Georg Mohr:
Learning from the old masters –
the birth of the Budapest
Gambit
Modern chess players often forget how many
things a man can learn from the great old
masters. In Slovenia we also have our own
master – Dr. Milan Vidmar is nowadays
considered to be the best chess player in
Slovenia, even though he was not a
professional chess player and he simply loved
to play chess in his free time. It was enough
that he was one of the top five players in the
world for two decades (1910 – 1930) and that
it was thought that he could become a World
Champion if he would have devoted his life to
this game of kings as the other players did.
Milan Vidmar’s chess legacy is huge. He
described his career in different books.
Slovene people were learning and will be
learning with the help of his book “Pol
stoletja ob šahovnici” (My 50 years with
chess), which is considered to be some kind
of a Slovene chess Bible. The rest of the
world is learning from his book Golden
Schachzeiten, the famous German book about
(according to Vidmar) the most beautiful
period of this game of kings. Vidmar’s
influence on many Slovene chess players was
fatal. He influenced on Grandmasters, on less
qualified chess players, on amateurs, on
kibitzers, on officials of federal agencies, on
chess judges and on correspondence chess
players. He influenced on the players that had
joined our chess from other countries and of
course on those who are no longer among us.
His most known students are Grandmasters
Stojan Puc, an Olympic winner from 1950,
Vasja Pirc who was also an Olympic winner,
the second reserve for the famous tournament
AVRO 1938, but in the world he is especially
known for his Opening (Pirc Defence) and
Bruno Parma who was a winner of a World
Youth Chess Championship in 1961.
Vidmar was teaching in two different ways:
with the help of the books and also directly.
His home in Ljubljana was always open for
all chess players and there is where (and also
in many coffeehouses in Ljubljana) a huge
amount of games and variations were played.
Milan Vidmar was an incredibly talented man,
perhaps one of the most talented Slovenes. He
was a self-taught person; he was playing
Wagner’s symphonies on the piano in a way
that all the professional musicians were
amazed. He was a great scientist and he
invented the transformer, though he never
studied about electrical industry (he had a
mechanical engineering’s degree)! He was a
top chess player, which was able to play
against World Champions equally, though he
was playing just for fun. He was a writer, one
of the most talented among chess players. His
text book about mechanical engineering was
obligatory for a few years for students all over
Europe, his philosophical books are being
discovered in Slovenia and in the world only
recently and his chess books are dominant for
a long time.
His relatives say that he was above all human,
a family man that raised seven children and
which always found time for their education.
He was also a great friend, which always
helped his friends, which needed help.
The birth of the Budapest Gambit
Vidmar was a player with great practical
power and who did not pay attention to the
theory. He loved the Queen’s Gambit and he
played it with both pieces. He was especially
interested in Pillsbury’s structures –
American’s mate attacks were long serving as
a foundation of his play. Later on he was
amazed by Tarrasch and with his positional
principles. The lack of time to study chess
brought him to new problems in the
Openings. He was very nervous in the
tournament in Berlin due to him being black
against the famous Akiba Rubinstein! The
solution was offered to him by his friend from
Budapest and later on he made a quick
decision. He used an Opening, which he knew
for only a half an hour and only in words. He
succeeded against the great Akiba and his
game is nowadays serving as an illustrative
example of the Opening and it can be found in
every text book about this dangerous Gambit.
»Before my first game against Rubinstein in
the tournament in Berlin in 1918 I caught an
eye on the Hungarian master J. Aboni. I knew
him well from the years that I spent in
Budapest and when I played against him
often. He was dangerous and skilled in his
Openings. When we got to greet each other I
asked him which Opening I should choose to
avoid my opponent’s analysis. “Try the
Budapest Gambit”: he said.
The Budapest Gambit? I had never heard of
this Opening before and Aboni had told me in
a hurry, without the board and the pieces,
about this novelty of the Hungarian masters. I
found the Opening dangerous, but I was
counting on the fact that Rubinstein did not
know anything about this Opening. When I
was still deciding, the game had started. And
this is how The Budapest Gambit was for the
first time played in the arena of great
masters.”
Akiba Rubinstein : Milan Vidmar
Berlin 1918
Budapest Gambit A52
1.d2-d4 Sg8-f6 2.c2-c4 e7-e5
These are the introductive moves of The
Budapest Gambit. The masters of the
positional play are for decades trying to
disprove this Gambit, but so far they were not
successful. It is true that they found some
good moves for White, but they are still far
from their goal.
3.d4xe5 Sf6-g4 4.Lc1-f4
White is standing on the crossroad, but the
great Akiba did not know that in 1918.
Nowadays it is popular 4.Sg1–f3, which is
letting 4...Lf8-c5 5.e2-e3 Sb8-c6, but White is
later on pushing Black’s pieces in defence and
is hoping for the initiative. The characteristic
variation is 6.Lf1-e2 0-0 7.0-0 Sg4xe5
8.Sf3xe5 Sc6xe5 9.Sb1-c3 Tf8-e8 10.b2-b3
a7-a5 11.Lc1-b2 Ta8-a6 with a sharp play,
when both players are counting on the attack.
