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Chessville
From the
From the
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Balogh Counter
Gambit
by
IM-CC Keith R Hayward
Part 1
Balogh Counter Gambit Overview and Background We continue our coverage of the Balogh Counter Gambit (BCG) with what Janos Balogh thought was the main line: 1 e4 d6 2 d4 f5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bd3 Nc6 5 Nf3 fxe4
White’s moves come rather naturally so it is easy to achieve this position often as Black. Black is pretty much forced to trade here releasing the tension in the center. The good news is Black gives up a flank pawn for a center pawn. The bad news is the e-pawn is backwards on an open e-file. This fact alone will turn off many players from playing the BCG. The traditional plans from Balogh’s analysis has Black playing either …e5 usually resulting in an isolated e-pawn or …d5 followed by the liberating …e5 which is extremely difficult to execute. I found Balogh’s analysis to be a bit wanting in that he did not show the best line of play for White. But to be fair, he was a pioneer, and the best lines of play for White were probably not known. I have had a rough time using either of those plans. I have worked on a third plan involving …fxe4, …g6, and castling quickly. The idea is much like Jon Edwards’ suggestion in the exchange line, 1 e4 d6 2 d4 f5 3 exf5. Johnny Owens has helped me a lot in developing this third plan. Casual games between us have shown that 4…fxe4 might be stronger than 4…Nc6 since it gives Black more options. This third plan will be covered in Part 5 of this series. The following two games demonstrate Black must give up the center. To follow these games on your monitor, open ChessTutor, then select the database from the drop down menu called "BaloghCounterGambitPartFour". 5 …e6 6 0-0 Be7 7 Re1 0-0 8 exf5 exf5 9 d5 Nb4 10 Bc4 a5 11 Nd4 Kh8 12 Ne6 Bxe6 13 Rxe6 c6 14 a3 cxd5 15 Nxd5 Nfxd5 16 Bxd5 Nc6 17 f4 Re8 18 c3 Bf6 19 Rxe8+ Qxe8 20 Bd2 b5 21 Qf3 Ra6 22 Re1 Ne7 23 Bb7 1-0, Borst,J - Besemer,G NLD th corr, 1978 5 …g6 6 exf5 gxf5 7 Qe2 Bg7 8 Bc4 d5 9 Bb5 0-0 10 0-0 Kh8 11 Bf4 Ne4 12 Bxc6 bxc6 13 Ne5 Qe8 14 Na4 a5 15 Rfe1 Ba6 16 Qe3 Bb5 17 Nc3 Nd6 18 Qh3 Bf6 19 Nf3 