Fried by the Fraser

by Neil Parker
(Johannesburg)

I just want to share a Latvian Gambit game with you that I played a while back. It went down the Fraser Variation.

alalzrk1980 (1340) - neilparker62 (1396)

C40

Live Chess @ Chess.com,

29.05.2014

Parker, Neil

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 Latvian Gambit

3.Nxe5 Nc6

The Fraser Defense

(3...Qf6 is the other way to play: 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 c6 7.Nxe4 Qe6 8.Qe2 d5 9.Ncd6+ Kd8 10.Ng5 Qxe2+ 11.Bxe2 Bxd6 12.Nf7+ Ke7 13.Nxh8 Nf6 14.Bg5 Be6 15.Bd3 Nbd7 16.Ng6+ hxg6 17.Bxg6 Nf8 18.Bd3 Kf7 19.0-0-0 Ng4 20.h3 Nf6 21.g4 Ne4 22.Be3 Ng6 23.f3 Nf6 24.Bxg6+ Kxg6 25.f4 Bg8 26.f5+ Kh7 27.g5 Re8 28.Kd2 Ne4+ 29.Kd3 Ng3 30.g6+ Kh8 31.Rhf1 Rf8 32.Bf4 Bxf4 33.Rxf4 Rxf5 34.Rdf1 Be6 35.R1f2 Rxf4 36.Rxf4 Bf5+ 37.Kd2 Bxg6 38.Rf8+ Kh7 39.Rb8 Ne4+ 40.Kc1 Bf5 41.Rxb7 Bxh3 42.Rxa7 Kh6 43.Rc7 g5 44.Rxc6+ Kh5 45.a4 g4 46.Rc8 g3) 0-1 (46) Von Bilguer,P-Von Heydebrand und der L,T Berlin 1839)

4.Qh5+

(4.Nxc6 is played more often and scores better for White. 4...dxc6 5.e5 Be6 6.d4 Qd7 7.Be3 0-0-0 8.Qd2 Ne7 9.Qa5 Kb8 10.Nc3 Nd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12.0-0-0 Qe6 13.c4 b6 14.cxd5 Rxd5 15.Qc3 Ra5 16.Bc4 Qe7 17.a3 g5 18.Bd2 Bg7 19.Qb3 Ka8 20.Bxa5 bxa5 21.Qa4 Qd7 22.d5 Bxe5 23.Qxc6+ Qxc6 24.dxc6 Rb8 25.Bb3 a4 26.Bxa4 Bxb2+ 27.Kc2 Bxa3 28.Rb1 Re8 29.Rhe1 Rd8 30.Rb7 Bd6 31.Bb5 Rc8 32.Ba6 Rd8 33.Kb3 h5 34.Ka4 g4 35.h3 h4 36.Reb1 Bc5 37.Rb8+ Rxb8 38.Bb7+ Rxb7 39.cxb7+ Kb8 40.Ka5 Bxf2 41.Ka6 gxh3 42.Rd1) 1-0 (42) Capablanca,J-Corzo,E Havana 1901

4...g6 5.Nxg6
A well known tactic, the pawn is pinned to the Rook.

5...Nf6 6.Qh3 Rg8 7.Nf4

(7.Nxf8 was worth a try here e.g. 7...Rxf8 8.exf5 Qe7+ 9.Kd1 Ne4 10.Qe3 Rxf5 11.f3 Nf6 12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.Bd3 Rg5 14.Re1+ Re5 15.Rxe5+ Nxe5 16.Bf5 d5 17.Bxc8 Rxc8 18.d4 Ng6 19.Bg5 Re8 20.Nc3 c6 21.Kd2 Kf7 22.Re1 Rg8 23.Bxf6 Kxf6 24.g3 h5 25.Ke2 h4 26.Kf2 Rh8 27.Re2 Ne7 28.g4 Ng6 29.Re3 Nf4 30.Ne2 Ne6 31.f4 Rg8 32.Kf3 Ng7 33.g5+ Kf7 34.Kg4 Rh8 35.f5 a6 36.Nf4 Ne8 37.Ng6) 1-0 (37) Colls Bosch,E (2011)-Baig Falgueras,M (1712) Figueres 2009

7...fxe4 8.Nh5 d5 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6 10.Qh5+ Rg6

Note how the Queen is White's only piece in play, all others remain on their starting squares.

11.Qxd5 Be6 12.Qxe4

While White gobbles pawns, Black's entire army is deploying.

12...0-0-0 13.Bb5 Bd5 14.Qa4 Qe5+ 15.Be2 Bxg2 16.Rg1

And a neat tactic to finish.

16...Qxe2+!

(16...Bf3 was another route. 17.Qg4+ Rxg4 18.Rxg4 Qxe2#)

17.Kxe2 Re6+ 18.Kd1 Bf3# 0-1

Play through the moves and see the potential of the Fraser for yourself.