A bust to the Stafford Gambit

In my opinion the Stafford Gambit is busted. It loses by force.

Well, that's not so bold as Fischer's famous essay, but then I am no Fischer. For this post we are looking at round 4 of the Wallington club championship, in which I made an effort to beat this gambit in preparation. Rapid and blitz were all the rage during lockdown, and this informed opening choices (which is a real pain when going through recent games on the database). At faster time controls, practical considerations can outweigh objective merits, and so trappy lines like the Stafford Gambit have found some supporters. But, as someone who still considers slowplay to be the true form of the game, I am not one of them. 

Anyway, what with all the flank openings, I hadn't really had a chance to demonstrate effective preparation like I did so often in the good old days, and this was a nice way to ease myself back into the challenge. My opponent was 1666-rated Robert Davies, who is a specialist at sharp, tricky openings like this - he plays the King's Gambit well as white. However, I emerged with a positional advantage as well as an extra pawn and, despite some hiccups towards the finishing line, the end was not long in coming:

[Event "Wallington Club Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.04.27"] [Round "4.3"] [White "Young, Daniel J"] [Black "Davies, Robert"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C42"] [WhiteElo "2008"] [BlackElo "1666"] [Annotator "Young,Daniel J"] [PlyCount "47"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.04.27"] {This game was played only one week after my loss in the previous round, and I was keen to bounce back. My opponent may not be the highest-rated, but he has put a lot of time into learning sharp opening lines and I've been tripped up before, so I had prepared carefully. Time control: 75 minutes for all moves + 10 seconds/move.} 1. e4 {(1:15) I wanted to avoid a King's Indian, which he had convincingly outplayed me with in a club blitz tournament on Lichess. Besides, I had an inkling of what was coming.} e5 {(1:15)} 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nc6 $2 {This is the Stafford Gambit, offering a pawn for open lines and a lead in development. It's gained some followers with the prevalence of blitz events during lockdown, but really isn't very good beyond a few cheap traps. That said, I fell into one of them against Robert in another Lichess game, so was taking it seriously!} 4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. d3 {This isn't the only move, but I think it's best. White has no weaknesses and two central pawns to zero, so there's no need to be fancy.} (5. e5 Ne4 {Black's big cheapo is that} 6. d3 $4 {loses at once to} (6. d4 $142 {cuts out any ...Bc5 tricks. In practice Black has favoured} Qh4 7. Be3 {and I don't see any way for Black to get sufficient compensation here. Stockfish offers} f6 $146 {, for example} (7... Bg4 { has been the human move, but the simple} 8. Be2 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 O-O-O 10. O-O $18 {leaves Black with nothing to show for a pawn, as far as I can see.}) 8. Bd3 Bg4 9. Qc1 Ng5 {, hoping for some confusion after its preferred follow-up 10. Nd2, but White can improve (practically at least) with} 10. Bxg5 Qxg5 11. Qxg5 fxg5 12. c3 $16 {and the two bishops don't come close to compensating for White's extra pawn and huge centre.}) 6... Bc5 $1 {, as taking the knight drops White's queen to ...Bxf2+. This was the line I fell into in our previous game! I tried to defend with} 7. Be3 {however} Bxe3 8. fxe3 Qh4+ 9. g3 Nxg3 $19 {was decisive (although, being blitz, I managed to outrageously swindle a win). }) 5... Bc5 6. Be2 h5 {A horribly artificial move, angling for ...Ng4, but this is what they do.} (6... Ng4 {Black can try to justify this move tactically, but wasting time is not what the gambiteer wants to do.} 7. Bxg4 Qh4 8. O-O Bxg4 9. Qe1 O-O-O {The white king is secure and Black's development advantage is only temporary.} 10. Be3 Bd6 11. f4 Qe7 12. h3 Bd7 13. Nd2 $16) 7. c3 {White's knight belongs on the kingside to reinforce His Majesty, and anyway would have little future on c3 owing to the c6 pawn. Therefore White loses nothing by making to blot out Black's dark-squared bishop. Now the consistent move is 7... Ng4, but it leads to forcing play that favours White. Rather than draw the obvious conclusion, Black has instead tried} Bb6 {to further prepare the knight raid.