Qg6 20 Ne5 Qe8 21 Rad1 Rg8 22 Ne2 Bxe2 23 Rxe2 Bg5 24 Bxg5 Rxg5 25 Rde1 Ne4 26 Qe3 Rg7 27 f3 Nf6 28 Qf4 e6 29 Nd3 Qg6 30 Qh4 Nh5 31 Ne5 Qe8 32 f4 a4 33 Re3 Rb8 34 b3 axb3 35 axb3 Ra8 36 Rh3 Qg8 37 Qxh5 Rxg2+ 38 Kh1 Rg7 39 Qh4 Qf8 40 Ng6+ 1-0, Flohr,S - Hazenfuss,W Kemeri Latvia, It, 1939 6 Nxe4It seems silly to give the Bishop as the next game shows. 6 Bxe4 Nxe4 7 Nxe4 Bg4 8 Be3 e6 9 h3 Bf5 10 Ng3 Be7 11 Qd2 0-0 12 d5 Ne5 13 Nd4 Nc4 14 Qc3 Nxe3 15 Qxe3 Bg5 16 Qb3 Qf6 17 Ndxf5 exf5 18 0-0 b6 19 Rae1 Rae8 20 Qb5 Re5 21 c3 f4 22 Ne4 Qf7 23 c4 f3 24 g3 Qe8 0-1, Zylla,J - Braune,P BdF-Meisterkl-VorrJ33 corr, 1986 6...Bg4 Recommended by Janos, but I think 6 …NC6 is stronger. The next half dozen games are a version of the … g6 plan I mentioned before. With 4 …Nc6 played Black has fewer options, but I think this is a playable approach. 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 Be2 g6 10 0–0 Bg7 11 c3 0–0 12 h3 Bf5 13 Bg5 Qd7 14 Re1 a6 15 Bf1 Rf7 16 Bh4 h6 17 Bg3 Raf8 18 Bd3 Kh7 19 Nh4 e6 White withdrew 0–1, Raynolds,P - Hayward,K EMN-A-8 APCT, 1997 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 a3 Nxd4 10 Bg6+ hxg6 11 Qxd4 Bxf3 12 gxf3 e6 13 Bf4 Qf6 14 Qe5 Qxe5+ 15 Bxe5 Bd6 16 f4 Kf7 17 h4 Bxe5 18 fxe5 Rh5 19 f4 Rah8 20 Kf2 Rxh4 21 Rxh4 Rxh4 22 Kg3 Rh5 23 Rd1 g5 24 Rd2 gxf4+ 25 Kxf4 Rf5+ 26 Kg4 Rxe5 27 Rh2 c5 28 Kf4 Rf5+ 29 Kg4 b5 30 c3 a5 31 Rd2 Kf6 32 Re2 g5 33 Rh2 Rf4+ 34 Kg3 b4 35 Rd2 bxa3 36 b3 a4 37 bxa4 Rxa4 38 Rf2+ Ke5 39 Re2+ Kf5 40 Rf2+ Ke4 0–1, Stokes,J - Hayward,K (2300) GFWCC Haltom TX, 1995 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 Bb5 Qd6 10 0–0 0–0–0 11 Bxc6 Qxc6 12 c3 Qf6 13 Re1 Bxf3 14 Qxf3 Qxf3 15 gxf3 Kd7 16 Bf4 e6 17 Be5 Bd6 18 f4 Rhf8 19 Re3 Rf7 20 Rae1 Re8 21 Kg2 g6 22 Kf1 Rf5 23 Kg2 Re7 24 Kg3 b6 25 Kg2 a6 26 Kg3 Bxe5 27 Rxe5 Rf6 28 R5e3 Ref7 29 R1e2 Rxf4 30 Rxe6 Rf3+ 31 Kg2 Rxf2+ 32 Kg1 R2f5 33 R6e3 Rg5+ 34 Rg3 Rxg3+ 35 hxg3 Re7 36 Rf2 h5 37 Kg2 c5 38 dxc5 bxc5 39 Rd2 Kc6 40 Rf2 Re6 41 Kf1 a5 42 Rf8 d4 43 cxd4 cxd4 44 Rc8+ Kd5 45 Ra8 d3 46 Rxa5+ Kd4 47 Ra8 d2 48 Ra4+ Kd3 49 Ra3+ Kc2 50 Rc3+ Kxb2 51 Rd3 Kc2 52 Rd8 d1Q+ 0–1, Montgomery,J (1790) - Hayward,K (2295) GFWCC Haltom TX, 1995 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 c3 Qd6 10 h3 Bh5 