Beware of Dangerous Transpositions

Hi Pilgrims,

Sorry for the long delay between posts.

In late October 2017 I tore two shoulder tendons off my right shoulder. I did not know I had a bone spur which was pointing downwards into my rotator cuff like a shark’s tooth. Happens to those of us over 50. It shredded the tendons. I had surgery in November 2017 to reattach the tendons. The operation was successful but the severity of the injury meant an arm in a sling for 2 months then a long period of recovery. Alas, I got ‘frozen shoulder’ (Capsulitis) which happens in severe trauma cases involving the rotator cuff. As I am also right-handed, I was unable to do much for months, including type on a keyboard. Finally, nearly a year later, I am getting a lot better.

The following game is an instructive example of a transposition in the opening, from a positional (and some would say dull) game to a raging gambit.

This can take an average player by surprise and cause him or her to lose the game. Average players are not so familiar with openings. Going from a predictable formation, suddenly into a gambit, can be deadly, especially in a cross-board game where you cannot consult an openings manual. This happened to me in a correspondence game in 2015 and I was lucky I had the time to find the right moves to play. Across the board in a regular game, I would have been in trouble. More so because in a defence like the Caro Kann, you do not expect to suddenly be plunged into the great complications of a gambit. Not only are you unprepared technically, you are also psychologically vulnerable.

Potter, Chris (1579) Versus Eraclides, George (1980)

Australian BICYCLE B15 1/6/2014 – 27/3/2015

Caro Kann – transposing to Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 Bf5  6.Bc4 (Bd3 or Bg5 are alternative main lines but Black can cope) Nf6 7.O-O (Ne5 is the other main line with 7…e6 8.g4 Bg6 9.h4 Nbd7 or Bb4 and it gets wild) e6 8.Bg5 (unusual and tricky; normal is Ng5 threatening Rxf5 which is a familiar theme in this variation; Black replies Bg6) Be7 9.Ne5 Nd5 (trying to simplify, given I am a pawn up facing a dangerous attack with the main threat Rxf5; if 9…Bg6 then after 10.Nxg6 hxg6 I thought the extra pawn would be devalued given the pawn formations, but in hindsight, it was probably the better option; note that 9…O-O seems quite risky after g4/h4) 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 (after Nxe7 I was worried about 11.Nxf7! Kxf7 12.g4!) 11.Nxd5 (now if 11.Nxf7 Qxf7 12.g4 Ne3!) cxd5 12.Bb5+ Kd8 (Kf8 looked too confining given White’s active pieces) 13.c4 (he hopes to bust open the position like any true gambiteer) a6 14.Ba4 f6 15.Nf3 dxc4 16.Bc2 (he has sacked another pawn and hopes to gain an advantage after  Bishops are exchanged because of the open position, a lead in development and Black’s exposed King) Bg4 17.Qd2 Nd7 (if Nc6 there comes d5!) 18.b3 c3!? (a clever idea, returning a pawn in order to activate a Rook) 19.Qxc3 Rc8 20.Qd2 Qd6 21.Be4 Qb6 22.h3 Bh5 23.Kh1 (to force d5) Bg6 (this Bishop exchange is now good for Black; White has failed in his gamble and now Black plans centralisation with a slow but very careful grind to realise his advantage) 24.Bxg6 hxg6 25.d5 e5 26.Rac1 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Ke7! (stopping d6) 28.Rd1 Kd6 29.Qd3 f5 30.Ng5 Rf8 31.Ne6 Rf7 32.a3 (you know they are lost for ideas when they make these sorts of moves) Nf8 33.Ng5 Rc7 34.g4 Qf2 (at least another pawn will go with best play) 35.Nf7+ (a blunder; also losing was 35.Qd2 Qxe3 36 Rxe3 Kxd5; best was 35.Qf3 Qxf3 36.Nxf3 but it still loses) Rxf7 0-1

What can average players do to avoid being blown away in unfavourable transpositions? In preparing an opening or defence, I try to check transpositional possibilities, especially to dangerous gambits, and prepare a safe line I can easily learn. That is best for an amateur player limited by the two T’s: Time and Talent.

Until next time may you be winning and not whining about your games.