On Friday evening the East Devon Congress starts in Exeter’s Corn Hall. At the time of writing, a total of 119 entries had been received: 41 in the Open, 31 in the Major, and 47 in the Minor Section. Currently, the top seed in the Open is IM Jack Rudd (226 grade) followed by a pack of 190s, led by Russell Granat (197), a member of the Wimbledon Club for almost half a century, but not often seen in Devon events. Also relatively new on the local scene is Viennese Master, Walter Braun (197) and Peter Anderson (192) who is making a successful return to active chess after a long lay-off. However, a late entry from Grandmaster Keith Arkell would put a different perspective on things.
The Camborne Club has recently acquired some digital chess clocks and will be trying them out in a Rapidplay Gambit Tournament on Friday 23rd March. Open to all. At the start of each round, the name of a gambit opening will be drawn out of a hat, and that must be played; e.g. the Latvian; Goring; Englund and Blackmar-Diemer gambits. Details are on the Cornwall chess website.
Here is a game played in the 4 Nations Chess League in 2000.
White: Martin Simons. Black: Robert Noyce.
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.
1.e4 d5 2.d4 dxe4 3.Nc3 An immediate 3.f3 would constitute the Blackmar Gambit, named after its advocate, the US music publisher and chess Master Armand Blackmar (1826-88). Long after its initial popularity died out as improvements to Black’s defences were developed, in 1932 Emil Josef Diemer advised a preliminary 3rd move before playing f3, and this has been called the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, of uncertain soundness but beloved of gambiteers. At the time of this game, Martin’s clubmate at the Southbourne club, Alan Dommett, was preparing a book on the life and games of Diemer (1908-1990), eventually published in 2003, and the two facts were doubtless related. The book contains 126 annotated games, in which the gambit is either accepted, declined or sidestepped altogether. 3…Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 At this point, White can deploy all his pieces almost anywhere, whereas Black has only a solitary knight in play, and it’s vital he develops rapidly. 5…Bg4 The Teichmann Defence, as played by the Anglo-German Richard Teichmann, (1868–1925). 6.h3 Bh5 Black tends to play 6…Bxf3 in this position. 7.g4 Bg6 8.Bc4 e6 9.Ne5 Bb4 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Qf3 Nb6 13.Bd3 Qxd4+ Grabbing another pawn at the cost of losing a tempo. 14.Be3 Qd7 15.Rad1 Bxc3 16.Ba6 Nfd5 17.Bxb7 Rd8 Which brings us to this week’s position. Will Black’s temptation in winning a 2nd pawn prove his undoing? Richard Palliser, the Editor of Chess magazine, included this position in his book The Complete Chess Workout in the first chapter entitled Warming Up.
In last week’s position, White played 1.Nb5 threatening to win Black’s queen after 2.Bc7, but taking the knight merely allows White’s queen to support 2.Bc7
