The Gambit Refused : Queen's Gambit Openings - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of the Queen's Gambit Openings series. Part 1 focused on The Queen's Gambit. This lesson will explain The Gambit Refused.

The Gambit Refused.

This opening is frequently adopted by the best players. The following games show the conduct of offence and defense by celebrated masters:

Between H. N. Pillsbury and Carl Schlechter.

Mr. Carl Schlechter

WHITE.  (Mr. P.)	BLACK.  (Mr. S.)
1. P. to Q's 4th.	1. P. to Q's 4th.
2. P. to Q. B's 4th.	2. P. to K's 3d.
3. Q. Kt. to B's 3d.	3. K. Kt. to B's 3d.
4. B. to Kt's 5th.	4. B. to K's 2d.
5. Kt. to B's 3d.	5. Q. Kt. to Q's 2d.
6. P. to K's 3d.	6. P. to Q. Kt's 3d.
7. R. to B's sq.[A]	7. B. to Kt's 2d.
8. P. takes P.	8. P. takes P.
9. B. to Q's 3d.	9. Castles.
10. Castles.	10. P. to B's 4th.
11. B. to Q. Kt's sq.[B]	11. Kt. to K's 5th.[C]
12. B. to B's 4th.	12. Kt. takes Kt.
13. R. takes Kt.	13. P. to B's 5th.
14. Kt. to K's 5th.	14. P. to B's 4th.[D]
15. K. to R's sq.	15. Kt. takes Kt.
16. B. takes Kt.	16. B. to Q's 3d.
17. P. to B's 4th.	17. B. to B's sq.[E]
18. Q. to R's 5th.	18. P. to Q. R's 3d.
19. R. to K. B's 3d.	19. R. to R's 2d.
20. R. to K. R's 3d.	20. P. to Kt's 3d.
21. Q. to R's 6th.	21. B. takes B.
22. B. P. takes B.	22. R. to K. Kt's 2d.
23. R. to K. B's 3d.	23. P. to Q. Kt's 4th.
24. R. to Q. B's sq.	24. Q. to K's 2d.[F]
25. Q. R. to K. B's sq.	25. R. (B. sq.) to B's 2d.
26. P. to K. R's 4th.	26. B. to K's 3d.
27. P. to K. Kt's 4th.[G]	27. Q. to Q's 2d.[H]
28. P. takes P.	28. P. takes P.
29. Q. to R's 5th.	29. R. to Kt's 3d.
30. B. takes P.	30. B. takes B.
31. R. takes B.	31. R. takes R.
32. R. takes R.	32. P. to Kt's 5th.
33. Q. to B's 3d.	33. P. to B's 6th
34. P. takes P.	34. P. takes P.
35. R. to B's 8th. (ch.)	35. K. to Kt's 2d.
36. R. to Q. Kt's 8th.	36. Q. to K's 2d.
37. Q. to B's 4th.	37. P. to K. R's 4th.
38. P. to K's 6th.[I]	38. R. takes P.
39. R. to Q. B's 8th.	39. R. to K's 5th.[J]
40. R. to B's 7th.	40. R. takes Q.
41. R. takes Q. (ch.)	41. R. to B's 2d.
42. R. to K's 5th.	42. P. to B's 7th.
43. R. to Kt's 5th. (ch.)	43. K. to R's 3d.
44. R. to Kt's sq.	44. R. to Q. Kt's 2d.
White resigns.

[A] Notes by W. Steinitz.—White's game has been modeled chiefly after Steinitz's favorite attack. Here, however, 7. P. takes P. is preferable, for if 7... P. takes P; 8. B. to Kt's 5th, B. to Kt's 2d; 9. Kt. to K's 5th, with a strong attack.

[B] As often shown in my annotations in similar positions, it is absolutely injurious to White's game to allow three well-supportable Pawns against two to be established on the Queen's side. The prospect of a King's side attack on which White speculates is quite unreliable in comparison to the disadvantage on the Queen's side to which he is subjected. At any rate, Pawns ought to be exchanged first, and thus Black's center weakened.

[C] It was better to make sure of his superiority on the Queen's side by P. to B's 5th at once.

[D] He had sufficient force on the King's side to ignore any hostile attack in that direction, and systematic operations on the other wing, commencing with P. to Q. Kt's 4th, were most in order.

[E] The combination of this with the next five moves, more especially with the two closely following, is full of high ingenuity, which, however, is wasted on an imaginary danger. For all purposes of defense it was only necessary to advance P. to K. Kt's 3d at the right time, and then to play R. to B's 2d, followed by B. to K. B's sq. eventually. The Queen's wing was still the proper point of attack to which he should have directed his attention more promptly.

[F] For aggressive purposes on the Queen's side, the Queen was better placed at B's 2d.

[G] This rash attack and Black's timid reply were only to be accounted for as results of time pressure on both sides.

[H] There was not the slightest danger in capturing the Pawn with a Pawn ahead, while this loses one.

[I] A fatal miscalculation. R. to Q. B's 8th led to a most probable draw, for if 38... R. to Kt's 5th; 39. Q. to B's 6th (ch.), &c.

