Thread locked. Gambit appears to be talking largely to himself. And 'Sota' who may or may not be Gambit too, but has only posted once.
All - we very much welcome analysis and considered contributions.

Will do.

Continuing to type up my BDG games. Will include some never-before seen games and analyses. Working on a BDG book.

Zilbermintz,Lev (2096) - Macaspac,Arthur (2137) [D00]
Garden State Chess League 2011-12 Rahway, NJ (2), 09.12.2011

board 1 D00 QP Game Blackmar-Diemer Gambit

1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 exf3 5.Nxf3 e6 6.Bg5 Bb4 7.Bd3 b6 [RR: 7...Nbd7 8.0-0 Bxc3?! 9.bxc3 c5 10.Qe2 Qc7 11.Rae1+/= Mingos - Moldovan : correspondence, USCF 1986]

8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Qe2 Qe7 12.a4N [12.Ne5 h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bg3 0-0-0 15.Ba6 Nb8 16.Bxb7+ Kxb7 17.Qf3+ Kc8 18.Qxf6 Qe8 19.Nxf7 1-0 Hanison - Reussner : correspondence, Germany 2001]

12...h6 13.Bd2 a5 14.c4 c6 15.Rab1 Ba6 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.Qxe5 Qd8 18.Bf4 Ra7 19.Bg3 Rd7 20.c3 Rg8 21.Bh4 g5 22.Rxf6 gxh4 23.Rbf1 h3 24.g3 Rg5 25.Qf4 e5 26.Re6+ Re7 27.Qxf7+ Kd7 28.Rxe7+ Qxe7 29.Qf3 Bb7 30.Bf5+ Kc7 31.Qe4 c5 32.Qxe5+ Qxe5 33.dxe5 Bg2 34.Rf2 h5 35.e6 Kd8 36.Rd2+ Ke8 37.Rf2 Ke7 38.Rf4 Rg8 39.Rh4= Rd8? 40.Rxh5 Rd1+ 41.Kf2 Rf1+ 42.Ke2? Ra1? 43.Rh7+ Kf6 44.e7 Bc6 45.Rh6+ Kxf5 46.Rxc6 Ra2+ 47.Kf3 1-0

Comments by John Moldovan

Interesting, but a bit irrelevant, Lev. What's the oldest Kampars game in the book? Tom Purser gives a game from 1955 and also a 1955 game by Sneiders. Who are the other BDG-players at such an early or earlier stage? From which country are they?

MNb wrote on 10/25/11 at 00:12:49:

Thanks. That was the letter which I had in mind. Max Euwe's reaction speaks volumes. Diemer's loud enthusiasm for this system was a bit much to bear for Müller, Euwe, Pachman, etc.

There are detailed lists of Diemer's articles in various sources (Studier; Rochade); and he propagated the gambit in print early and often, calling it "Blackmar-Gambit". For example in Schach-Echo 1953, p. 100 (the name appears four times on this page alone, plus one "Blackmar-Stellung". Or in Österreichische Schachzeitung 1955, p. 237, is Müller's article "Zur Theorie des Blackmar-Gambits". Müller quotes Diemer, who had sent him analyses, again it is always "Blackmar-Gambit". There must be pre-1950 articles, too.

Diemer's book covers only the Ryder Gambit, but there is also his fanzine "Blackmar-Gemeinde" (about 1956), with a variety of BDG lines, and also other games e.g. 1.d4 e5. Somehow I've got the impression that Diemer started using "B-Diemer-G" only after Euwe's letter. But proving this hypothesis would be hard; I am not eager to look through all the material, sorry.

Stefan Buecker wrote on 10/24/11 at 22:23:20:

The Losbladige articles were all attributed to Euwe, so it will probably remain unknown who actually wrote it.
As I always have understood Euwe wrote it because of Diemer's quite sensational success at Hoogovens, 1956. But your interpretation might be right, as Diemer did not actually get the chance to play it (only one Hübsch Gambit).
In the meantime I have done some research. The BDG was already known in Canada at least in 1955. It seems that Nikolajs Kampars introduced it. It's remarkable that several immigrants from the Baltic States practiced it: Sneiders, Dravnieks and Tejler all claime to have learned it from him.
Source: Tom Purser, who seems only interested in biased news about the BDG (which doesn't necessarily mean that he has the facts wrong). He mentions our little debates, but doesn't mention anywhere on his page the contributions of Von Hennig and Milner-Barry.
My point is that the BDG obviously crossed the ocean before Diemer published his book and the Losbladige article was written. Now I'd like to know if Kampars can be connected to Diemer somehow - before those refugees began to play the BDG I mean.