11 Be2 0–0–0 12 b4 Bxf3 13 Bxf3 e5 14 b5 Ne7 15 0–0 e4 16 Bg4+ Kb8 17 a4 Qg6 18 a5 h5 19 Be2 Nf5 20 Bf4 Bd6 21 Bxd6 Rxd6 22 b6 cxb6 23 a6 Nh4 24 g3 Nf5 25 Kg2 e3 26 Bd3 exf2 27 Bxf5 Qxf5 28 Rxf2 Qe4+ 29 Qf3 Rf6 30 Qxe4 Rxf2+ 31 Kxf2 dxe4 32 Ke3 Rc8 33 Rc1 Re8 34 Rf1 Re7 35 Rf5 g6 36 Rf6 0–1, Peters,D (1865) - Hayward,K (2300) DCC Dallas TX, 1995 This game was played before I caught onto the …g6 plan. This was a bad game for me, and White had plenty of opportunities to improve. 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 c3 e6 10 h3 Bh5 11 g4 Bf7 12 Bg5 Qd7 13 Qe2 Bd6 14 0–0–0 a6 15 Rhe1 h6 16 Bh4 g5 17 Bg3 Bxg3 18 fxg3 0–0–0 19 b4 Qd6 20 a4 Qxg3 21 b5 axb5 22 axb5 Na7 23 Ne5 Be8 ½–½, Calogridis,M (2235) - Hayward,K (2295) TX State Chp Dallas TX, 1995 A great win for me, but this approach is not good for Black. I was lucky. 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 h3 Bh5 10 g4 Bf7 11 Bf4 e6 12 Qd2 Bd6 13 Bg5 Qd7 14 c3 h6 15 Be3 e5 16 Bf5 Be6 17 Bg6+ Bf7 18 Bc2 e4 19 Nh4 g6 20 Bxh6 0–0–0 21 Ng2 Rde8 22 Ba4 Be6 23 0–0–0 Qf7 24 Rdf1 Bd7 25 f3 exf3 26 Nh4 Rxh6 0–1, McClintock,D (2440) - Hayward,K (2300) DCC Dallas TX, 1995 And this game confirms the play of the last game was bad. 6 …Nxe4 7 Bxe4 d5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 h3 Bh5 10 g4 Bf7 11 Bg5 h5 12 Rg1 Qd6 13 Qe2 hxg4 14 hxg4 0–0–0 15 0–0–0 Bg6 16 Rde1 Rh3 17 c3 Re8 18 Bf5+ Bxf5 19 gxf5 g6 20 f6 Bh6 21 f7 Rf8 22 Bxh6 Rxh6 23 Ng5 Rh2 24 Ne6 Rxf7 25 Rxg6 Rfxf2 26 Rg8+ Nd8 27 Qd1 Rxb2 28 Rxd8+ Qxd8 29 Nxd8 Kxd8 30 Rh1 Rxa2 31 Rxh2 Rxh2 32 Qb3 e6 33 Qxb7 Ra2 34 Qc6 Re2 35 Qa6 Re4 36 Qxa7 Kd7 37 Kc2 Re2+ 38 Kb3 Re1 39 Qa2 Rf1 40 Kb4 Rf8 41 Qa7 Rf2 42 Kc5 Rb2 43 Qa4+ 1–0, Bender,F - Hayward,K 96K1 APCT, 1996 White should have isolated Black’s e-pawn. White was not forceful enough here, and Black got away with murder. 6 …e5 7 c3 Be7 8 h3 0–0 9 Be3 Nxe4 10 Bxe4 d5 11 Bc2 e4 12 Ne5 Nxe5 13 dxe5 c6 14 Qd2 Be6 15 0–0–0 Qa5 16 Bb3 b5 17 Rhf1 b4 18 f3 exf3 19 gxf3 bxc3 20 bxc3 Bf5 21 Qd4 Rab8 22 Kd2 c5 23 Qxd5+ Kh8 24 Qc4 Qa3 25 Rf2 Qa5 26 Ke1 Qc7 27 f4 Bxh3 28 Rh2 Bf5 29 Rdd2 Rb6 30 Rdg2 Rg6 31 Rxg6 Bxg6 32 Bc2 Bxc2 33 Rxc2 Qc6 34 Rf2 Bh4 35 Qxc5 Qxc5 36 Bxc5 Rxf4 37 Bxa7 Re4+ 38 Kf1 Bxf2 39 Kxf2 Rxe5 40 c4 Ra5 41 Bb6 