Black is delaying with the development of the
light-squared bishop and if he manages to
develop it well, normally some serious threats
are following. Alexander Alekhine was for a
few years in favour of the 4.e2-e4 move,
which is the most dangerous move in the
Gambit. After 4...Sg4xe5 5.f2-f4 Black is
choosing between the positional 5...Se5-c6 or
more tactical 5...Se5-g6, in both cases the
moves are leading to complicated positions,
which are hard to evaluate and that are
difficult to play.
4...Sb8-c6 5.Sg1–f3 Lf8-b4+ 6.Sb1–c3
A second significant crossroad. Nowadays the
theoreticians are in favour of the 6.Sb1-d2
move, which is avoiding the majority on
complications and which is assuring White a
small advantage with the pair of bishops after
6...Dd8-e7
7.a2-a3
Sg4xe5
8.Sf3xe5
(8.a3xb4?? Se5-d3 mate!) 8...Sc6xe5 9.e2-e3
Lb4xd2 10.Dd1xd2.
6...Dd8-e7?!
Eboni did not have time to explain everything
to Vidmar due to the lack of time. Or even he
himself did not know that a man needs to take
on c3 with 6...Lb4xc3 7.b2xc3 and only after
that the hunt against the pawn can begin with
7...Dd8-e7. The significant difference was
found in practice several years later, but I am
sure that some great master was keeping it for
the critical moments.
7.Dd1-d5
The defence of the pawn with the queen is, of
course, not a mistake, but a lot more calm
would be 7.Ta1–c1! Sg4xe5 8.Sf3xe5 Sc6xe5
9.a2-a3 Lb4xc3+ 10.Tc1xc3, when some
similar positions would occur as in the
variation 6.Sb1-d2 and White surely does not
need to defend himself.
7...Lb4xc3+! 8.b2xc3 De7-a3!?
Vidmar overestimated the trip with the queen,
probably under the influence of the wonderful
victory, which he managed to achieve in our
game. Nowadays Black players in most of the
cases use the gambit move immediately 8...f7-
f6 9.e5xf6 Sg4xf6 10.Dd5-d3 d7-d6 and
White is choosing between the plans 11.e2-e3
or
11.g2-g3
and
Black
has
a
nice
compensation in both of the cases.
9.Ta1-c1 f7-f6!
The characteristic move for the variation. It is
important that we cannot play 10.e5-e6
d7xe6! 11.Dd5-h5 g7-g6 12.Dh5xg4 e6-e5
13.Dg4-h4 e5xf4 14.Dh4xf4 0-0, with a full
compensation.
10.e5xf6 Sg4xf6 11.Dd5-d2 d7-d6
In those years they were analysing the
immediate castle, which did not pay attention
for the c7 pawn. Vladimir Vuković the master
from Zagreb was analysing this position very
deeply and he was the author of many chess
books and also an editor of the magazine
Šahovski glasnik. After 11...0–0 12.Lf4xc7?
Sf6-e4 13.Dd2-d5+ Kg8-h8 14.Tc1-c2 d7-d6
15.e2-e3 Lc8-f5 black has a nice initiative and
the analysis do not have a big importance, if
white does not take on c7. Black needed to
play d7-d6 and the variations are passing over
to the variations of the game.
12.Sf3-d4
Vuković in his analysis said that white is
better after 12.e2-e3, which is not completely
true. Black can continue with the positional
play, without paying attention on the pawn
12...Sf6-e4 13.Dd2-c2 Se4-c5. Nowadays
check with the queen is thought to be the most
dangerous: 12.Dd2-e3+ Sc6-e7 13.Sf3-d4
Da3xa2 14.c4-c5 or even better 14.Sd4-b5
with the trap – 14...Da2xc4 15.Lf4xd6 Sf6-d5
16.De3-e5 Dc4xb5 17.Ld6xe7 Lc8-e6 18.e2-
e4 Db5-b2 19.Le7-g5 and White is winning.
12...0–0 13.e2-e3
Rubinstein always tried to play logically
when entering the unknown territories.
Vidmar taught us that the natural development
is less important than the time and initiative,
which come with it and Black is leaning on
the Sf6-e4 move, which comes with tempo.
Due to that it would probably be better 13.f2-
f3 and later e2-e4, when Black would only
have a positional compensation and not also
tactical. Vidmar was aware of the opportunity
and let us see how he degraded Rubinstein,
which was completely helpless and confused!
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13...Sc6xd4!
Seemingly a totally illogical move, which in
fact already almost decided the game! This
kind of moves are very difficult, because they
are contradicting every strategic principle.