Now I regret not owing De Losbladige Schaakberichten from the 50's anymore. It got lost during my last emigration.
I remember Euwe writing an article in 1956 or 1957 about the BDG, but can't remember if he gave it a name. The article was mainly about Diemer's games obviously. It might very well be the case that it was just called Queen Pawns Opening. I do know 5...e6 was dubbed the Euwe Defence because he recommended it in said article; also the game Bogo-Diemer was there, giving 5...g6 the name Bogoljubow Defence (which shows again how silly BDG-nomenclature is).
There is at least one biography on Diemer. Isn't the answer there?
Otherwise somebody should go check it in the Max Euwe Centre or in The Hague's Royal Library.

Anyhow, Diemer's first book, published in 1957, was called Vom ersten Zug an auf Matt! : 25 Jahre Erfahrungen mit dem Blackmar-Diemer-Gambit.

http://d-nb.info/456453954

It did not cause an explosion in The Netherlands, mainly because Donner ridiculed him in "De Tijd“, February 1958 already. That article has made it into The King.
Diemer's loss against Geza Fuster, Beverwijk 1958 did not help very much either.
It took a few years before the idea reached the other side of the Atlantic Ocean; as far as I could trace Dravnieks and Sneiders began to play it in corr. games in 1961. Serious OTB games are rare, so it's more like Diemers book caused a storm in a glass of water.
I lively can remember that Diemer's 1957 book wasn't sold out yet in the early 80's; I saw it in the publisher's store (Ten Have, Leidsestraat Amsterdam). What's more, it was actually about the Ryder Gambit. And it was crap. Gazillions of hardly annotated games with lots of exclams, no explanations, presented in an unsystematical way.

Gambit wrote on 09/24/11 at 23:00:07:

So actually Diemer did not do that either. There is a reason Tim Sawyer wrote as late as 1992 that

Quote:

Bobrov was deploying the ideas developed by Ignatz Von Popiel. Diemer himself credits Von Popiel for the original 3.Nc3 improvement to the dubious Blackmar Gambit. However, Von Popiel preferred 4.Bg5 to an immediate 4.f3 and this (4.Bg5) move still bears his name, the Von Popiel Attack. Diemer, of course, preferred the immediate 4.f3 and being the first to publish any serious literature on the theory certainly deserves to have his name included in the BDG name.

SWJediknight wrote on 09/24/11 at 09:05:59:

True: around 1930. Von Hennig played 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.f3 as early as 1920 and possibly before.
Of course Diemer never became an adult in the meaning of an independent grown up, so it's safe to say that he still was a toddler in 1920. Without the help of the NSDAP Diemer would have starved in the 30's for instance.

What's more, before Diemer took it up in 1937 at least 8 other games with his ideas were played; amonst others by Duras and Richter. By claiming the idea Diemer proved to be a liar too, but what would you expect from a virulent nazi. Such a brilliant idea can't be attributed to a Czech or an anti-nazi, can it (Richter stayed in a concentration camp for almost a year)?

A tribute to the true inventors:

Duras,O - Simek [D00]
Pisek sim, 1912


Von Hennig,H - Carls,C [B15]
Göteborg-B(7), 1920



Von Hennig,H - Carls,C [B15]
Göteborg-B (7), 1920



Richter,K - Rotenstein,S [D00]
Berlin-ch (4), 1932



Milner Barry,P - Thomas,G [B15]
London(6), 1932

Von Hennig was active in the 1920s, and Diemer was born in 1908. A toddler is a child ages 2-4 years. Diemer by the end of the 1920s was aged 21, an adult. Thus, your description of Diemer as a toddler is inaccurate. Diemer would have been anywhere between 12 and 21 years of age in the 1920s.

The Caro-Kann can transpose To the BDG after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Bc4 Nf6 5 f3 or 3 Be3 dxe4 4 Nc3 Nf6 5 f3

The French has the Alapin-Diemer Gambit, 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Be3 dxe4 4 f3

Gambit wrote on 09/21/11 at 05:21:01:


Well done.
If you were to perish early in a freak yachting accident, you could die happy.

Saw William Shatner at Newport Pagnell services once.