} (7... Ng4 8. d4 {Normal play achieves nothing for Black, so he usually goes all-in with} Qh4 $5 {. This leads to trappy play, but if White has done his homework then he can win by force.} 9. g3 Qf6 10. f3 {Now two pieces are en prise, and though Black can certainly confuse matters, what he cannot do is save both of them.} h4 11. Rg1 hxg3 ( 11... Nxh2 {Against this the cleanest way to win the piece is to drive the queen away first:} 12. e5 Qf5 13. g4 Qe6 14. dxc5 Qxe5 15. Qd3 $18) 12. hxg3 Rh2 13. dxc5 Be6 {It's hard to believe Black could have anything at all for the piece, but there are still some tricks to watch out for based on the tenderness of f3.} 14. Qd4 Bc4 $5 {The last throw of the dice - White now wins with} 15. Bxc4 $1 $146 (15. Qxc4 $4 {allowed} Ne5 16. Qd4 Rxe2+ $1 17. Kxe2 Qxf3+ 18. Ke1 Nd3+ 19. Kd2 Rd8 {and White had to give up her queen in Bodnaruk-Mogirzan, Chess.com Blitz 2021, which leads only to perpetual check after} 20. Qxd8+ Kxd8 21. Kc2 {(the game went 21. Rd1? Nf2 and Black even won)} Qf2+ 22. Kxd3 Qxg1 23. Na3 Qd1+ 24. Ke3 Qe1+ $11) 15... Ne5 16. Nd2 Rxd2 { and this time White can pre-empt the tactics on f3 with a queen sacrifice:} 17. Qxe5+ $1 Qxe5 18. Bxd2 Qxc5 19. Rh1 $1 {, when the threat of Rh8+ saves the bishop.} O-O-O 20. Be2 $18 {Black's threats are over, and two bishops and a rook are more than enough for the queen.}) 8. a4 {A very subtle almost-novelty. It improves over the normal 8. Bg5 because after the reflex reply, Nc4xb6 is a more serious positional threat, which lessens the power of ...c6-c5.} a5 9. Bg5 Qd6 {A novelty here, but normal in the analogous position without the a-pawns. White is temporarily prevented from castling.} (9... Bxf2+ {does not lead to anything:} 10. Kxf2 Nxe4+ 11. dxe4 Qxg5 12. Qd4 $18 {and Black doesn't have enough pieces in the 'attack', for example} Bg4 13. Bf3 O-O 14. Qe3 Qh4+ 15. g3 Qf6 (15... Qh3 $4 16. Bg2 {is even worse}) 16. Kg2 $18 {when White has consolidated.}) 10. Nd2 {(59) 10. O-O? Ng4 would justify Black's play. At the board I was tempted by the lazy solution 10. Bxf6, but there's no reason to flatter him with even this small concession, so instead I simply developed another piece. The knight can cover h2 from f3, and Nc4 could also be available to simplify.} Ng4 {(47)} 11. d4 $1 $18 {We've had an almost-novelty and an actual novelty, but this is the real novelty (found over the board), significantly improving over previous games without the a-pawns where White played either Bxg4 or Bh4. My move defends f2 without making any concessions, as the h2 pawn cannot be taken.} Qg6 (11... Nxh2 $143 $2 12. g3 {After the game, Robert said he didn't take the h-pawn because of this move, but then wondered why he couldn't follow up with} (12. e5 {was my intention at the board, which wins similarly, as} Qg6 13. f4 {leaves the knight trapped for the same reason as the mainline.}) 12... Ng4 {- I was able to solve that problem with} 13. Bxg4 Bxg4 14. Qxg4 $1 {, which is the key resource in all variations. } hxg4 15. Rxh8+ Kd7 16. Rxa8 $18 {Just like in the 7... Ng4 line, White gives up his queen for a decisive material advantage.}) 12. Bh4 (12. Nf3 $144 $5 { was also tempting - ironically after playing a gambit, Black is falling behind in development so White is suddenly very interested in opening lines!} Qxe4 $6 (12... Nf6 13. Bd3 {pretty much forces Black to regain the pawn anyway, and} Nxe4 14. O-O O-O 15. Re1 Re8 16. Bf4 {(threatening Ne5) gives Black no better than} Bf5 17. Nh4 Qf6 18. Qxh5 Ng3 19. Bxg3 Rxe1+ 20. Rxe1 Bxd3 21. h3 $18 { , when he remains a pawn down with the b6 bishop locked out of play.}) 13. O-O Qg6 14. Re1 O-O {Although I was certain that this favoured White, whose pieces are much more active, I couldn't see anything concrete and decided there was no need to go down this road when simpler methods were available that kept my extra pawn. Still, by} 15. Qd2 {, defending the g5 bishop and thereby preparing Nh4,} Qd6 16. Bd3 $18 {, threatening Be7, Black is virtually paralysed, for example} Be6 17. h3 Nf6 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Qh6 {with a crushing attack.}) 12... Be6 (12... c5 $144 {is relatively best in the equivalent position with a-pawns on their starting squares, but finally here the merit of 8. a4 is illustrated:} 13. Nc4 cxd4 14. h3 Nf6 15. Nxb6 cxb6 16. Qxd4 $18 { is hopeless as} Qxg2 $4 17. O-O-O {threatens both mate on d8 and to trap the enemy queen.} O-O 18. Rdg1 Qxe4 {fails to} 19. Rxg7+ $1 Kxg7 20. Bxf6+ { . Therefore, Black's dark-squared bishop has to remain out of play.