But there is a hidden tactics …
14.c3xd4
After the taking with the e-pawn, White is
deciding between very sad variations:
14.e3xd4 Sf6-e4 15.Dd2-e3 Tf8-e8 (Black
could develop calmly with 15...Lc8-d7 16.f2-
f3 (16.Lf1–e2 Ta8-e8) 16...Se4-c5 17.De3-d2
Ta8-e8+ 18.Ke1–f2 Tf8xf4 19.Dd2xf4 Da3-
b2+ 20.Kf2-g3 Sc5-e6 21.Df4-e3 Se6xd4)
16.Lf1-e2 Da3-a2 17.f2-f3 Lc8-f5! With a
decisive attack.
14...Sf6-e4 15.Dd2-c2 Da3-a5+ 16.Ke1–e2
Rubinstein naturally saw the variation
16.Ke1–d1
Lc8-f5
17.Lf1–d3
Se4xf2+
18.Dc2xf2 Lf5xd3, when his king would be
badly placed in the centre and most likely he
also managed to calculate the consequences
after 17.Th1-g1 g7-g5! 18.f2-f3 Ta8-e8
19.f3xe4
Lf5xe4
20.Dc2-d2
Da5xd2+
21.Kd1xd2 g5xf4 22.e3xf4 Tf8xf4, when
Black would be better in the Endgame. Due to
that he decided to defend his material
advantage …
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16...Tf8xf4!!
Like a lightening from the sky! Vidmar
evaluated the sacrifice as positional, when its
foundations are in fact tactical. White king is
forced to go on a long trip, where it will be
killed by Black.
17.e3xf4 Lc8-f5
With a simple threat 18...Se4-g3.
18.Dc2-b2 Ta8-e8
On the diagram is an exceptional position,
from which White could save himself, but
only with the help of the computer program
from 2010. If we consider the fact that the
game was played a century earlier, we know
that it was practically decided. You can
imagine
the
psychologically
unstable
Rubinstein (The First World War had
influenced on him very strongly), how he was
suffering because of the threat of the knight.
Probably he did not think about the solutions,
which includes standing on one spot and he
evaluated the consequences of the two
possible moves with the king. On d1 it was
not good, because after 19.Ke2-d1 Se4-g3!
20.h2xg3? mate would follow with the rook
on e1. So he was left with the f3-square.
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19.Ke2-f3
The miraculous solution was hidden in the
move 19.f2-f3! And Black’s knight did not
have the decisive retreat. After 19...Se4-g3
20.Ke2-f2 Sg3xh1 21.Kf2-g1 White would
even be better and due to that the retreat on
the c-file was the only one possible.
After19...Se4-c3+ 20.Ke2-f2 the computer
does not come up with nothing better than
20...Sc3-a4 21.Db2-b5 Da5-d2+ 22.Kf2-g3
Te8-e6 23.Db5xf5 Te6-g6+ 24.Kg3-h3 Tg6-
h6+ with the eternal chess. Who knows how
would a game end, if Rubinstein would
manage to stay calm.
19...Se4-d2+
The move for which Vidmar was criticized.
He described it like this: “naturally I saw that
the 19...h7-h5! move looks promising to me.
If White with 20.g2-g3 move opens his king a
hiding place on the g2-square, the attack
begins: 20...Se4-d2 21.Kf3-g2 Lf5-e4, with
which Black wins at least a pawn and an
exchange (22.Kg2-g1 Sd2-f3 23.Kg1-g2
Sf3xd4 24.Kg2-g1 Sd4-f3 etc.) and if he
defends with 20.h2-h3, Black responds
20...h5-h4! Now it is threatening 21...Se4-d2.
The variation 21.Tc1–d1 Se4-g5+!! 22.f4xg5
Lf5-e4+ 23.Kf3-e3 (23.Kf3-g4 Da5-f5+
24.Kg4xh4 Df5-f4+ 25.Kh4-h5 (25.g2-g4
Kg8-f7
26.g5-g6+
Kf7xg6)
25...g7-g6+
26.Kh5-h6 Df4-f8#) is losing after 23...Le4-
c2+ 24.Ke3-f3 Da5-f5#). I supposed that my
opponent saw all that and that he will try
everything to escape from the unpleasant
attack and that he would risk to try to escape
through the way that it will make it easier for
me to catch him.”
And true, Vidmar did not risk anything.
20.Kf3-g3 Sd2-e4+
Now it is clear, what is the message of the
upper notes. If White would return with his
king on f3, it would follow 21...h7-h5 with
the known way to victory.
21.Kg3-h4 Te8-e6!
With a threat of mate on h6. Next follows a
final execution.
22.Lf1-e2 Te6-h6+ 23.Le2-h5 Th6xh5+
24.Kh4xh5 Lf5-g6+ 25.Kh5-g4 Da5-h5# 0–
1.
Dr. Milan Vidmar was due to his Queen’s
Gambit known as an experienced positional
player. But the shown game is able to
convince us, that there was a tactical blood
running through his veins. Seemingly sleepy
master was capable of striking hard, if there
was a right opportunity.