The Englund gambit. Clough was unlucky. I had already worked on the refutation of this gambit - and what is worse for Clough I could REMEMBER the analysis !
2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Nc3!
This is Peake's refutation of the Englund Gambit - also found by Stewart 3 years later - but followed up incorrectly
4... Nxe5
4... d6 5. Bg5 Qd7 6. exd6 Bxd6 7. Nb5 with advantage
5... Qd6 Surprisingly is actually playable, though White gains a big advantage. 6. Nxe5 c6!! But Clough was never going to find this move !(6... Qxe5 7. Bf4 wins) 7. Bf4 Qxd5 8. Qxd5 cxd5 9. e3 with advantage
6... Qd8 best move though hardly palatable to a gambit player. 7. Bf4 d6 8. Qd2 with advantage
7. b4!
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an extremely strong move
7. e4 is also very strong and can transpose to the game lines. 7... Kd8! (7... Bd6 8. b4 Qc6 9. b5 Qc5 10. a4 transposes to line below.) 8. Be3 (8. b4 Qc6 9. b5 is not now as good as Black is not tied to c7.) 8... Qc6 9. Qd4 wins
7... Qc6
7... Qc4 8. e4 Bxb4+ 9. c3 Bxc3+ 10. Bd2 Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 Qa4 (11... Qc5 12. Rc1) 12. Nxc7+ Kd8 13. Nxa8 b6 14. Rc1 wins
7... Qd6 8. e4 wins(8. Bf4? Qxf4 9. Nxf4 Bxb4+)
8. e4!
8. b5 Black now has ... 8... Qd6! (8... Qc5 9. e4 Bd6 (9... Kd8 10. a4 Nf6 11. Ba3 Qxa3 12. Rxa3 Bxa3 13. Nxf6 gxf6 14. Qd5 wins) 10. a4 Be5 11. Ba3 Bc3+ 12. Ke2 Qd4 13. Nxc7+ Kd8 14. Qxd4 Bxd4 15. Rd1 Kxc7 16. Rxd4 wins) 9. e4 White is still winning.(9. Bf4? Qxf4 10. Nxf4 Bb4+) 9... Kd8 10. Bf4 Qa3 11. Bxc7+ Ke8 12. Be5 wins
8... a6
the natural move to counter White's threat of b5
8... Bd6 fails to do the job. 9. b5 Qc5 10. a4 Be5 11. Ba3 Bc3+ 12. Ke2 Qc4+ (12... Qd4 13. Nxc7+ Kd8 14. Qxd4 Bxd4 15. Rd1 Kxc7 16. Rxd4 Nf6 17. Bd6+ Kd8 18. Bg2 wins)
13. Ke3 wins 13... Qxa4 14. Nxc7+ Kd8 15. Be7+ Nxe7 16. Rxa4 Kxc7 17. Rc4+
8... Kd8 appears forced though after.. 9. Bf4 d6 10. a4 White is better.
10... Qc5 11. Be3 Qd6 12. Bf4 Qc5 13. Nxc7+ Kd8 14. Nxa8 Qxb5 15. c3 wins
12... Qd6 runs into ... 13. Qc3! Kf8 14. Nxc7 Ra3 (14... Qa3 15. Qe5 Ne7 16. Nxa8 wins) 15. Qxg7+! Kxg7 16. Ne8+ Kf8 17. Nxd6 Ne7 18. Ke2 wins
13. Qg5!
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This is an absolute killer, threatening Qxg7 and also Nf6+
. This is where I had analysed up to.
13... Qd6 14. Qxg7 c6 15. Qxh8 cxd5 16. Qxg8+
16. Rg1! was perhaps even stronger ! 16... Kd8 (16... Qb4+ 17. c3 Qxb5 18. Rxg8+ Ke7 19. Qe5#) 17. Rxg8+ Kc7 18. Qc3+ Kb6 19. Rb1 etc.
As Qb4 check was threatened. Black might as well resign but the finish is not without interest.
opening up lines against the King, and the d-pawn is powerful.
18... Kd6
running for cover.
20... Kd8 21. d6 Ke8 22. Rae1+ Kf8 23. Re4 etc.
21. d6
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entrapping the King and smothering the bishop.
21... Qxf3
Black's only chance is a Qg4 + Qf3+ perpetual.
22. Qe3
White probably has better but this is risk-free
22... Qf6
22... Qg4+ 23. Kh1 b6 24. Qxb6+ Bb7+ 25. f3 Ra3 26. Bc6! was the finish I was looking forward to ! Shame !!
23. Rfd1
not just hanging onto d6, White will play Rd3, from here it will be able to swing over to g3 to block checks and also may deliver mate on a3 after a Queen check on c7.
23... Qd8
presumably to be able to play b6. Black's position is a sorry sight.
23... b6 sacking the pawn to get the bishop to b7 {Black's only chance but .... 24. Qxb6+ Bb7 25. Bc6! dxc6 (25... Ra7 26. Qc7+ Ka8 27. Qc8#) 26. Rab1 Ra7 (26... Qg5+ 27. Kf1 makes no difference.) 27. d7 Qg6+ 28. Kf1 and mate looms large.
24. Qe7 Qg8+ 25. Kf1 Qg4 26. Rd3!
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White prevents Qh3+, threatens Qd8 and a lethal check with Qc7 and Ra3.
There is no way to avoid mate
27... Ra5 28. Qxb6+ Bb7 29. Qc7+ Ka7 30. Qxa5+ Kb8 31. Qc7+ Ka7 32. Ra3+
28. Rc3
Well... The Englund Gambit got crushed.
1-0 [Geoff Peake]
Game(s) in PGN