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SOS: Are you ready for Gunsberg's Surprise?

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Submitted by FM FM_Eric_Schiller on Mon, 05/04/2009 at 8:22pm.

Anyone who enjoys chess openings should eagerly await every volume from the New In Chess publication "Secrets of Opening Surprises". The 9th, for example, contains a number of gems.

I'm going to look at one opening that might be of special interest to the scholastic crowd. It is a line in Polerio's Defense (5...Na5) in the Two Knights Defense where White's bishop retreats to d3 and blocks the d-pawn. It gets kicked around, but in the end Black still is missing a pawn. The author is the Dutch GM star Daniel Stellwagen. I present the key lines but urge you to read the whole thing.

The "SOS" series brings back forgotten ideas and presents new ones, with good analysis and a clean presentation, allowing authors to use their preferred formats (games, outline formats etc.) This allows authors to make their points clearly. Good research and computer checking makes it hard to seek out "flaws". So what? Just enjoy winning with the openings.

Note: in my Caxton Openings project I often assign names based on the SOS titles, but sometimes my research turns up a worthy analyst. This time I'm sticking with NIC. http://www.newinchess.com/

» posted in Opening Theory
| 2156 reads | 12 comments |
4 votes:
 

Comments:

by gwfhegel - 5 months ago
Philadelphia United States
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 44

Nakamura just used Gunsberg's Surprise in his last round win in the US Championship!

http://main.uschess.org/content/view/9383/529/

by ksbalan04 - 6 months ago
India India
Member Since: Sep 2008
Member Points: 390

Interesting but still black has a big pawn center.

by ProVteur - 6 months ago
Marum Netherlands
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 14

Be2 looks better than Bd3 ?????

by FM FM_Eric_Schiller - 6 months ago
Moss Beach, CA United States
Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 497

Bagpuss: Yes, me! I play it from time to time. 2...Ng8 is safer than 2...Nd5.

Bison: No it is not refuted. There is a lot of complex analysis. I think 4.Ng5 is objectively best, not just for kids. I played it in the thematic tnmt here.

And yes, it is me. I refuse to behave like a famous person until I get a ton of money like real celebs. I seek more exposure for my political activities than for chess, but in general I loke to stay under the hood and get things done. I've been on the front page of many major papers, snce I was 10. So another 15-minutes or so of fame is no big deal, I've had far more than I deserve.

by bison - 6 months ago
Melbourne Australia
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 16

Have you looked at the line I suggested?  Once the black queen sits on c6 black either mates or wins material.  The fried liver is a beauty, but is worthless without a couple more pieces being developed.  I have done my research on this opening.

by chesshole - 6 months ago
Kansas United States
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 39

The fried liver atttack has not been refuted, Ng5 is best when the situation arises

by pleasant - 6 months ago
leyden, ma United States
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 12

i am a 900+ player who likes to 'read' chess; think about playing and annotations; follow events but i don't like to play at any level ! IS THAT OK? ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE LIKE ME. [I THINK OF MYSELF sort of rather like an 'arm-chair' coach - or a bird-watcher - with my 6-pack , sitting in front of the tv screen] is that ok? anyone else out there like me ? what good am i to chess ? what good am i to myself ?

these are serious attempts at description and serious questions ! [i don't plan to DO anything with the answers except advance my thinking.

by bison - 6 months ago
Melbourne Australia
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 16

I thought the early Ng5, or the fried liver attack, was refuted by ..d5, exd5 Nd4!, d6 Qxd6, Nxf7 Qc6, Nxh8 Qxg2, Rf1 Qe4+ either winning white's queen or achieving a smothered mate.  Black has crushing victories even if white doesn't capture the rook.  

 

I just wanted to say that your mammoth 'gambit chess openings' has enriched me incredibly, if you are indeed the real Eric Schiller.

by bolshevikhellraiser - 6 months ago
Louisiana United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 98

i dont know if its just me but moving your bishop to d3 seems like a poor move it blocks your queen pawn and your queens bishop and it costs a tempo to move it out of the way. it just seems like a bad move

by DaPharaoh - 6 months ago
Gaithersburg, MD United States
Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 1360

interesting

by bagpuss56 - 6 months ago
Leeds England
Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 101

You can preview variations in the most recent edition at http://www.newinchess.com/Shop/Images/PDFs/SOS_10_Eng_Contents.pdf

In the past this series has included some very interesting suggestions, but I get the impression they're running a bit short of ideas as a few of the latest selection seem very weak. (Are you really going to scare anyone with 2...Ng8 in Alekhine's Defence for example?)

 
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