The Kasparov/Vaganian Gambit The introductory position of the <Kasparov/Vaganian Gambit> can occur after 1 d4,1 Nf3 and 1 c4, which can appeal to a wide range of players. The usual move order is <1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nf3 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e5!? 5 Nb5 d5 6 cxd5 Bc5> bringing us to a very sharp position.

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Opening Explorer <219 games · 1979-2017>

notable games:
J Costa vs J Polgar, 1987

Tims Collins, Francis George - Kitto, Francis EA City of London CC, 1937.03.15
Varsity Oxford-Cambridge (1)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cd4 4. Nd4 e5 5. Nb5 d5 6. cd5 Bc5 7. N5c3 O-O 8. e3 Nbd7 9. e4 Bd4 10. Bd3 Nc5 11. h3 Nh5 12. Qe2 Qh4 13. Bc2 f5 14. g3 Ng3 15. fg3 Qg3 16. Kd1 fe4 17. Ne4 Ne4 18. Be4 Bh3 19. Bh7 Kh8 20. Be4 Kg8 21. Bh7 Kh8 22. Nd2 Rf2 23. Qd3 Be3 24. Bf5 Rd2 25. Bd2 1-0 Source: The Times, 16 Mar 1937

check also: http://xn--vidosechecsenligne-dwb.c...

The Kasparov Gambit On this 60 mins, FIDE Senior Trainer Andrew Martin argues the case ... https://videos.chessbase.com/PubPoi...

01: INTRO

02: Summary of variations

03: 5.Sc2/Nb3 Game 1 - N V Pedersen vs E Najer, 2005

04: 5.Nf3 Game 2 - Wiech,O - Berberich,C

05: 7.d6 Game 3 - C Seel vs Ganguly, 2004

06: THE MAIN LINE 7.N5c3 Intro

07: 7.N5c3 0-0 8.g3 Game 4 - B C Yildiz Kadioglu vs K Arakhamia-Grant, 2014

08: 7.N5c3 0-0 8.g3 Game 5 - I Hausner vs I Rogers, 1994

09: 7.N5c3 0-0 8.e3 Game 6 - A Mikhalchishin vs Kasparov, 1981

10: 7.N5c3 0-0 8.e3 Game 7 - Lautier vs M Illescas, 1995

11: 7.N5c3 0-0 8.e3 Game 8 - L Ortega vs Bareev, 1987

12: 7.e3 0-0 8.N5c3 e4 Game 9 - D Madsen vs Hodgson, 1994

13: 7.e3 0-0 8.N5c3 e4 Game 10 - Pradeep,K - Rathnakaran,K

14: 7.N5c3 0-0 8.a3 a5 Game 11 - S Palatnik vs Kasparov, 1982

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R Haque vs Hodgson, 1987 whiteshark: White does somewhat better meeting <7...Ne4> with <8.e3>, John Watson's idea when Black should explore <8...0–0!> (8...Nxd6?! 9.Qd5 Qb6 10.Qxe5+ wins a pawn ; and 8...Bb4+ 9.Bd2! Bxd2+ 10.Nxd2 Nxd6 11.Nf3 is also promising for White, as pointed out by Watson)

9.N1c3 (this is fine for Black, but I'm not sure that White has any route to the advantage: 9.Qd5 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Nxd2 11.Nxd2 a6 is fine for Black too, since 12.Nc7 can simply be met by 12...Ra7 ,; and 9.Qc2 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Nxd2 11.Nxd2 a6! is also at least equal for the second player, because 12.Nc7?! Qxd6! 13.Nxa8? Bf5 14.Qd1 Rd8 regains a piece with a crushing initiative)

9...Nxd6 10.Qd5 (otherwise Black has managed to regain his pawn with equality)

10...Na6 11.Qxe5 Re8 12.Qh5!?

(12.Qd5 Be6 13.Qd1 is somewhat more sensible, although I still rather like Black's lead in development after 13...Qe7)

12...Nb4! 13.Qxc5 Nc2+ 14.Ke2

(or 14.Kd1?! Ne4+ 15.Qd5 Nxa1 16.Qxd8 Rxd8+ 17.Ke2 Nxc3+ 18.bxc3 Be6 with some advantage to Black)

14...Nxb5 15.Nxb5 Bg4+ 16.f3 Rc8 17.Qd6 Nxa1 18.Qxd8 Rexd8 19.Nc3 Be6

and as the knight will escape, Black is doing pretty well.

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Literature - Recommended Opening Books:

Richard Palliser,Tony Kosten & James Vigus: Dangerous Weapons - Flank Openings (Everyman 2008), Chapter 7

Nicolai Pedersen: Play the Benko Gambit, Chapter 7

Carsten Hansen: Symmetrical English (has a good section on A31 Vaganian/Kasparov Gambit).

Boris Alterman: <The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 1> (Qualitychess, 2011) Chapter 3 (p.197-276) IMO the reference work, he calls it <Vaganian Gambit>, because it was 1st played by the Armenian GM Rafael Vaganian in 1977.