}) 13. O-O Nf6 14. Bf3 $6 {This controlling strategy works very well, but it gives Black a fleeting chance for a little counterplay.} (14. f4 $142 {As well as preventing any ...g5 ideas, this simply threatens to flatten Black since his pieces have run ahead of his pawn structure. Having given up his pawn centre in the opening, it's not surprising that if the immediate threats come to nothing then Black is liable to get overrun like this.} Bg4 (14... Bh3 15. Bf3 {doesn't help - now 16. f5 is threatened.}) 15. Bf3 $18 O-O-O {This is only a temporary exchange sacrifice, but even so it does little to solve Black's problems.} 16. e5 Nd5 17. Bxd8 Ne3 18. Bxg4+ hxg4 19. Qe2 Nxf1 20. Rxf1 Rxd8 21. f5 Qg5 22. Ne4 $18 {Even if White didn't have an extra pawn and a colossal centre, he would still have a big advantage thanks to the superior minor piece. }) 14... Bg4 $6 (14... Qh6 $142 {was the best try, hoping for counterplay with ...g5. Even so, White keeps an advantage by simple means:} 15. e5 {(15. d5!? also looks pretty good, but again White has no need to over-elaborate)} g5 16. Bxg5 Qxg5 17. exf6 Qxf6 18. Ne4 $16 {, remaining a pawn up and also forcing Black's king to seek refuge on the queenside, where an attack with b2-b4 will not be long in coming.}) 15. Nc4 {(35) Simple chess, improving an inactive piece. Black now has to think about Ne5, and I also keep either Nxb6 or Ne3 (to resolve the pin on f3) in reserve should I want them.} Nd7 {(28) Sensibly protecting e5. With his king still in the centre, it is too risky to grab the e-pawn.} (15... Nxe4 $4 16. Bxe4 Qxe4 17. Re1 Bxd1 18. Rxe4+ Kf8 19. Rxd1 $18 { leaves White a piece up}) (15... Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Nxe4 $4 {is hardly any better in view of} 17. Rfe1 f5 18. Rxe4+ $1 {(I intended Ne5, which is also winning but far less convincing)} fxe4 19. Re1 $18 {and Black's king starts to feel a deathly chill...}) 16. Re1 {Just developing for now rather than trying to force matters - I'd recently annotated the Way game from early March so the importance of patience was on my mind.} f6 $2 17. e5 {Now that Black has provoked the breakthrough - and it is made all the stronger by my previous move!} O-O-O {There's nothing better, but this can't be much better for Black's long-term health than staying in the centre.} 18. b4 $6 (18. e6 $142 { was the most incisive - after} Nb8 {White can deflect the g4 bishop from its pin with the clever} 19. h3 $1 {, which I failed to see.} Bxf3 (19... Bxh3 { gives White time for} 20. Qb3 Ba7 21. Nxa5 $18 {and his queenside attack breaks through quickly}) 20. Qxf3 Rhe8 21. Rad1 $18 {Black remains a pawn down with no counterplay; there is no way he can hope to hold on with neither of his minor pieces contributing.}) 18... axb4 19. e6 $6 {Showing some indecisiveness; I couldn't choose between a direct attack on Black's king or trying to break through in the centre, so ended up doing a bit of both. Thankfully Black makes the choice for me by provoking unfavourable tactics.} ( 19. a5 $142 {Having made my choice last turn, I should have stuck to it.} Ba7 20. exf6 {(just in case ...fxe5 creates a nuisance pin on the d-file)} gxf6 21. a6 b5 22. Na5 Nb8 {This almost felt like argument enough on its own, but again I overlooked the deadly} 23. h3 $1 {, decisively adding another piece to the attack by releasing the pressure against f3.} Bxh3 (23... Bxf3 24. Qxf3 $18 { with decisive threats to c6.}) 24. Qb3 Rhg8 25. Bg3 {Defending with gain of time.} Bd7 26. Qxb4 $18 {White's attack is too strong - 27. Qxb5! is threatened, and either c3-c4 or d4-d5 will lead to decisive line-opening.}) 19... Nc5 $4 {In a bad position all moves are bad, but White now wins simply.} 20. e7 {(18)} Rd7 {(18)} 21. Qe2 $6 {(21. cxb4 was a cleaner way to carry out the same idea)} Ne6 $6 (21... Rxe7 $143 $2 {This leads to a spasm of kingside counterplay for Black, but it soon dies away - I'd seen at the board that} 22. Qxe7 Bxf3 23. Nxb6+ cxb6 24. Bg3 $18 {wins the house.}) (21... Re8 $142 { would have at least enabled Black to delay the inevitable though, since} 22. dxc5 Bxc5 $18 {would give him a couple of pawns for the piece.}) 22. Bxg4 hxg4 23. Qxe6 {The threat to promote gives Black no time to take on h4, and} Re8 $2 {allows White a cute finish -} 24. Ne5 {and Black resigned. Although the final execution was not particularly accurate (some things never change...) it was good to win a dynamic game in the research style.} (24. Ne5 Rexe7 25. Nxg6 Rxe6 26. Rxe6 $18 {leaves White a rook and knight ahead.}) 1-0

