Born on 4 May 1964, Gallagher began his chess career in England and moved to Switzerland after marrying a Swiss woman. He became British Champion in 2001 and won the Swiss Championship in 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2012.
Gallagher, who became Grandmaster in 1990, is considered an Open specialist with a sharp and aggressive style. He has written numerous books on various openings, and made his debut as a book author with Winning with the King’s Gambit, published by Batsford in 1992.
But Gallagher not only preached, he also practised.
Here are four entertaining games in which Gallagher won with the King’s Gambit!
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Bc4 Nxd5 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 0-0 8.Bxd5 Qxd5 9.Bxf4 c5 10.Nc3 Qc4 11.Qe1 Bf6 12.Bd6 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 Rd8 14.Ne4 f5? 15.Qh4! Nc6 15...Re8 16.Neg5 h6 17.Qh5 Bd7 18.Qg6 16.Ne5! Bxe5 16...Nxe5 17.Qxd8+ 16...Qd5 17.Nxc6 16...Qe6 17.Nxc6 Re8 18.Ne7+ Rxe7 19.Bxe7 17.Nf6+ Bxf6 18.Qxc4+ Kh8 19.Bxc5 Ne5 20.Qe2 Be6 21.Rfd1 f4 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Be7 f3 24.gxf3 Bc4 25.Qxe5 Bxe5 26.Bxd8 Bxb2 27.Rb1 Bd4 28.Rxb7 Bd5 29.Rb3 Bxb3 30.axb3 Kg8 31.Kg2 Kf7 32.f4 Ke6 33.Kf3 Kf5 34.Bc7 Bg1 35.h3 Bh2 36.c4 g5 37.Bb8 a6 38.b4 gxf4 39.b5 axb5 40.cxb5 Ke6 41.b6 Kd5 42.Bxf4 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Gallagher,J | 2495 | Campora,D | 2510 | 1–0 | 1990 | | Biel-B | 7 |
Please, wait...
Interestingly, the same variation brought Gallagher another victory over a well-known grandmaster a year later.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 exf4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bc4 Nxd5 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 0-0 8.Bxd5 Qxd5 9.Bxf4 c5 10.Nc3 Qc4 11.Qe1 Bf6 12.Bd6 Bxd4+ 13.Kh1 Rd8 14.Ne4 f5? 15.Qh4 Nc6 16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.Nf6+ Bxf6 18.Qxc4+ Kh8 19.Bxc5 Ne5 20.Qe2 b6 21.Be7 Bxe7 22.Qxe5 Bf6 23.Qc7 h6 24.Rae1 Ba6 25.Rxf5 Bxb2 26.h3 Rdc8 27.Qe7 Bc4 28.Qb4 Bd4 29.Re4 a5 30.Qd2 Bb2 31.Rh5 Rc6 32.Rxc4 Rxc4 33.Rxh6+ gxh6 34.Qxh6+ Kg8 35.Qe6+ 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Gallagher,J | 2520 | Balashov,Y | 2580 | 1–0 | 1991 | | Lenk op | 4 |
Please, wait...
Gallagher’s win against IM Vladimir Hresc shows how quickly unusual and double-edged tactical positions can arise in the King’s Gambit.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Nc3 g5 5.h4 g4 6.Ng5 h6 7.Nxf7 Kxf7 8.d4 f3 9.Bc4+ d5 10.Bxd5+ Kg7 11.gxf3 Bb4 12.Be3 Nf6 13.Bc4 Qe7 14.Qe2 gxf3 15.Qxf3 Bg4 16.Rg1 h5 17.e5 Nxe5? 17...Rhf8! 18.0-0-0 Kh8 19.exf6 Rxf6 20.Qe4 Bxd1 21.Rxd1 Bxc3 22.Qxe7 Bxb2+ 23.Kxb2 Nxe7 24.d5 Nf5 25.Bd2 18.dxe5 Qxe5 19.0-0-0 Bc5 19...Rad8 20.Nd5 Nxd5 21.Bxd5 Rhf8 22.Rxg4+ hxg4 23.Qxg4+ Kh7 24.Be4+ Kh8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Bg5 Qg7 27.Bf5 Rf8 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.Be6+ Rf7 30.c3 20.Rd7+ Nxd7 20...Kf8 21.Bxc5+ Ke8 22.Bd4 Bxf3 23.Bxe5 Nxd7 24.Bxh8 21.Qf7# 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Gallagher,J | 2520 | Hresc,V | 2365 | 1–0 | 1991 | | Geneve op | 7 |
Please, wait...
In many variations of the King’s Gambit, Black has at least one theoretical way to equalize, but often the positions are difficult to play — one mistake is enough for Black to suffer a shipwreck.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 Ng4 6.Nc3 d6 7.exd6 Bxd6 8.Qe2+ Kf8 8...Qe7 9.d4 Be6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.Qxe7 Bxe7 13.Bxd5 c6 14.Bb3 9.d4 Bf5 10.0-0 g5? 10...Nc6 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nxd6 Qxd6 13.c3 Re8 14.Qd1 Na5 15.Bd3 11.h3 Nh6 12.h4! f6 12...g4 13.Ne5 Qxh4 14.Bxf4 g3 15.Bxh6+ Qxh6 15...Ke8 16.Ng6+ Kd7 17.Nxh4 16.Ng4 Qh5 16...Bxg4 17.Rxf7+ Kg8 18.Qxg4+ Qg6 19.Qc8+ Bf8 20.Qxf8# 17.Rxf5 Qxf5 18.Rf1 Bf4 19.Nd5 13.hxg5 fxg5 14.Ne4 Bxe4 15.Qxe4 Nc6 16.d5 16.Nxg5 Qxg5 17.Rxf4+ Bxf4 18.Bxf4 Qe7 19.Bxh6+ Ke8 20.Qg4 16...Na5 17.Nxg5! Qxg5 18.Bxf4 Bxf4 19.Rxf4+ Kg7 20.Qd4+ Kg8 21.d6+ Nxc4 22.Qxc4+ Kg7 23.Raf1 Rhf8 24.Rxf8 Rxf8 25.Rxf8 Kxf8 26.dxc7 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Gallagher,J | 2500 | Timmerman,G | 2330 | 1–0 | 1993 | | Douai op | |
Please, wait...
Daniel King reveals more about the King’s Gambit and why it is still very much playable!
Glorious sacrifices, unexpected tactics and checkmating attacks. The King's Gambit is one of the oldest and most romantic openings in the game of chess. These DVDs contain all you need to know to play the King's Gambit.
Links