7+ 48.Kxe7 Kd3

49.Kd7 Kc2 50.Kc7 Kxb2 51.Kxb7 Kxa3 52.Kc6 Kb3 53.Kb5 a3, White resigns.

2 PCG Games 7/23/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

RAJ-ROY-03 (Chess.com 2102) - JimWest (Chess.com 2070), Chess.com 7/23/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.O-O f4 7.Nxe5 dxe5 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxe5 Nf6 10.Bxf4 Nbd7 11.Qe6 Rf8 12.Bh6 Nc5 13.Qe5 Ng4 14.Qg7 Nxh6 15.Qxh6 b5 16.Bb3 Nxb3 17.axb3 b4 18.Ne2 Rf7 19.f4 Bf8

20.Qg5 Qxg5 21.fxg5 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Bg4 23.Ng3 Bc5+ 24.Kh1 Bd6 25.e5 Bc5 26.Ne4 Be7 27.Nf6+ Bxf6 28.gxf6 Kf7 29.h3 Be6 30.Kh2 a5 31.Kg3 a4 

32.Ra1 a3 33.bxa3 Rxa3 34.Rd1 Ra2 35.Rd2 Bxb3 36.Re2 Rxc2 37.Re3 Bd5, White resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit

omarxan (lichess 2028) - JimWest (lichess 2054), lichess 7/23/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.exf5 Bxf5 5.d4 e4 6.Nfd2 d5 7.Bb3 Nf6 8.O-O Bd6 9.c4 c6 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Nc3 Nc6 12.Nb5 O-O 13.g3 a6 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Nb1 Kh8 16.Bf4 Qd7 17.Nc3 Rad8

18.Re1 Bg4 19.Qd2 Bf3 20.Nd1 Qh3 21.Ne3 Ng4, White resigns.

2 PCG Games 7/22/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

SzyBercaGM (Chess.com 2059) - JimWest (Chess.com 2061), Chess.com 7/22/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nc3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Bb4 9.Be2 O-O 10.O-O c6 11.f4 Be6 12.Nb1 Nbd7 13.c3 Be7 14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Bg4 Bxg4 17.Qxg4 Nf6 18.Qh4 Rae8 19.Na3 e3

20.Rae1 e2 21.Rf2 Qe3 22.Qg3 Qd2 23.Qf3 Qxe1+, White resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit

Nelutu2024 (lichess 2032) - JimWest (lichess 2049), lichess 7/22/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.O-O Be7 6.d4 fxe4 7.Nxe4 Bg4 8.d5 Nd4 9.Be2 Nxe2+ 10.Qxe2 Nf6 11.c4 O-O 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 b6 15.b4 a5 16.Bd2 axb4 17.Bxb4 Rf4 18.Qc2 Qd7 19.a3 Raf8

20.f3 Qf5 21.Rac1 Qxc2 22.Rxc2 h5 23.Re1 h4 24.Bd2 R4f5 25.f4 Bf6 26.fxe5 Bxe5 27.Be3 Bg3 28.Rb1 Re8 29.Bf2 Bxf2+ 30.Rxf2 Rxf2 31.Kxf2 Re4 32.Rc1 g5 33.Kf3 Rf4+ 34.Ke3 Kf7

35.Rg1 Rxc4 36.Rd1 Rc3+ 37.Ke4 Rxa3 38.Kf5 Rg3 39.Rd2 Ke7 40.Re2+ Kd7 41.Rb2 Kc8 42.Ke6 Kb7 43.Kd7 g4 44.hxg4 Rxg4 45.Rc2 Rg7+ 46.Kd8 b5 47.Ke8 Kb6 48.Kf8 Rg5 49.Rd2 Kc5

50.Ke7 Rxd5 51.Rc2+ Kb6 52.Kd7 Rc5 53.Rd2 Rc4, White resigns.

LeelaKnightOdds versus PCG

ArnieChipmunk sends this game.

