[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "2020.06.19"] [Round "?"] [White "King's Gambit"] [Black "Schallopp Variation"] [Result "*"] [ECO "C34"] [Annotator "Wahls"] [PlyCount "44"] [SourceVersionDate "2002.05.06"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 $2 exf4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Nh5 5. d4 {[#] This is the best move.
Black has now three options, which promise him a slight advantage. As the
resulting positions differ very much in character, I will present all three of
them, so the reader can choose according to his individual taste.} d5 (5... d6 {
and}) (5... g6 {will be covered later.}) 6. c4 {If White doesn't challenge
Black's center, he won't have much to hope for, e.g.} (6. Be2 $2 g5 7. O-O Rg8
$17) 6... g5 $1 {Inverting the old rule. Black is now countering an attack in the center by a strike on the wing. ;-) Now White has to find a series of only moves to stay in the
game.} (6... c6 $6 7. Nc3 $44) 7. g4 $1 {This (mutual) g-pawn intermezzo has some
aesthetic value, as it is a rare occurrence and makes an optical impression. Blocking Black's wild pawn is mandatory, as indicated by the following lines: [#]} (7. Be2 $2 g4 8. O-O
dxc4 $1 9. Ne1 (9. Nc3 $2 Nc6 $19) 9... Nc6 10. Bxg4 (10. Nc2 $2 Qg5 11. Bxc4
Bf5 $19 {0-1 (33) Ticleanu,S (1865)-Mircea,F (2156) ICCF email 2011}) 10...
Bxg4 11. Qxg4 Ng7 $17) (7. Nc3 $2 g4 8. Ng1 $2 (8. g3 Be6 9. Nh4 fxg3 10. Ng2
dxc4 $17) 8... Qh4+ (8... dxc4 $2 {0-1 (15) Puittinen,M-Kilpela,P Vantaa 1996})
9. Kd2 Qf2+ 10. Nge2 f3 $19) (7. cxd5 $2 g4 8. Bd3 gxf3 9. Qxf3 Qh4+ $19) 7...
Ng7 (7... Bxg4 $2 8. Rg1 $13 {1-0 (30) Gajic,Z (1968)-Fleischanderl,F (2251)
LSS email 2006}) ({Black an also start with} 7... dxc4 {, hoping that White
takes the bait.} 8. gxh5 $2 (8. Bxc4 Ng7 {leads to the main line.}) 8... g4 9.
Bxc4 gxf3 10. Qxf3 Nc6 11. Qxf4 Be6 $17) 8. Nc3 {[#]} (8. Rg1 $2 h5 $1 $146 9.
h3 (9. gxh5 g4 $19) 9... hxg4 10. hxg4 Be6 11. Nc3 Nc6 $19) (8. cxd5 $2 h5 $1
9. Nc3 hxg4 10. Nd2 Be7 11. Nde4 Nd7 $19 {[%cal Gg7f5,Gd7b6] This is the second example within this tree, where the dominance of the wing over the center is proven ;-)}) 8... dxc4 {This was my proposed
novelty in a magazine article in December. In the meanwhile, an important game
has been played with this move.} (8... Bb4 $2 {1-0 (19) Bangiev,A-Podrezov
USSR 1986} 9. cxd5 Qxd5 10. Kf2 $14) (8... c6 $5 $146 9. h4 (9. cxd5 $6 {
By vacating the square c6 for the knight, this provides Black with an extra
option.} cxd5 10. h4 Bxg4 11. hxg5 Nc6 $1 (11... Ne6 {leads to the line 9.h4.})
12. Bxf4 (12. Bh3 $2 Qc8 13. Nxd5 Bxh3 14. Nf6+ Kd8 15. a3 Bg2 16. Rh2 Bxf3 17.
Qxf3 Qf5 18. Qd5+ Kc8 19. Bd2 Qe6 20. Qe4 Qf5 21. Qd5 a5 $17) 12... Qd7 13. Be2
O-O-O $15) 9... Bxg4 10. hxg5 Ne6 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. Bh3 Bxh3 13. Rxh3 Nc6 14.
Ne2 (14. Qd3 $2 Qb6 $17 15. Nxd5 $2 Qa5+ 16. Nc3 O-O-O $19) 14... Nxg5 (14...
Qb6 $6 15. Bxf4 Qxb2 16. Bd2 O-O-O 17. Kf2 $44) (14... Be7 $6 15. Bxf4 Qd7 16.
Rh6 Nxf4 17. Nxf4 Qg4 18. Nh3 O-O-O 19. Kf2 $11) 15. Nxg5 Qxg5 16. Bxf4 Qg4 $15
{This differs from the engine's evaluation of -0.13 (equal). Black's extra
pawn is weak and will fall in the end. However, White has to work for it,
which might not be that easy in a practical game.} (16... Qg2 $6 17. Qd3 $11)