Rxa2+ 42 Ke3 Kg8 43 Ke4 Kf7 44 Bd4 g5 45 Kf5 Ra4 46 Kxg5 Rxc4 47 Bb2 Rc2 48 Bd4 Ke6 49 Kh6 Rh2+ 50 Kg5 Kd5 51 Ba7 Ke4 52 Bb8 Rb2 53 Bc7 Rb1 54 Bh2 Rh1 55 Bc7 h5 56 Bb8 Kf3 57 Bd6 h4 58 Bc5 h3 0–1, Meerschaer,P - Hayward,K Region 6 Eden Prairie MN, 1993 Apparent played when Peter was little. I am now convinced Black can get away with …e5 only if White plays poorly. 6 …e5 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 Nxf6+ gxf6 9 Ng5 fxg5 10 Qh5+ Kd7 11 Bxg5 Be7 12 Bf5+ Kd6 13 0-0-0+ Nd4 14 Bf4 Kc6 15 Be4+ Kb6 16 Bxe5 c5 17 c3 Qg8 18 cxd4 Bg4 19 dxc5+ Kb5 20 a4+ Kxa4 21 Rd4+ Ka5 22 b4+ 1-0, Leko,P - Tornyai,J Kecskemet, 1992 7 c3 A natural looking move, but not the best. Look at my game with Brooks. Note that Black is still playing for options that do not involve …g6, and now this line has progressed to the point where …g6 is hardly possible. Janos barely analyzed this position, only quoting the following game. Like I said before White has much better options than Janos considered. 7 Nxf6+ exf6 8 c3 d5 9 0-0 Bd6 10 h3 Be6 =+, Desler,A - Balogh,J corr 1930 Ouch! Brooks took over an hour for this move! Not the first to play it, but still a brilliant move. One could improve on my play, but Black is in serious trouble anyway. I could have dragged it out, but I was annoyed with myself for getting in such a mess so quickly. 7 h3! Bxf3 8 Qxf3 Nxd4 9 Nxf6+ exf6 10 Qxb7 d5 11 Be3 Ne6 12 Bf5 1–0, Brooks IM,M (2585) - Hayward,K (2290) Continental Dallas TX, 1995 7...e5 This break (…e5) is in tune with Janos’ first plan of play for Black. 7 …Qd7 8 Nxf6+ gxf6 9 h3 Bf5 10 d5 Bxd3 11 Qxd3 Ne5 12 Nxe5 dxe5 13 Be3 0-0-0 14 0-0-0 e6 15 c4 exd5 16 cxd5 Kb8 17 Kb1 c6 18 d6 b6 19 Rd2 f5 20 Bg5 Re8 21 Rc1 Rg8 22 h4 h6 23 Qc4 Bxd6 24 Bxh6 Kb7 25 Rcd1 Rg6 26 Bg5 Ree6 27 f3 c5 28 a4 Qc6 29 h5 Rxg5 30 Qxe6 Bc7 31 Qxc6+ Kxc6 32 Rh1 e4 33 h6 e3 34 h7 Be5 35 f4 exd2 36 fxg5 1-0, Reipsch,J - Richter,U OLOst-A Buna Halle II-Coswig, 1992 And this game is a good example of the second plan with …d5 and …e5. 