[J] Black seizes his opportunity with scientific exactitude.

Between Frank J. Marshall and D. Janowsky.

Mr. Dawid Janaowsky

WHITE.  (Mr. M.)	BLACK.  (Mr. J.)
1. P. to Q's 4th.	1. P. to Q's 4th.
2. P. to Q. B's 4th.	2. P. to K's 3d.
3. Kt. to Q. B's 3d.	3. Kt. to K. B's 3d.
4. B. to Kt's 5th.	4. Q. Kt. to Q's 2d.
5. Kt. to B's 3d.	5. B. to K's 2d.
6. P. to K's 3d.	6. Castles.
7. K. to B's sq.[A]	7. R. to K's sq.[B]
8. B. to Q's 3d.	8. P. takes P.
9. B. takes P.	9. P. to Q. R's 3d.[C]
10. Castles.[D]	10. P. to Kt's 4th.
11. B. to Q's 3d.	11. B. to Kt's 2d.
12. Q. to K's 2d.	12. P. to B's 4th.
13. P. takes P.[E]	13. Kt. takes P.
14. B. to B's 2d.[F]	14. Kt. to Q's 4th.
15. B. takes B.	15. Q. takes B.
16. Kt. takes Kt.	16. B. takes Kt.
17. P. to Q. Kt's 3d.	17. Q. R. to B's sq.
18. P. to K's 4th.	18. B. to Kt's 2d.
19. P. to Q. Kt's 4th.[G]	19. Kt. to Q's 2d.
20. K. R. to Q's sq.	20. Kt. to B's sq.
21. P. to Q. R's 3d.	21. R. to B's 6th.[H]
22. B. to Q's 3d.	22. K. R. to B's sq.[I]
23. R. takes R.	23. R. takes R.
24. Q. to Kt's 2d.	24. R to B's sq.[J]
25. R. to Q. B's sq.	25. R. to Q's sq.[K]
26. B. to Kt's sq.	26. Kt. to Q's 2d.[L]
27. Q. to Q's 4th.	27. Kt. to B's 3d.
28. Q. to K's 5th.	28. Kt. to Kt's 5th.
29. Q. to B's 4th.	29. Kt. to B's 3d.
30. P. to R's 3d.	30. Kt. to K's sq.
31. Kt. to K's 5th.	31. Kt. to Q's 3d.
32. Kt. to Kt's 4th.	32. Kt. to B's 5th.[M]
33. P. to K's 5th.	33. K. to R's sq.
34. Kt. to B's 6th.	34. P. takes Kt.[N]
35. Q. to R's 4th.[O]	35. Resigns.

[A] Marshall abandons his favorite variation 7. Q. to B's 2d.

[B] Janowsky also changes P. to B's 4th, played in the earlier games.

[C] Janowsky's favorite maneuver, which might have been expected. Therefore Marshall could have played P. takes P. previous to B. to Q's 3d.

[D] P. to Q. R's 4th would have prevented the Bishop being dislodged; but as he manages eventually to prevent Black from keeping the majority of Pawns on the Queen's side, there is nothing to be said against it—except that he only keeps about an even game.

[E] This is compulsory, because of the threat P. to B's 5th, followed by P. to Kt's 5th.

[F] B. to Kt's sq. might be followed by P. to Kt's 5th, when Q. to K's sq. would take up the place which the K. R. intends to occupy; but the move would have been better, nevertheless.

[G] It is doubtful whether the advance might not have been dispensed with, because of the threat Kt. to Q's 2d, Kt's 3d, and B's 5th eventually. But Marshall plays still for attack, not content with a draw in an even position.

[H] Black has now the better game.

[I] Better would have been 22... Q. to B's 2d 23. Q. to Kt's 2d, K. R. to B's sq.; 24. R. takes Q., Q. takes R., with the command of the open file.

[J] Notes By L. Hoffer.—Q. to B's 2d could be played here.

[K] An alternative would be 25... Q. to B's 3d; 26. P. to K's 5th, Q. to Q's sq.; 27. R. takes R., Q. takes R.; 28. Q. to B's 2d, Q. takes Q.; 29. B. takes Q., Kt. to Q's 2d, winning the K. P.

[L] Q. to Q's 3d or Q. to B's 2d could be played. The text move gives White a chance to bring his Queen effectively into play.

[M] Kt. to K's sq. would have been safer.

[N] Marshall did not expect this complaisance, and Janowsky would not have obliged him had he seen the fatal 35. Q. to R's 4th. 34... Kt. takes K. P. should have been played.

[O] Marshall risked losing the game in trying to win. His boldness was rewarded, but the verdict should be: Don't try it again.

This lesson concludes my 2 part series on the Queen's Gambit Openings on the Learn to Play Chess blog.

For you beginning chess students, I invite you go through my free online chess lessons. For you advanced chess players looking for a strategic advantage, I recommend you read through some of the other miniseries including The King's Knight's Opening, The King's Bishop's Opening, The King's Gambit, and Irregular Openings chess sequences.