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Balogh Counter Gambit Part 2 by IM-CC Keith R Hayward
Miss the beginning of this series? Check out Part 1. In researching the Balogh Counter Gambit I have attempted to learn as much about the man himself as I have with his counter gambit. János Balogh was born on 10 September 1892 in Tirgu Secuiesc, Romania. Several references I have refer to him as Doctor Balogh, but I am not certain what kind of doctor he was? Balogh was both an over-the-board and correspondence master. The Chessmetrics website has calculated his career high over-the-board rating as 2307 when he was 34 at the end of 1926. At the end of 1936 he was calculated as 92nd best in the world! Nonetheless, Balogh is known more for his correspondence play, or least most of his published games are from correspondence events. In fact, Balogh was the winner of the first international correspondence tournament in 1932. Balogh played in many Internationaler Fernschachbund (IFSB) and International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF) events. The ICCF ‘gold’ book list the following: IFSB Bundesmeisterschaft Tournaments: 1941/42 - 2nd in inaugural Hungarian CC
championship Balogh also competed in the following ICCF
team Olympiads for Hungary: He was awarded the IFSB "Fernschachmeister" title in 1935, but never received the GM title. All credible results. Unfortunately Balogh’s attempts at the ICCF WC title came later in his career. Finally in 1953 he earned the title of International CC Master, although it seems he deserved the title well in advance of this date. Thank you to my internet friend, Graham 'Mad Aussie' Clayton, who helped provide some of the above information and best categorized Balogh’s style as follows: “He played CC for more than 70 years, and during 40 of them, he was among the world's best players. He had a very tactical style, which may explain some of the "low" results in the tournaments I have mentioned.” Balogh died in Budapest, Hungary on 12 September 1980; he had just turned 88.
Before we get into detailed analysis (next article) of the Balogh Counter Gambit, let us first look at some games played by the man himself. The following correspondence game is one of Balogh’s most often published games. It is a beautiful miniature, but unfortunately the opening sequence for Black is not quite sound.
To follow these games on your monitor, open ChessTutor, then select the database from the drop down menu called "Balogh Counter Gambit Part Two".
Rudolf Duehrssen - János Balogh [A82], corr, 1928
1.d4 f5
2.e4 d6
I think 4...fxe4 is safer for Black.
5.exf5
This line is can be difficult for Black. The e6 square is especially weak, as well as the h5-e8 diagonal.
5. ..... Nxd4
6. ..... h5
6...Nd7! 7.g5 Ne5 8.Qh5+ g6! 9.fxg6 Nxd3+ 10.cxd3 Bg7 11.gxh7+ Kf8 12.Qd1 Bf5 Dyckhoff, Fernschachkurzschluesse 1948.; 6...Qd7 Stefan Buecker noted specialist in lesser played openings has suggested to me that this move is best. I tend to agree with him that this is better than Dyckhoff's 6...Nd7.
7.f3 hxg4
9.Be4 or ; 9.Ne4 is better.
9. ..... Qc6!
11...Nxc2+ 12.Qxc2 Qxg1+ 13.Bf1 followed by 0-0-0.; 11...Nxf5 12.Nf3 Nh4 13.Rf2 Bd7 14.Nxh4 Rxh4 15.Bg6+ Kd8 16.Qf3 Dyckhoff, Fernschachkurzschluesse 1948.
12.Bg5 Ne6
Black picks up a piece after 13.Nf3 Nxg5 14.Nxg5 Qe3+ or 14...Qg1+.
Balogh mostly played his counter gambit in correspondence chess. There may be good reason for this, Black would then have adequate time to work through opening issues. I think the Balogh Counter Gambit works well in speed games too - White does not have time to find potential issues in Black’s opening play. But to play the counter gambit against strong opposition in an OTB tournament game is living life dangerously. Here Balogh gets outplayed in a tough (OTB) tournament game:
Kornel Havasi – János Balogh [A82] The Hague ol (Men) (11), 23.07.1928
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Nc6 [Safer for Black is 4...fxe4 5.Nxe4 Nxe4 6.Bxe4 g6 7.Nf3 d5 8.Bd3 Bg7] 5.Nge2 fxe4 6.Nxe4 e5 7.Nxf6+ Qxf6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ng3 Qf7 [Fritz likes 9...Nxd5 but it is hard to believe Black can neglect development like that.] 10.c4 Bd7 11.0-0 Black is in trouble here. 11...Ng6 Almost forced to stop f4. [11...0-0-0?! 12.f4 Qg8 13.Qe2 Is one example of how much trouble Black is in here.] 12.Qh5 Be7 13.f4 Bf6 14.Ne4 exf4 15.Bxf4 [15.Nxf6+! Qxf6? (15...gxf6) 16.Rxf4 and Black queen is overworked in the defense of the knight on g6.] 15...Bd4+ 16.Kh1 Ne5!? [It looks like Black can escape with 16...Nxf4 17.Qxf7+ Kxf7 18.Rxf4+ Kg8 , but 19.Raf1 Bxb2 20.Rf7 Rd8 21.Re7 is too powerful for White.] 17.Qe2 Bg4 18.Qc2 Qh5 19.c5 0-0 20.cxd6 cxd6 21.Ng3 Qh4 22.Qd2 Nxd3 23.Qxd3 Bxb2 24.Bxd6 Bxa1 25.Bxf8 Rxf8 26.Rxa1 Qf6 27.Rf1 Qd6 28.Rxf8+ Kxf8 29.h3 Be6 30.Qf3+ Bf7 31.Nf5 Qxd5?? falling for a cheapo. [31...Qf6 and White only has a tiny edge.] 32.Qa3+ 1-0
This next game seems extremely short. I suspect there is story as to why, maybe agreeing to a draw ensured Balogh first place in this event?
