Matthew Lunn: Dealing with the Englund

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Englund Gambit"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] [ECO "A40"] [Annotator "Matthew Lunn"] [PlyCount "31"] [SourceTitle "Chess 2016 #08"] [SourceDate "2016.07.24"] 1. d4 e5 {The Englund Gambit.} 2. dxe5 {Any other move is nonsense.} Nc6 { The main line.} ({Otherwise: -- a)} 2... d6 3. Nf3 (3. exd6 Bxd6 {is still good for White, but proponents of the Englund Gambit are likely to appreciate the small lead in development}) 3... Nc6 {and now White can irritate Black with } ({or} 3... Bg4 {and White can continue with the thematic} 4. Bg5 {, though he is not short of options;} (4. Qd4 {, for instance, is a funny alternative, threatening Qxg4 and exd6, whereby ...Bxd6 is impossible due to the hanging pawn on g7, and meeting} Bxf3 5. exf3 Nc6 {with} 6. Bb5)) 4. Bg5 {, after which Black must make a concession:} Be7 ({if} 4... f6 5. exf6 Nxf6 {and Black really doesn't want a pawn on d6}) 5. Bxe7 Ngxe7 6. exd6 cxd6 {and Black has minimal compensation.}) ({b)} 2... f6 {is a valiant idea, as after} 3. exf6 (3. e4 $5 Nc6 4. Nf3 fxe5 5. Bc4 {when White has easy development, and Black can't castle kingside}) 3... Nxf6 {, Black can claim a bit of compensation for the pawn, as he is ahead in development and may have future prospects on the half-open f-file. However, as ...f6 only makes sense if White captures the pawn, I would advocate 3 e4.}) ({c)} 2... Qe7 {is likely to transpose to the main line after} 3. Nf3 {.}) ({d)} 2... Bc5 {isn't very threatening, given that ...Nf6 is impossible and as a consequence, the f2-pawn is unlikely to be attacked in a hurry:} 3. Nf3 Nc6 ({or} 3... f6 {and again, White's best option is to decline the extra pawn and play something like} 4. e4) 4. Nc3 Nge7 { and there are numerous ways for White to secure his advantage, including the intriguing} 5. Ne4 Bb6 6. h4 {. After a future h5, Black will struggle to win back the pawn, and White can play Bf4 without the possibility of ...Ng6.}) 3. Nf3 Qe7 (3... Nge7 {is a 'playable' alternative, but it's very slow - White can consolidate his advantage with} 4. e4 (4. Bg5 {looks very sensible, but I think the forcing} h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Nf5 {is more appealing for Black than a lot of lines; after the natural} 7. e4 Nxg3 8. hxg3 Bg7 {, Black's position is a little ropey, but he has a strong dark-squared bishop, which compensates a little for his kingside weaknesses}) 4... Ng6 5. Nc3 Ngxe5 6. Nxe5 Nxe5 7. Be3 {, with Be2 and f4 to follow.}) 4. Bf4 {[#]And now, we enter murky waters - with many a trap for the unwary player.} Qb4+ (4... d6 {is favoured by the computer (possibly due to the objective flaws of the main line);} 5. Bg5 ({ the idea being that} 5. exd6 {is met by} Qf6 {. Nevertheless, White seems to be doing pretty well after} 6. e3 Qxb2 7. Nbd2 Bxd6 8. Rb1 {;} (8. --)) 5... Qe6 {, however, isn't as bad for Black as it looks:} 6. exd6 ({and} 6. Nc3 dxe5 {leaves Black with a reasonably playable position}) 6... Bxd6 {offers him a fair bit of developmental compensation.}) 5. Bd2 ({For reasons that I fail to recall, I found myself analysing this gambit with Scottish player Hugh Brechin at the 2011 Pardubice tournament. It was he who first brought the counterintuitive} 5. Nc3 $5 {[#]to my attention. --- Indeed, this move has two possible psychological benefits: -- i. Black realises that you're not going to fall for the 'one big trap'. -- ii. Black may think that you've simply blundered the f4-bishop. --- Either way, if Black captures the piece, you may be entering a line that you've analysed, but he hasn't - thus giving it credibility as a 'counter trap'. --- After} Qxf4 (5... Qxb2 6. Bd2 {transposes to the main line}) 6. Nd5 {(the point, as Black can't prevent Nxc7+, forking the king and rook; Black is likely to regain the knight, and the subsequent positions are delightfully unbalanced), Black has:} Qe4 {, preparing to pick up the e5-pawn, is the most logical. After} (6... Qf5 {looks a reasonable alternative to 6...Qe4, but after} 7. Nxc7+ Kd8 8. Nxa8 Nxe5 {, White has an additional plan:} 9. Qd4 {, threatening the knight on e5 and the a7-pawn. Then} Nc6 ({after} 9... Nxf3+ 10. gxf3 Qxc2 11. Bh3 {, the d7-pawn begins to look a little uneasy; as White is also threatening Qxa7, Black may be advised to swap queens with} Qc5 12. Qd2 Qb4) 10. Qh4+ Nf6 ({after} 10... Qf6 {, the computer recommends} 11. g3 $1 {, meeting} Qxh4 {with} 12. gxh4 {, after which White can enjoy play on the half-open g-file}) ({or} 10... Be7 11. Qg3 {, threatening Qxg7 and Qc7+}) 11. O-O-O {, I think White is clearly better, though there are a lot of double-edged lines that require further analysis: for instance,} Be7 12. Qc4 Ne4 13. Rd5 Qe6 14. Nd4 Qf6 {.