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Some of you might be thinking, "Very well, Black was able to get a solid game because his Bishop got to f5. So, why not play 6.Bd3 instead of 6.Bc4 and prevent this?" That answer to this query follows!

G Haika - I Dolgov [B15]

EM/TT/F/04 ICCF email, 1997

1.d4 d5 2.e4 c6 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Nf6 6.Bd3

Quite a good square for the Bishop, better than c4 it seems to me. Pity about that missing pawn ... I suppose there are a few other moves that can be tried, although it will be difficult to mould them into some kind of independent development plan. I propose that 6.Bg5 be simply answered by 6...Bf5 with a likely transposition to earlier lines: 7.Bc4 e6 8.0-0 Be7.

6.Bf4 is a decent enough move but with White a pawn down that is simply not enough! 6...Bf5 7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.Qxd3 e6 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Rae1 Be7 is one of many possible continuations. White has scant compensation for a pawn.

6.Ne5 looks more dangerous than it is. 6...Bf5 7.Qf3 e6 is much the same. I reckon simple development will do for Black: ...Bf5, ...e6, ...Nbd7, ...Be7 is the plan and then Black decides on where to move his Queen (usually c7 or b6) and then on which side to castle. If this sounds simplistic I suggest you withhold your skepticism and give it a try!

6...Bg4! 7.Be3

After 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Qxd4 9.Be3 Qd8 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 11.Rhf1 e6 White has very little to bite on. One ICC game, taken from Sawyer's book continued 12.g4 Ne5 13.Qf2 Qc7 14.g5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 cxd5 16.Bb5+ Nc6 17.Bf4 Qb6 when White was two pawns down for nothing. ICC games should be taken with a pinch of salt but has White got that many options after 8...Qxd4? Hardly.

7.0-0 e6 is the same type of game. Neither 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qxd4+ 10.Be3 Qe5! 11.Bf4 Qa5 12.Ne4 Nbd7, or 8.Bg5 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qxd4+ 10.Kh1 Nbd7 gives White enough for his two pawn deficit.

7...e6 8.0-0 Qc7

Or 8...Bd6 9.Qe1 Nbd7 10.a3 Qc7 11.h3 White's last two moves are a joke - he just doesn't know what to do! 11...Bg3 12.Bf2 Bxf2+ 13.Qxf2 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qb6 15.Qe3 0-0 16.Na4 Qa5 17.Nc5 Nxc5 18.dxc5 Nd7 19.b4 (19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Qd3+ Kg8 21.Qxd7 Qxc5+ 22.Kh1 Qxc2 is easy for Black) 19...Qc7 20.Rae1 Rae8 21.Rf3 f6 22.Qe4 g6 23.Rfe3 Ne5 24.Bc4 Kg7 25.Rd1 Re7 26.Rd6 Rd8?! (26...Rfe8 is simple and good) 27.Rxe6 Red7 28.c3 Rd1+ 29.Re1 R8d2 30.Re8?? Rxe1+, 0-1, A Schwefer - U Schwekendiek, Germany 2002. Not the greatest game in the world but that's the Blackmar-Diemer for you. Black was clearly better out of the opening.

9.Qe1 Bxf3 10.Rxf3 Nbd7 11.Qh4 0-0-0

A BITTER DISSAPPOINTMENT FOR WHITE

He stalled until White put the weight of the position on to the Kingside. Good timing by Black.

12.a4

Yet another Black win: 12.Bg5 Re8 13.Raf1 Bd6 (Black is already clearly better.) 14.d5

EVEN THE FOAM ON WHITE’S LIPS CAN’T SAVE HIM

Caveman chess! 14...Ne5 15.dxc6 Nxf3+ 16.Rxf3 Qxc6 17.Bb5 Qb6+ 18.Be3 Qa5 19.Bxe8 Rxe8 20.Qc4+ Kb8 21.Nb5 Rc8 22.Qd3 Be5 23.Bxa7+ Ka8 24.c3 Qxa2 25.Rf1 Qxb2 26.Bf2 Ng4 27.Qd7 Rg8 28.Nc7+ Kb8 29.Na6+ bxa6 30.Qxf7 Rd8 31.Qa7+ Kc8 32.Bb6 Qb5 33.g3 Bb8, 0-1, F Wuts - C Scho, Germany 1995.

12...Bd6 13.a5 h6 14.a6 b6 15.Raf1 Rhe8 16.g3?

A disgusting move for a correspondence game. White should try to hold the position with, say, 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Nf6 18.Bd3 but even then 18...e5! looks very strong

ANOTHER BAD POSITION FOR WHITE

16...Kb8 17.Kg2 e5!

Black is one again way on top. The finish was never in doubt: 18.R3f2 exd4 19.Bxd4 Bc5 20.Bxf6 Nxf6 21.Rxf6 gxf6 22.Qxf6 Re7 23.Qxh6 Bd4 24.Rf5 Re1 25.Qh4 Rg1+ 26.Kf3 Bg7 27.Kf2 Rh1 28.Kg2 Rh8 29.Qxh8+ Bxh8 30.Kxh1 b5 31.Kg2 Be5 32.Nd1 Qe7 33.Nf2 Kc7 34.c3 Kb6 35.Be4 Qe6 36.Kf3 Bd6 37.Nd3 c5 38.h4 c4 39.Nf4 Bxf4 40.Rxf4 Kxa6 41.g4 Qd6 42.Kg3 Qd2 43.Rf2 Qe3+ 44.Bf3 Qe5+ 45.Kh3 Kb6 46.Kg2 a5 47.Be2 b4 48.cxb4 axb4, 0-1.    

I think I'm suggesting that the Ziegler Defense more or less refutes the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit or maybe adds to the list of refutations. Play isn't complicated, so this gives an immediate practical advantage for the second player. As chess is rapidly speeding up, I think you will agree that this is important. I wonder whether I'll be drowned out by the chorus of gambit fanatics who will be delighted to play White come what may. It takes all sorts. To me, playing the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit is like going shopping for a tombstone.

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