7 …Nxe4 8 Bxe4 d5 9 Bd3 e5 10 dxe5 Nxe5 11 Be2 Nxf3+ 12 Bxf3 Bxf3 13 Qxf3 Qd7 14 Bg5 Be7 15 0-0 Bxg5 16 Qh5+ Qf7 17 Qxg5 0-0 18 Qd2 c6 19 Rae1 Rae8 20 Rxe8 Rxe8 21 Re1 ½–½, Wagner,H - Koch,B Swinemuende, 1930 7 …Bxf3 8 Qxf3 e5 9 Bb5 Rb8 10 Nxf6+ Qxf6 11 Bxc6+ bxc6 12 Qxc6+ Kd8 13 0-0 Be7 14 Be3 Rf8 15 Rad1 e4 16 Qxe4 Rxb2 17 Qa8+ Kd7 18 Qxa7 d5 19 Rb1 Rxb1 20 Rxb1 Qc6 21 Qb7 Qxb7 22 Rxb7 Ra8 23 Rb2 Ba3 24 Rc2 Rb8 25 Kf1 Rb1+ 26 Ke2 c6 27 Kf3 Ra1 28 g4 Rg1 29 c4 Ke6 30 Re2 Kd7 31 cxd5 cxd5 32 Rc2 Rd1 33 Rc3 Bd6 34 Rc1 Rd3 35 h4 Ra3 36 Rc2 g6 37 Rb2 Kc6 38 g5 Ra4 39 Kg4 Be5 40 Rd2 Bd6 41 h5 Ra8 42 Rb2 Re8 43 hxg6 hxg6 44 a4 Ra8 45 Ra2 Rb8 46 a5 Ra8 47 a6 1-0, Szily,J - Monostori,L Hungary, 1950 8 h3
8 0-0 Nxe4 9 Bxe4 d5 10 Bc2 e4 11 Qe1 Be7 12 Nd2 0-0 13 f3 exf3 14 Nxf3 Qd6 15 Qg3 Qxg3 16 hxg3 Bd6 17 Bb3 Ne7 18 Bg5 c6 19 Ne5 Bf5 20 Rae1 Ng6 21 g4 Nxe5 22 gxf5 Ng4 23 Bf4 Bxf4 24 Rxf4 Nf6 25 Bc2 Rae8 26 Re5 Nd7 27 Rxe8 Rxe8 28 Kf2 ½–½, Jarrah,K - Barchanek,A Prague Czech, Ch CSS, 1993 8 dxe5 Nxe5 9 Bg5 Be7 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 Qa4+ Bd7 12 Qd1 Bg4 13 Qa4+ Bd7 14 Qd1 Bg4 15 Qa4+ ½–½, Bures,J - Barchanek,A, Prague Czech, Ch CSS, 1993 8 Nxf6+ gxf6 9 d5 Ne7 10 h3 Bh5 11 Qa4+ Kf7 12 Qb3 Qc8 13 Bd2 Bg6 14 Be2 Be4 15 c4 b6 16 Qe3 Bg6 17 g4 h5 18 g5 Nf5 19 Qc3 Bg7 20 gxf6 Bxf6 21 Ng5+ Bxg5 22 Bxg5 Nd4 23 Kd2 Qf5 24 h4 Nxe2 25 Kxe2 Rh7 26 Qf3 Rf8 ½–½, Borst,J - Versteeg,H NLD th corr, 1978 8 …Bh5 9 Bg5 Be7 10 g4 Nxe4 11 Bxe7 Qxe7 12 Bxe4 exd4 13 Qe2 Bf7 14 Bxc6+ bxc6 15 Qxe7+ Kxe7 16 Nxd4 Kd7 17 Kd2 Rhe8 18 b3 a5 19 f4 a4 20 c4 c5 21 Nf5 g6 22 Ne3 Re4 23 Ng2 d5 24 Rae1 axb3 25 Rxe4 dxe4 26 Kc3 bxa2 27 Ra1 Ra3+ 28 Kb2 Rxh3 29 Kxa2 Bxc4+ 30 Kb2 Rh2 31 Rg1 Bf1 32 Rxf1 Rxg2+ 0–1, McGrath,F - Hayward,K 94R1 APCT, 1994 I won this game, and a rather nice win at that, but 7 h3! leaves one with a bitter taste in their mouth. The BCG has been a bit of a problem for me in that with little or no theories to go by I have lost some horrible games. I guess that is the price one has to pay for being a pioneer. It has cost me many points in figuring out …g6 is the best game plan for Black. Nonetheless, I think playing through the above games is valuable if one want to play this counter gambit. # # # Please provide me feedback on this article, and / or ideas for future opening article subjects. Remember, none of that main line theory! <smile> Good Chess!!
Keith
Hayward
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