Counter Gambit : King's Knight's Openings - Part 5

Welcome to Part 5 of King's Knight's opening moves. Part 4 focused on Petroff's Defense, this lesson will explain the Counter Gambit in the Knight's Opening.

GAME THE SEVENTH.

Counter Gambit in the Knight's Opening.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
This second move of Black gives the name of Counter Gambit to this game.
3. K. Kt. takes P. (best.)	3. Q. to K. B's 3d. (best.)
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to Q's 3d.
5. Kt. to Q. B's 4th.	5. P. takes K's P.
6. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	6. P. to Q. B's 3d. or First Variation.
7. Q. Kt. takes K's P. (best.)	7. Q. to K's 3d.
8. Q. to K's 2d.	8. P. to Q's 4th.
9. Q's Kt. to Q's 6th. (ch.)	9. K. to Q's 2d.
10. Q. Kt. to K. B's 7th.	10. Q. P. takes K's Kt.
11. Q. takes Q. (ch.)	11. K. takes Q.
12. K. B. takes P. (ch.)	12. K. to his 2d.
13. Kt. takes R.	13. Q. B. to K's 3d.
14. K. B. to Q's 3d.	14. K. Kt. to B's 3d.
15. Q. B. to K. Kt's 5th.	15. Q. B. to K. Kt's sq.
16. Castles, with a fine game.

First Variation,

Beginning at Black's 6th move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
3. K. Kt. takes P. (best)	3. Q. to K. B's 3d. (best)
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to Q's 3d.
5. Kt. to Q. B's 4th.	5. P. takes K. P.
6. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	6. Q. B. to K. B's 4th.
7. P. to K. Kt's 4th.	7. Q. B. to K. Kt's 3d.
8. K. B. to Kt's 2d.	8. P. to Q. B's 3d.
9. B. takes K's P.	9. B. takes B.
10. Q. Kt. takes B.	10. Q. to K's 3d.
11. Q. to K's 2d.	11. P. to Q's 4th.
12. K. Kt. to Q's 6th. (ch.)

If now Black take the Knight with his Bishop, you retake with the Q. Kt. (ch.), then exchange Queens, and win the Q. Kt. P. He may, however, move 12. K. to his 2d, whereupon you check with K. Kt. at K. B's 5th, and afterwards liberate your other Kt.

Second Variation,

Beginning at Black's 6th move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
3. K. Kt. takes P. (best)	3. Q. to K. B's 3d. (best)
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to Q's 3d.
5. Kt. to Q. B's 4th.	5. P. takes K. P.
6. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	6. K. Kt. to K's 2d.
7. P. to Q's 5th.	7. Q. to K. Kt's 3d.
8. Q. to her 4th.	8. Q. B. to K. B's 4th
9. Q. Kt. to his 5th, gaining a Pawn.

Third Variation,

From Black's 6th move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
3. K. Kt. takes P. (best)	3. Q. to K. B's 3d. (best)
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to Q's 3d.
5. Kt. to Q. B's 4th.	5. P. takes K's P.
6. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	6. Q. to K. Kt's 3d.
7. P. to K. B's 3d. (best)	7. K. Kt. to B's 3d.
8. P. takes K's P.	8. Kt. takes P.
9. Q. to K's 2d.	9. Q. B. to K. B's 4th.
10. K. Kt. to Q's 2d.	10. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.
11. K. Kt. takes Kt.	11. Kt. takes Q. P.
12. Q. to her 3d, having won a Piece.

Fourth Variation of this Game,

Beginning at Black's 4th move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
3. Kt. takes K. P.	3. Q. to K. B's 3d.
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. takes K. P.
5. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.	5. P. to Q. B's 3d.
6. B. to B's 7th. (ch.)	6. K. to his 2d.
7. P. to K. R's 4th.	7. P. to K. R's 3d.
8. Q. to K. R's 5th.	8. K. to Q's 3d.
9. Q. B. to K. Kt's 5th.	9. P. takes B.
10. Q. takes R., and you have an easy game.

Another Variation,

Beginning at the 3d move of White.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
3. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.	3. P. takes K's P.
4. Kt. takes P.	4. Q. to K. Kt's 4th.
5. Kt. to K. B's 7th. (best)	5. Q. takes K. Kt. P.
6. R. to K. B's sq.	6. P. to Q's 4th.
7. Kt. takes R.	7. P. takes B.
8. Q. to K. R's 5th. (ch.)	8. P. to K. Kt's 3d.
9. Q. takes K. R. P.	9. Q. B. to K's 3d.
10. Q. takes K. Kt. P. (ch.)	10. Q. takes Q.
11. Kt. takes Q.,
and you have "the exchange" and a Pawn advantage.

Variation of this Game,

Beginning at White's 3d move.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to K. B's 4th.
3. P. takes P.	3. P. to Q's 3d.
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to K's 5th.
5. Kt. to his 5th.	5. Q. B. takes P.
6. Q. to K's 2d.	6. P. to Q's 4th.
7. Q. to her Kt's 5th. (ch.)	7. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.
8. Q. takes Q. Kt. P.	8. Q. Kt. takes Q. P.
9. B. to Q. Kt's 5th. (ch.)	9. Kt. takes B.
10. Q. takes Kt. (ch.)	10. Q. to her 2d.
11. Q. to Q. Kt's 7th.	11. Q. R. to B's sq.
12. Q. takes Q. R. P.	12. P. to K. R's 3d.
13. Kt. to K. R's 3d.	13. B. takes Kt.
14. K. Kt. P. takes B.	14. Q. takes P.
And he has the superiority in position.