Event "URS-ch FL45"
Site "Baku"
Date "1977.??.??"
Round "16"
White "Peresipkin, Vladimir"
Black "Vaganian, Rafael A"
Result "1/2-1/2"
ECO "A31"
WhiteElo "2395"
BlackElo "2545"

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d5 6. cxd5 Bc5 7. e3 O-O 8. N5c3 Bf5 9. Be2 Re8 10. O-O e4 11. Nd2 a6 12. a3 Qc7 13. Nc4 b5 14. d6 Qc8 15. Na5 Qe6 16. b4 Bxd6 17. Bb2 Nbd7 18. Nb7 Bf8 19. Qd2 Rab8 20. Na5 Ne5 21. Rad1 Kh8 22. Nd5 Rbd8 23. Bxe5 Rxd5 24. Bd4 Kg8 25. Qb2 Ng4 26. Bc3 Ne5 27. Rxd5 Qxd5 28. Bxe5 Qxe5 29. Qxe5 Rxe5 30. Rc1 Rd5 31. Nb3 g6 32. Kf1 h5 33. Rc6 Rd6 34. Rxd6 Bxd6 35. Nc5 Bxc5 36. bxc5 Kf8 37. Ke1 Ke7 38. Kd2 Ke6 39. Kc3 Kd5 40. Kb4 Bd7 41. Bd1 a5+ 42. Kxa5 Kxc5 43. Bb3 Be8 44. h4 f6 45. g3 g5 46. Be6 g4 47. Ba2 Bg6 48. Bb3 Be8 49. Be6 Kd6 50. Bf5 Kc5 51. Bxe4 Kc4 52. Kb6 Kb3 53. Kc7 Kxa3 54. Kd8 Bf7 55. Ke7 Bc4 56. Bg6 b4 57. Bxh5 b3 58. Bg6 Be2 59. h5 Bd1 60. Bf7 b2 61. Bg6 Kb3 62. h6 Bc2 63. Bxc2+ Kxc2 64. h7 b1=Q 65. h8=Q Qb7+ 66. Ke6 Qc6+ 67. Kf7 f5 68. Qe5 Qf3 69. Kf6 Kd2 70. Qxf5 Ke1 71. Kg5 Kxf2 72. Qxg4 Qa8 73. e4 Qd8+ 74. Kf4 Qd2+ 75. Ke5 Qc3+ 76. Kd5 Qb3+ 77. Kd6 Qb6+ 78. Ke7 Qc7+ 79. Kf6 Qd6+ 80. Kf7 Ke3 81. Qg6 Qe5 82. Qh6+ Kd3 83. g4 Qc7+ 84. Kg6 Qd6+ 85. Kh7 Qe7+ 86. Qg7 Qh4+ 87. Kg8 Kxe4 88. g5 Kf5 89. g6 Qh1 90. Qf7+ Kg5 91. Qe6 Qa8+ 92. Kg7 Qa1+ 93. Kf7 Qa7+ 1/2-1/2

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Event "Rome"
Date "1977.??.??"
White "Mariotti, Sergio"
Black "Vaganian, Rafael A"
Result "1/2-1/2"
ECO "A31"
WhiteElo "2490"
BlackElo "2545"

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d5 6. cxd5 Bc5 7. e3 O-O 8. N5c3 e4 9. Nd2 Bf5 10. Nb3 Bd6 11. Be2 a6 12. Nd4 Bg6 13. g4 h6 14. h4 Nbd7 15. Bd2 Ne5 16. Rg1 Nfd7 17. h5 Bh7 18. Qc2 Nc5 19. O-O-O Rc8 20. Kb1 Qf6 21. Nf5 Rfe8 22. Ka1 Ned3 23. f4 Bxf5 24. gxf5 Nb4 25. Qb1 Bf8 26. Be1 Ncd3 27. Bxd3 exd3 28. Rxd3 Bc5 29. Bf2 b5 30. Rd2 Bxe3 1/2-1/2

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Event "URS Spartakiad"
Site "Moscow"
Date "1979.??.??"
White "Piesina, Gintautas"
Black "Vaganian, Rafael A"
Result "1/2-1/2"
ECO "A31"
WhiteElo "2200"
BlackElo "2570"

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d5 6. cxd5 Bc5 7. N5c3 O-O 8. g3 Ng4 9. e3 f5 10. Be2 Nf6 11. a3 Nbd7 12. b4 Bd6 13. Nd2 Nb6 14. Nb3 Kh8 15. Ra2 Bd7 16. Nc5 Bxc5 17. bxc5 Nbxd5 18. Nxd5 Ba4 19. Qd3 Nxd5 20. O-O Bc6 21. Rd2 Qe7 22. Qc4 Nf6 23. f3 f4 24. Rd6 Nh5 25. exf4 exf4 26. g4 Rae8 27. Bd1 Qg5 28. Bd2 Re5 29. Rf2 Rfe8 30. Qd4 Rxc5 31. h4 Qxh4 32. Qxc5 Qg3+ 33. Rg2 Re1+ 1/2-1/2

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P.S.:

The other day a 2250 player uncorked <8.h3> against me. Being on my own I lost badly in 22. :( One is always wiser after the event. ;D