17. Qd3 (17. Rg3 $2 Qd7 $15) 17... Be7 18. Qf3 (18. Qg3 Qxg3+ 19. Bxg3 h5 20.
Bh4 Kd7 21. Kd2 Rag8 22. Rf1 Rh7 $15) 18... Qxf3 19. Rxf3 h5 (19... f6 20. exf6
Bxf6 21. Bh6 Be7 22. Kd2 O-O-O 23. Rh1 $11) 20. Kf2 O-O-O 21. Rg1 h4 22. Rg7
Rdf8 23. Kg2 Rfg8 24. Rxg8+ Rxg8+ 25. Kh3 f6 26. e6 Bd8 27. Be3 f5 28. Bf2 Re8
29. Nf4 Bf6 30. Nxd5 Rxe6 31. Nxf6 Rxf6 32. d5 Ne7 33. Bxh4 Rh6 34. Kg3 Nxd5
35. Rxf5 {and the tension has finally resolved.}) 9. Bxc4 (9. Rg1 $2 h5 10. Ne4
(10. h3 hxg4 11. hxg4 Nd7 12. Bxc4 Nb6 $17) 10... Be7 11. gxh5 g4 12. Bxc4 Bf5
13. Nf2 Nc6 14. Nxg4 Nxh5 15. d5 Bc5 16. Rg2 (16. Nf2 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxf2+ 18.
Kxf2 Qh4+ 19. Kf1 O-O-O $19) 16... Be4 17. Rd2 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Qh4+ 19. Kd1 Nd4
20. Rxd4 Bxd4 21. Bxf4 f5 22. exf6 O-O-O $19) 9... Bxg4 10. h3 $1 {The
strategic situation is clear. White has to destroy Black's might pawn barrier
g5, f4 while Black would like to win the pawn d4 or bring his king to safety
by castling queenside. Due to the high degree of tension, tactical subtleties
are dominant in the short run. Now, it is important for White to push Black's
bishop to a square, where it is tactically exposed, before executing the
intended pawn break h4.[#]} (10. Rg1 $2 h5 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Qxd4 $19) (10.
h4 $2 Nc6 11. Nd5 Be7 $19) 10... Bh5 11. h4 Nc6 (11... g4 $2 12. Nd5 (12. Ng5
$13) 12... Be7 13. Nxf4 gxf3 14. Nxh5 Bxh4+ 15. Kf1 Nxh5 16. Bxf7+ Kxf7 17.
Qxf3+ Ke7 18. Qxh5 $13) 12. Nd5 (12. hxg5 $2 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Qxd4 $19) 12... Be7
13. hxg5 Bg4 {Thanks to White's strong move 10.h3!, Black has to spend a tempo
to secure his bishop. The direct attempt to prepare queenside castling with [#] } (13... Qd7 $2 {would fail due to} 14. Nf6+ Bxf6 15. gxf6 {when Black loses a
piece:} Bxf3 16. fxg7 $1) 14. Nf6+ $1 {I didn't acknowledge this move in my
analyses from December. Maybe it was because of the impression that White's
king would end up being too exposed. But sometimes, appearances are deceptive.
} (14. Bxf4 Qd7 15. Ne3 O-O-O {Black managed to mobilize all his forces and
can claim a slight advantage after best play by White.} 16. d5 Nh5 17. Rh4 (17.
dxc6 Qxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 19. Nxd1 Nxf4 20. cxb7+ Kxb7 21. Kf2 Ng6 $15) 17...
Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Nxf4 19. Qxf4 Nxe5 20. Qxe5 Bc5 21. O-O-O Rhe8 22. Qf6 Rxe3 $15)
(14. Rg1 Be6 15. Nf6+ Bxf6 16. gxf6 $2 (16. exf6 Bxc4 17. fxg7 Rg8 18. Bxf4
Rxg7 $15) 16... Bxc4 17. fxg7 Rg8 18. Bxf4 Qd7 19. Kf2 (19. Qd2 Bd5 20. Nh4 Qh3
21. Qh2 Qxh2 22. Bxh2 Nxd4 $17) 19... Qf5 20. Be3 h6 $1 {(preventing Rg5)} 21.
Bxh6 (21. Rg3 O-O-O $17) 21... O-O-O $17 {with threats against White's knight
and d-pawn.}) 14... Bxf6 15. exf6 Ne6 16. Bxe6 Bxe6 17. Bxf4 {[#] White's king
looks pretty vulnerable on the light squares, but he manages to establish kind
of a fortress by his control of the dark squares.} Qd7 (17... Qd5 18. Bxc7 h6
19. Rxh6 (19. gxh6 $2 Rc8 20. Be5 Bg4 21. O-O (21. Rf1 Rxh6 $19) 21... Nxe5 22.
dxe5 Bxf3 23. Rxf3 Rg8+ 24. Kh1 Rc4 $1 $19) 19... Kd7 20. Be5 Rxh6 21. gxh6 Rh8
22. Kf2 Rxh6 23. Rc1 $11 {White's minor pieces do a good job by defending key
squares such as d4, h2 and h4.}) 18. Ne5 Qd5 (18... Nxe5 19. Bxe5 $11) 19. Kf2
O-O-O (19... Qe4 20. Qd2 Nxe5 21. Bxe5 Bd5 {looks promising at first sight,
but there is no breaking through:} 22. Rh2 O-O-O 23. Qf4 Qd3 24. Qg3 Qg6 25.
Rc1 $11) (19... Nxd4 $6 20. Qa4+ $11) 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Qd3 Qxd4+ {This
abandons the idea of giving mate and leaves Black with only some initiative.} (
{In an OTB game} 21... Rhg8 {with the idea to sacrifice the exchange might
have been the best attempt:} 22. Rhc1 $1 {A tactical defense.} (22. Qe3 $6 Qb5
23. b3 Rd5 24. Rhc1 Rgd8 25. Rc5 (25. Be5 c5 $36) 25... Rxc5 26. dxc5 Rd5 27.
Rc1 Rf5 $36) 22... Rxg5 23. Qa6+ Kd7 24. Bxg5 Rg8 25. Qxc6+ $1 Qxc6 26. Rxc6
Kxc6 27. Bf4 Kb6 28. b3 $11) 22. Qxd4 Rxd4 {[#] The engine allocates a minimal
advantage to Black, as White still has to work a bit for his draw. ½-½ (36)
Danculovic,J (2225)-Kunzmann,H (2238) ICCF email 2019} *

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