GAME THE EIGHTH.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to Q's 4th.
3. P. takes P. (best)	3. Q. takes P.
4. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	4. Q. to K's 3d.
5. B. to Q. Kt's 5th. (ch.)	5. B. to Q's 2d.
6. Castles.	6. B. takes B.
7. Kt. takes B.	7. K. B. to Q's 3d.
8. R. to K's sq.	8. P. to K. B's 3d.
9. P. to Q's 4th.	9. P. to Q. B's 3d.
10. Q. P. takes P.	10. P. takes P.
11. K. Kt. takes P.
Winning of course.

Variation.

WHITE.	BLACK.
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to Q's 4th.
3. Kt. takes K's P.	3. Q. to K's 2d. (best).
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to K. B's 3d.
5. Kt. to his 4th.	5. B. takes Kt.
6. Q. takes B.	6. Q. takes P. (ch.)
7. Q. takes Q. (ch.)	7. P. takes Q.
There is no advantage on either side.

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GAMES

ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE PRECEDING VARIATIONS.

Game I.—Between Messrs. Cochrane and Staunton.

Mr. John Cochrane

WHITE.  (Mr. C.)	BLACK.  (Mr. S.)
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to Q's 4th.
3. Kt. takes K. P.	3. Q. to K's 2d.
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to K. B's 3d.
5. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	5. P. takes K. Kt.
6. Kt. takes Q. P.	6. Q. to K. B's 2d.
7. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.	7. Q. B. to K's 3d.
8. Castles.	8. P. to Q. B's 3d.
9. P. to K. B's 4th.	9. P. takes Kt.
10. B. P. takes P.	10. Q. to her 2d.
11. K. P. takes P.	11. B. takes P.
12. P. to K's 6th.	12. Q. to her B's 3d.
13. Q. to K. R's 5th. (ch.)	13. P. to K. Kt's 3d.
14. Q. takes B.	14. K. Kt. to K's 2d.
15. Q. to K's 5th.	15. Q. takes B.
16. Q. takes R.	16. Kt. to K. B's 4th.
17. Q. B. to K. R's 6th.	17. Q. to her Kt's 5th.
18. Q. takes B. (ch.)	18. Q. takes Q.
19. B. takes Q.	19. K. takes B.
20. P. to K. Kt's 4th.
Black surrenders.

Game II.—Between MM. Jaenisch and Petroff.

Mr . Carl Jaenisch

WHITE.  (Mr. J.)	BLACK.  (M. P.)
1. P. to K's 4th.	1. P. to K's 4th.
2. K. Kt. to B's 3d.	2. P. to Q's 4th.
3. K. Kt. takes P.	3. Q. to K's 2d.
4. P. to Q's 4th.	4. P. to K. B's 3d.
5. Kt. to B's 3d.	5. P. takes P.
6. K. Kt. to Q's 2d.	6. P. to K. B's 4th.
7. K. B. to K's 2d.	7. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.
8. K. Kt. to Q. Kt's 3d.	8. K. Kt. to B's 3d.
9. Castles.	9. Q. to K. B's 2d.
10. P. to Q. B's 4th.	10. Q. B. to Q's 2d.
11. Q. B. to K. B's 4th.	11. Castles.
12. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	12. P. to K. R's 3d.
13. P. to Q. R's 3d.	13. P. to K. Kt's 4th.
14. Q. B. to Q's 2d.	14. P. to K. B's 5th.
15. P. to Q's 5th.	15. Q. Kt. to K's 4th.
16. K. Kt. to Q's 4th.	16. K. B. to Q. B's 4th.
17. Q. B. to K's square.	17. K. R. to Kt's sq.
18. P. to Q. Kt's 4th.	18. K. B. to K's 2d.
19. P. to K. B's 3d.	19. P. to K's 6th.
20. Q. to her Kt's 3d.	20. P. to K. Kt's 5th.
21. P. to Q. B's 5th.	21. P. takes K. B. P.
22. Kt. takes P.	22. Kt. takes Kt. (ch.)
23. B. takes Kt.	23. Kt. to K. Kt's 5th.
24. Q. to her B's 4th.	24. K. to Kt's sq.
25. Q. to K's 4th.	25. Q. R. to K's sq.
26. P. to Q's 6th.	26. Q. B. to his 3d.
27. Q. to her 4th.	27. B. takes B.
28. R. takes B.	28. B. to K. Kt's 4th.
29. Q. Kt. to his 5th.	29. P. to Q. B's 3d.
30. P. to Q's 7th.	30. Q. R. to K's 3d.
31. B. to K. Kt's 3d.	31. P. takes Q. Kt.[A]
32. B. takes B. P. (ch.)	32. Kt. to K's 4th.
33. B. takes Kt. (ch.)	33. R. takes B.
34. Q. takes R. (ch.)	34. K. to R's sq.
35. R. takes Q.	35. P. to K's 7th.
36. Q. to K's 8th. (ch.)	36. R. takes Q.
37. P. takes R., becomes a Queen (ch.), and wins.

[A] If Black had taken the B. with K. B. P. at this point, the following moves show that he would have equally lost:—

	31. P. takes B.
32. Q. takes Kt.	32. P. takes P. (ch.)
33. K. to R's sq.	33. Q. takes Q. P.
34. Q. to K. Kt's 3d. (ch.), and wins.

The next lesson will focus on the Giuoco Piano as I continue with my 11 part series of King's Knight's Opening on the Learn to Play Chess blog.