2 PCG Games 7/20/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

FranccTheCeo (Chess.com 1941) - JimWest (Chess.com 2053), Chess.com 7/20/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bb5+ c6 9.Ba4 Bd6 10.c4 O-O 11.O-O Bxe5 12.dxe5 Ng4 13.Qd4 Qb6 14.Qxb6 axb6 15.Bb3 Be6 16.cxd5 Bxd5 17.Bxd5 cxd5 18.Rd1 Nxe5 19.Rxd5 Nd3

20.Be3 Nxb2 21.Nxe4 Nc4 22.Nd6 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Nc6 24.Nxb7 Nb4 25.Rd2 Ra7 26.a3 Rfa8 27.axb4 Rxa1+ 28.Kf2 R1a2 29.Re2 Rxe2+ 30.Kxe2 Ra2+ 31.Kf3 Rb2 32.Nd6 Rxb4

33.g3 Rb2 34.Nc4 Rb4 35.Nd6 b5 36.Ke2 Rb2+ 37.Kd3 Rxh2 38.Nxb5 Rg2 39.Ke4 Rxg3 40.Nd4 g6 41.Kf4 Rg1 42.Ne6 Kf7 43.Ng5+ Rxg5 44.Kxg5 Ke6 45.Kh6 Kf5 46.Kxh7 g5

47.Kh6 g4 48.Kh5 g3, White resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit

THODORIS4 (lichess 1953) - JimWest (lichess 2048), lichess 7/20/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.dxe5 fxe4 5.Ng5 d5 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Ne7 9.e6 O-O 10.Qh5 h6 11.Nf7 Qe8 12.Qg4 Kh7 13.Qh4 Nf5 14.Qh3 Bxe6 15.Ng5+ Kg8 16.Nxe6 Qxe6 17.Be2 Qf6 18.Bg4 Nc6 19.O-O Ne5

20.Bxf5 Qxf5 21.Qg3 Kh7 22.f4 exf3 23.Be3 Rae8 24.Bd4 Qxc2 25.Bxe5 Rxe5 26.Qxe5 Qxg2#.

PCG & PCG Reversed 7/19/2025

Philidor Counter Gambit

Papaflessas (Chess.com 1981) - JimWest (Chess.com 2047), Chess.com 7/19/2025

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 f5 4.d3 c6 5.a3 Nf6 6.h3 Be7 7.Nc3 b5 8.Ba2 Na6 9.Ng5 Qc7 10.Bf7+ Kf8 11.Ba2 h6 12.Ne6+ Bxe6 13.Bxe6 f4 14.O-O Nc5 15.Bf5 a5 16.Bd2 a4 17.b4 Ncd7 18.Qe2 Kf7 19.h4 g6

20.Bh3 Rag8 21.g3 g5 22.Bg2 Nf8 23.Nd1 Ne6 24.Bc3 gxh4 25.gxh4 Rg4 26.f3 Rxh4 27.Be1 Rh5 28.c4 Nd4 29.Qa2 Nb3 30.cxb5 cxb5 31.Nc3 Rg8 32.Rb1 Rhg5

33.Nxb5 Qb6+ 34.Bf2 Rxg2+ 35.Kh1 Qxb5 36.Rxb3 axb3 37.Qxb3+ Kf8 38.Bh4 R2g5 39.Bxg5 hxg5 40.Rc1 Qd7 41.Kg2 g4 42.Kf2 g3+ 43.Kg2 Rh8 44.Rh1 Rxh1 45.Kxh1 Qh3+ 46.Kg1 Qh2+, White resigns.

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Philidor Counter Gambit Reversed

JimWest (lichess 2065) - aminasemov (lichess 1946), lichess 7/19/2025

1.e3 e5 2.e4 Nf6 3.d3 Bc5 4.f4 d5 5.Nc3 dxe4 6.dxe4 Qxd1+ 7.Nxd1 Nxe4 8.fxe5 Bg4 9.Nf3 O-O 10.Bd3 f5 11.Be3 Bxe3 12.Nxe3 Nc5

13.Bc4+ Kh8 14.Nxg4 fxg4 15.Ng5 Re8 16.Nf7+ Kg8 17.Nd6+ Kf8 18.Nxe8 Kxe8 19.O-O, Black resigns.