John W Keemink – János Balogh [B07], ICCF-ch corr, 1932
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.exf5 Bxf5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.c4 Qd7 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Re1 Nc6 10.a3 Ng4 11.h3 White probably could have played on. 11...Nf6 12.d5 Ne5 13.Nd4 and Black's white squares seem weak. 1/2-1/2
I can not confirm if this next game is from the first international correspondence tournament which Balogh won. Olland might have seen the Rudolf Duehrssen - János Balogh game above published in some magazine and he had an improvement prepared. Balogh wrongly accepts a piece sacrifice, and gets into deep trouble fast.
Adolf Georg Olland – János Balogh [B07], corr, 1932
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.exf5 Nxd4 6.g4 Nd7 As Dyckhoff suggested in another game. I do not think he knew about this game. 7.Nce2! An annoyingly good positional move for White. 7...Nxe2 8.Nxe2 Ne5 9.Nd4 g6 10.f4 Nxd3+ 11.Qxd3 gxf5 12.gxf5 keeping Black bottled up. [12.Nxf5 e6 13.Qe2 Kf7 looks playable for Black.] 12...d5 Almost forced, otherwise Ne6 might be strong. 13.Bd2 c5 Forcing the issue. [Safer was 13...Bg7 14.0-0-0 c6 15.Ne6 Bxe6 16.fxe6 Qd6 17.f5 0-0-0 and it is not clear if the e- and f-pawns will be strong or weak for White.] 14.Rg1!
Interesting combination based on Black's lack of development. 14...cxd4 [Refusing the piece with 14...Qb6 15.Ne2 d4 might hold out longer.] 15.Qxd4 e5 16.fxe6 Qh4+ 17.Kd1 Bxe6 18.Qxh8 Qxh2 19.Re1 Black does not have enough for the exchange, but Black fights hard seeking counterplay based on White's uncastled king. 19...Kd7 20.c3 Rc8 21.Kc1 Qh5 22.Qd4 Bc5 23.Qd3 Qf7 24.b4 Be7 25.Kb2 Rc4 26.Rad1 Bf5 27.Qe3 b6 28.Qe5 Bd6 29.Qe2 d4?! [White's pieces are a tangle messed, so Black can afford to be patient before breaking in the center. He should take advantage of this situation and start a flank diversion with 29...h5 ] 30.Rc1 d3 31.Qf3 Be7 32.Qb7+ Kd6 [Now White is winning since Black can not play the natural 32...Rc7 33.Rxe7+! Qxe7 34.Qd5+ winning two pieces for the rook.] 33.Qxa7 Rc6 34.Qb8+ Kd7 35.Qb7+ Kd6 36.Re5 Bc8 37.Qb8+ Kd7 38.b5 Rc7 39.Qxb6 Bd6 1-0
Another game which is not clear if it is from the first international correspondence tournament; Chessbase has Ollek with an impressive 2590 rating! I suspect this rating is back calculated.
Karl Heinz Ollek (2590) – János Balogh [B07], corr, 1932
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.exf5 Nxd4 6.g4 Nd7 7.g5 Ne5 8.Qh5+ g6 9.fxg6 Nxd3+ 10.cxd3 Bg7 11.gxh7+ Kf8 12.Kd1 Bf5 Chessbase's online database gives no result for this game. I can see a draw being agreed to here. White has a material edge, but with the beautiful placement of Black's three minor pieces, it might be Black who is better here.
The following game shows how powerful the Balogh Counter Gambit can be if White is not careful.
O Bardos – János Balogh [B07], corr, 1933
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.exf5 [3.e5! Dyckhoff, Fernschachkurzschluesse 1948.] 3...Bxf5 4.c4 Positional approach for White. Less demanding than either 3.Bd3 or 3.Qf3. 4...e5! 5.dxe5 Nc6 6.exd6? Dyckhoff's mark. I think the move is o.k. for White. One can not refute a gambit without accepting it. 6...Bxd6 7.Nf3 Qe7+ 8.Be2 [If I was White I would jump at the chance to trade queens with 8.Qe2 ] 8...0-0-0 9.Nbd2 g5 10.h3 Nf6 11.Qb3 Rhe8 12.Qe3 Qg7 For me this looks like an Icelandic Gambit position that has gone bad for White. Black is winning a piece. Dyckhoff gives an example of that with 13.Qxg5 Qxg5 14.Nxg5 Bd3 -+. 0-1
This final game example is not much of a battle, apparently Balogh was in a peaceful mood.
Endre Steiner – János Balogh [A82], Tatatovaros (12), 07.07.1935
1.e4 d6 2.d4 f5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.exf5 Bxf5 5.Nge2 e5 6.Ng3 Bg6 7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.Qxd3 Nc6 9.d5 Ne7 10.Bg5 Qd7 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Nh5 Ng8 13.Ne4 0-0-0 14.Nhxf6 Qg7 15.Qh3+ Kb8 16.Nh5 Qf7 1/2-1/2 Balogh played his counter gambit in both over-the-board and correspondence events. We know he did have strong faith in it at one time since he used it in the first international correspondence tournament which he won. Later in his career, in the first three ICCF World Correspondence Chess Championships, we do not see the Balogh Counter Gambit at all, nor other risky defenses, e.g. Budapest Defense, Albin Counter Gambit, etc., that Balogh was known to play as well. It could simply be a sign of respect for the level of opposition he was facing. But, I can not find any examples of him using the counter gambit in the second half of his career. We are left wondering if he lost faith in its soundness? Next article we will begin to look at analysis showing the Balogh Counter Gambit is indeed playable … with high risk! 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
Part 1 - Introduction/Overview Click here to
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