As I'm very selective in the games I choose to annotate nowadays, I should probably explain why I picked this one, as it was admittedly very one-sided. My basic rule is that there has to be something to learn from the game, and you can learn from your wins as well as your losses.

Firstly, and most obviously, there is a time and place for such dubious gambits, but this was not it! I don't think anyone who plays it really believes it can withstand serious analysis, so my efforts in the notes probably amount to overkill, but the point is I knew it was coming. If there is no surprise value, and the time control is slow enough that the opponent can solve any lingering issues at the board, then you should expect to have a bad time.

Secondly, I find my poor final few moves after Black castled to be quite interesting. Both the central breakthrough and the queenside attack are attractive options, but even though my original choice was perhaps inferior, once I'd started out on that path I should have stuck with it. It evidences one of my big weaknesses: indecision. I didn't want to let go of either option, and winning with just one of those plans apparently wasn't enough! The old saying that a bad plan is better than no plan is likely nonsense, but I give more value to Larsen's old saying: make your mistakes with conviction!

And lastly, I do take subjective factors into account when choosing games, and I have to admit that it was fun to play a game in the old serve-and-volley style, with a one-two punch of good preparation and some power moves at the board. With the sole exception of 12. Bh4, every move I made was towards the enemy king! I was able to show a better temperament than I did against Way, and patiently improved my position before moving in for the kill.

It was a lesson I took into the next game, which was played at the bank holiday 4NCL weekend just a few days later. On the Saturday I had a comfortable draw with a 2250 playing the Reti, but then on Sunday I got given Black against an IM...