1. d4 f5 2. e4

The Staunton Gambit smashes any prospective Stonewall by Black.

2... fxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4?

Only played 4 times out of 1573 games.

4. Bg5

Staunton Gambit with 4. Bg5

4... Nc6! 59% Black in 544 games. 5. d5 (5. f3 is more in Gambit style. 5... d5 (5... exf3 6. Nxf3 67% White in 9 games,) 6. fxe4 dxe4 7. d5 Ne5 8. Qd4 Nf7 9. Bxf6 exf6 10. Nxe4 (10. O-O-O?! has actually scored 3-0 but looks very risky. 10... f5 11. g4 Qg5+ 12. Kb1 Qxg4 13. Bb5+ Kd8 14. Nge2 a6 15. Rhg1 Qh4 16. Ba4 Qf6 17. Qe3 b5 18. Bb3 Nd6 19. Nd4 Bd7 (19... f4 20. Qe2 e3) 20. Ne6+ Kc8 21. Qc5 Bxe6 22. dxe6 Nc4 23. Qc6 Rb8 24. Qxa6+ Rb7 25. Rd5 Nb6 26. Rxb5 Bd6 27. Bd5 Qd4 28. Rd1 Qe3 29. Qxb7+ Kd8 30. Rxb6 Qxb6 31. Qa8+ Ke7 32. Qxh8 Be5 33. Bb3 Bxc3 34. bxc3 1-0, Ezat Abdallah (EGY) 2181 - Yousry Mohamed (EGY) 2262, Cairo (Egypt) 2000) 10... Be7 11. O-O-O O-O 12. Nf3 f5 =) 5... Ne5 6. Qd4 Nf7 7. Bxf6 exf6 8. Nxe4 f5 is the main line - deemed to be equal, but only 37% White in 53 games. One recent White win: 9. Ng3 g6 63% Black in 35 games. 10. h4 Qe7+ 11. Be2 d6 12. f4 Bh6 13. Nf3 O-O 14. c3 Bg7 15. Qd2 h5 16. O-O Bd7 17. Rae1 Rae8 18. Ba6 Qd8 19. Bxb7 Qb8 20. Bc6 Bxc6 21. dxc6 Qb6+ 22. Nd4 Bf6 23. Kh2 Rxe1 24. Rxe1 Bxh4 25. Re6 Kh7 26. Ngxf5 gxf5 27. Qe2 Rh8 28. Nxf5 1-0, Bronnum Jan 2202 - Buchkremer F 2046 , Copenhagen 28/ 7/2004 It "Politiken Cup" (open)

4. f3

Staunton Gambit with 4.f3

This is the way that I used to play it. It's very similar to a Blackmar Diemer Gambit 4... d5 (4... exf3 5. Nxf3 e6 6. Bd3 54% White in 27 games.) 5. fxe4 dxe4 6. Bg5 Bf5 7. Bc4 Nc6 8. Nge2 Qd7 9. d5 Ne5 10. Bb3

4... e6 5. d5 e5?

5... exd5!

Stewart's line refuted

6. Nxd5 (6. Bxd5 Bb4! threat c6 and d5 7. Qd4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 c6 9. Qe5+ (9. Bxe4 Qe7 10. f3 d5 wins) 9... Qe7 10. Qxe7+ Kxe7 11. Ba3+ d6 12. Bb3 a5 13. Bc4 b5) 6... c6 7. Nxf6+ Qxf6 Again threat d5. 8. Qg4 Qg6 9. Qh3 Na6 and d5

6. Nxe4! d6

6... Nxe4 7. Qh5+ g6 8. Qxe5+ Qe7 9. Qxh8 Ng3+ 10. Be3 Nxh1 11. O-O-O

7. Nc3 Bf5 8. Nge2 Nbd7 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. Bd3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Nc5 12. Qe2 Qe7?

weak, Be7 better.

13. Be3 Ncd7 14. Qc4

Mmmm boring.

14. Qb5!

Black does not have a satisfactory reply

and Geoff's getting very excited ! 14... b6 15. Qc6 Qd8 16. Nb5

14... Nb6 15. Bxb6 axb6 16. Nb5 Rc8 17. O-O Qf7 18. Rad1

18. f4! Black has a horrible position.

