Kindred’s Special: Sharpen Your Game Play With Pressure Chess–Part II

For many years Nicolas Preo was a powerhouse and inventive player who played in The Correspondence Chess League of America (CCLA) and internationally in the International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF).  As a GAMBITEER, he championed a direct approach in the opening and often essayed the Danish Gambit with a personalized and distinct approach that gave him numerous victories. In three decades (1950s-1970s) he amassed an impressive collection of games featuring this highly controversial opening system.

In recent years it has become clear that many value games emerge out of the correspondence chess arena. Many of them explore and often rewrite evaluations of known theory.  Like the Goring Gambit explored in Part I, the Danish Gambit mirrors that and can transpose.

After 1.e4  e5  2.d4  exd4  3.c3  dxc3  4.Bc4  cxb2  5.Bxb2  d5  6.Bxd5, two common ideas offer themselves up. First, 6…Nf6 can give an example of my column on the f7 square weakness. 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7  8.Qxd8  Bb4+ 9. Qd2  Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2. His game versus Haden in the CCLA Grand National 1953 continued with 10. …Re8  11.e5  Nc6  12.Ngf3  Ng4 (Nd5!?) 13.Rc1  Re7  14.O-O  Nb4  15.h3 Nd3  16.hxg4  Nxc1  17.Bxc1. Now, Preo demonstrates that two minor pieces are a plus in this position as the game now proves out. 17…Bxg4  18.Ng5+Kg8  19.f4  h6  20.Nge4  Rd8  21.Rf2  b6  22.Bb2  Be6  23.a3  Rf7  24.Nf1  Rdf8  25.g3  Bd5  26.Nc3  Be6  27.Ne3  Bd7  28.Ne2  Bf5  29.Nxf5  Rxf5  30.g4 R5f7  31.f5.  Now you can see the full power of my square count theory in action. The two black Rooks are confined to pure defense which adds fuel to the fire.  31…Rd7  32.Nf4  Rfd8. Black tries to activate his Rook-pair.  33.e6  Rd1+  Kg2  R8d2  35.Be5  Rxf2+  36.Kxf2  Rc1  37.Nh5  a5  38.Nxg7  Rc5  39.Bd4  Rd5  40.e7  (1-0). In those days, they had penny postcards!

I give one further example for your digestion.  1.e4  e5  2.d4  exd4  3.c3  dxc3  4.Bc4  cxb2  5.Bxb2  Bb4+ and here of course Nc3 transposes to a Goring Gambit line but Preo keeps it in the Danish family with 6.Kf1  Nf6  7.e5  Ng8?!  8.e6  f6  9.exd7+  Bxd7  10.Qb3  Qe7  11.Nc3  Nc6  12.Re1  Qxe1+ 13.Kxe1  Bxc3  14.Bxc3  Nh6  15.Qxb7  Ke7  16.Bb4+  Nxb4  17.Qxb4+  Kd8  18.Nf3  Re8+  19.Kd2  Nf5  20.Qb7  Rc8  21.Qxa7  Re4  22.Bd3  Ra4  23.Qxa4 Bxa4  24.Bxf5  Rb8  25.Rb1  Rxb1  26.Bxb1  h6  27.Bc2  Bxc2  28.Kxc2  c5  29.Kc3  (1-0).

In Part III I will be examining some tricky gambit lines in the Sicilian Defense.

Adios for now!

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