}) 7. Nxc7+ Kd8 8. Nxa8 Nxe5 {[#]White has a couple of options:} 9. Ng5 $5 (9. c3 {is very solid, overprotecting the d4-square, and preventing a black piece from landing on b4. Then} b6 10. Nxe5 Qxe5 11. Qa4 {compels Black to play the funny-looking} Qb8 { , after which} 12. O-O-O {leads to the sort of unbalanced position that White can study to his heart's content.} ({However,} 12. Nxb6 {is a mistake, as Black is doing pretty well after} Qxb6 {- although White has won a pawn, his development is stifled by the fact he can't castle queenside, as Black's queen is now eyeing the f2-pawn.})) 9... Qf4 (9... Qb4+ {makes things a lot less complicated, although White can mix things up with} 10. c3 $1 Qxb2 11. Rc1 Qxa2 12. e3 {, after which it is unclear how well placed the black queen is on a2}) 10. Qd5 {leads to very complicated play:} Qxg5 (10... Qb4+ 11. Kd1 Bd6 12. c3 ( 12. e3 {is sensible and good}) 12... Qxb2 13. Rc1 {and things are going to get very complicated after a move like} Ke7 ({or even} 13... Qa3 14. f4 Qa4+ 15. Rc2 Nc4 16. Qe4 Nh6 17. e3 {and goodness knows what's going on.})) 11. Qa5+ b6 12. Qxa7 Bd6 13. h4 {(forcing the queen to commit to a position, and preparing for a future rook lift)} Qf4 14. Qxb6+ Ke7 {and whilst the position is extremely difficult to assess, Black probably has the better practical chances. --- 5 Nc3 looks like good fun, as well as a decent surprise weapon, but we should now return to the main move in practice, 5 Bd2.}) 5... Qxb2 {[#]} 6. Nc3 {White is now significantly better.} (6. Bc3 $4 {is what Black has been hoping for since move one - after} Bb4 {, White loses material, since} 7. Qd2 (7. Bxb4 {is probably best, but Black is simply winning after} Nxb4 {, threatening ... Qxa1 and ...Nxc2+}) 7... Bxc3 8. Qxc3 {runs into} Qc1# {.}) 6... Bb4 {This gives Black the largest chance of survival.} ({Instead, if} 6... Nb4 7. Nd4 a6 {is a less effective way of protecting the b5-square:} ({and now} 7... c6 { looks best, as it's essential to stop a white knight landing on b5. Nevertheless, White is doing very well after} 8. Rb1 Qa3 9. e3 {, where there is a stark contrast between the potential of White's and Black's pieces: for instance,} Nh6 10. Bc4 Qa5 11. a3 Na6 12. f4 {.}) ({Otherwise,} 7... c5 8. Rb1 Qa3 9. Ndb5 Qa5 10. a3 Na6 11. Nd5 {leaves Black with an unplayable position;} (11. --)) 8. a3 Bc5 ({or} 8... Nc6 9. Nb3 {with Ra2, trapping the queen, to follow}) 9. Rb1 Qxa3 10. Nb3 {, with Bc1 to follow, wins the knight, as the only way to save the queen will be to play ...Nxc2+.}) 7. Rb1 Qa3 ({If} 7... Qxc3 8. Bxc3 Bxc3+ 9. Nd2 Bxe5 10. g3 {and Black is struggling to prove any compensation for his material disadvantage.}) 8. Nd5 Bxd2+ ({After} 8... Ba5 { , White gets} 9. Rb5 {in for free, as the threats to a5 and c7 mean that Black has nothing better than} Bxd2+ {, except after} 10. Qxd2 {,} Qxa2 {no longer makes sense, as White's rook isn't hanging.}) 9. Qxd2 Kd8 {[#]} (9... Qxa2 10. Rd1 {makes defending c7 problematic, as} Kd8 {is well met by} 11. Ng5 Nh6 12. e6 $1 {. However, even after the text White has an excellent position, which offers Black minimal aggressive options.}) {White has numerous ways to continue, but I particularly like:} 10. Ng5 {(giving up the e5-pawn for an attack on the black king)} (10. Qg5+ Nge7 11. Nxe7 Nxe7 12. Qxg7 {is also very promising.}) 10... Nxe5 ({If} 10... Nh6 11. f4 {and White is happy to give up the a-pawn:} Qxa2 12. Nc3 {with e3 to follow.}) 11. Rb3 Qf8 (11... Qxa2 12. Qc3 {hits the knight on e5 and the c7-pawn.}) 12. Nxc7 $1 Kxc7 13. Qa5+ {[#]} Kb8 ( 13... Kd6 14. Qb4+) 14. Qxe5+ d6 15. Qf4 Nf6 16. g3 {preparing Bg2, and Black's position is highly dubious, whilst White has yet another attack on the black king to look forward to.} *