18... c6 19. Nc3?

passive.

19. f4! is still strong!

19... Be7 20. Qb3 b5 21. Nf5

21. f4! The position has been crying out for this move but... Stewart never plays it !

21... Rd8 22. dxc6

22. f4! Play effin f4 man !!

22... Qxb3?

Marcus Coupe is known to love endings. But this move is a mistake, blundering a pawn away.

22... bxc6 and White does not have much.

23. axb3 bxc6 24. Nxg7+ Kf7 25. Nf5 Ke6 26. Nxe7 Kxe7 27. Rfe1

27. Rde1 Rhf8 28. f4 White is winning.

27... Kf7 28. Ne4

28. f4! Again ! It's known as a blind spot.

28... Nxe4 29. Rxe4 Rhg8? 30. Rh4 Kg6 31. Rg4+ Kf7 32. Rxg8 Kxg8 33. Ra1 Rd7

Stewart has a won ending

and now he should play f3 and Kf2 etc to centralise the King.

34. b4? Kf7

Black rushes to centralise his King. White should do the same with Kf1 QUICKLY.

35. Ra6?

You can't beat him with just your Rook Stewart. He appears to be going pawn hunting, not satisfied with one pawn. It's starting to go pear-shaped. White's Rook will quickly become out of play on this square.

35... Rc7 36. f3

36. Kf1! 3 poor moves in a row in the ending. Kf1 was essential to get across to d2 36... Ke6 37. Ke2 c5 38. bxc5 Rxc5 39. Kd2 Rd5+ 40. Ke1 Rc5 41. c3 b4 42. Kd2

36... Ke6 37. Kf2

You are a tempo too late Stewart.

37... c5!

Now Black's Rook becomes active and the win is in jeopardy.

38. bxc5 Rxc5 39. c3 b4

Suddenly Black has become active, and the White Rook has achieved nothing. White's King is too far away to help the Q-side

40. cxb4

40. Ra7 bxc3 41. bxc3 Rxc3 42. Rxh7 is a problematic win now.

40... Rc2+

The White King is forced away from the centre.

41. Kg3 Rxb2 42. Rb6 Kd5

A crucial point in the game

White's King is cut off from the centre and Black's central pawns are looking very dangerous, whereas White's have not stirred.

43. Kg4??

What a blunder

43. Rb7 was best, but a win ? That's problematic. 43... Ke6 (43... Kd4 44. Rxh7 d5 45. h4 Rxb4 46. h5) 44. Rxh7 d5 45. Ra7 White has to give up the b4 pawn.(45. Rb7 d4 46. h4 d3) 45... d4 46. Ra3 Kd5 47. h4 Kc4 48. h5 d3 49. h6 Rb1 50. Ra6 d2 51. h7 d1=Q 52. h8=Q Qe1+ 53. Kg4 is a line given by my computer !

43... Rxg2+ 44. Kh3 Rb2 45. Rb7 h5 46. Rh7 Rxb4 47. Rxh5 Rf4 48. Kg3 Kd4

Will Stewart get a draw?

49. Rh4??

Stewart turns a draw into a loss.

49. Rh6 d5 50. Ra6 Ke3 51. Ra3+ Ke2 52. Ra2+ is drawn.

49... Rxh4 50. Kxh4 Ke3 51. Kg3??

51. Kg4! as Marcus Coupe pointed out after the game 51... d5 52. h4 e4! (52... d4 53. h5 d3 54. h6 d2 55. h7 d1=Q 56. h8=Q Qxf3+ 57. Kg5 is a bit more difficult.) 53. h5 (53. fxe4 d4 54. h5 d3 55. h6 d2 56. h7 d1=Q+ The point - Black Queens with CHECK !) 53... exf3 54. h6 f2 55. h7 f1=Q 56. h8=Q Qf4+ 57. Kh3 d4 is still won for Black.

51... d5 52. h4 d4 53. h5 d3 54. h6 d2 55. h7 d1=Q 56. h8=Q Qg1+

Now Stewart realises he should have gone to g4 with his King !

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