I haven't had a laugh like this in ages. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 ½-½ but not completely sure..., come on man.

I can handle myself against GMs in bliz!

Some people just don't get that even Kasparov is only human. What many GMs do is make quick draws, before the fun actually starts.

Markovich wrote on 09/14/11 at 01:10:39:


Indeed. Perhaps a separate USCF titles thread would be helpful explaining.
Actually, do have interest. Seem to play lots of US players (likely due to a US-friendly, Euro-unfriendly time zone and personal schedule) on ICC who have a range of unfamiliar titles.
Don't know what they are supposed to be, just curious.
But, yeah, perhaps just ignore the desire  for us all to dress up and Just Play Chess.

Gambit wrote on 09/13/11 at 14:04:33:


Not so smart.　Am very middling.

Well, I admitted defeat and asked my federation to apply for my FM 'title'. I was reluctant,  but no time these days to get out there to get the IM, least not for a while, so it'll do, it's something I guess.

Am interested. What is the performance rating level for Life Master btw? 300 games at 2000? 2100? 2200? 2300? 2400? A certain percentage versus IMs / GMs?
Those outside US may look somewhat sceptically at such pseudo-titles, wielded by players who do not appear very strong.

If Lev is proud of the 'title' that's good for him, but I was a bit surprised by the whole CM thing when it was introduced. Means as little as all those silly US titles: life master and stuff. Two squares forward, one to the side, congrats you are an 'expert'. Or whatever they have.
My federation wrote that they had put my name forward for CM. Had to write a prompt letter back saying no thanks, is embarrassing and they relented.

(1) These are chess games, since obviously, they were played. Not my fault Kasparov offered a draw early on.

(2) You saw Karpov, not Kasparov. Different player.

(3) Simple. I do have the title of Candidate Master in over-the-board chess. As for correspondence, I do not play much in ICCF, USCF or APCT tournaments. Computers take all the fun out of tactics. You cannot use a chess engine over-the-board, but you can do so in postal chess. That, in my opinion, is not fair.

Hope this answers your questions.

I would like to point out that the BDG begins after 1 d4 d5 2 e4 dxe4 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 f3. That is first.

Second, Kasparov would have, as happened in our games, offer a draw early on. He was not interested in playing serious games, just in getting a rating on chess.net website.

Third, how many non-Grandmasters can say they drew Kasparov? I can. As far as beating GMs on the Internet Chess Club, I do that all the time. At the New Yorker Hotel Blitz tournament in May 2011, I beat GM Mikhail Kekelidze in the very first round. He is from Georgia in the former Soviet Union. That really set people talking!

Last, to be honest, I am not even 100% sure of the game scores! I think it was 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 in the first Zilbermints-Kasparov game, but it has been 12 years!
The only reason I remember the scores (at least I as accurately as I think) is because all games lasted 3 moves! I had it saved in my school email, but that got lost when my access to the school email lapsed. So I am relying on my memory.

As for best player in history, that remains an open question. Some of the new players, like Magnus Carlsen, might eclipse Kasparov soon. Especially since Kasparov is training Magnus!

No, it was not even a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit. I think one game went 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 (Zilbermints - Kasparov, chess.net 1999) while the second went something like
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 (Kasparov - Zilbermints, chess.net 1999). I was White in the third game. All three games ended in a draw on move 3. There were no BDGs.

Because he offered a draw after the third move in every game. In fact, he was most likely trying out chess.net website. The handle said "Kasparov" (GM) 2800 . And only one man had that rating in 1999!

You can find some of these games on chesslab.com and chesslive.de databases. Type in "Zilbermints" and "Zilbermintz".

Joining Yahoo is free, by the way.

Yes, you have to join the group. Here is a link to my article about the FIRST-EVER BDG GAME:

http://www.belkaplan.de/chess/bdg/zilbermints_erstes_blackmar-diemer-gambit_1896...

The link is http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/unorthodoxchessopenings

First go to the link, then click on Files. Find the file TWENTY YEARS WITH THE...

Directions:

Go to Yahoo Groups. Find Unorthodox Chess Openings Group. Go to Files. Open it. Scroll down to TWENTY YEARS WITH...

In this file will be published all the BDG games -- tournament, blitz, casual chess, Quick Chess -- that I have played since 1991. Internet Chess Club games are a separate category. I am talking about over-the-board chess and correspondence here.

Go to Unorthodox Chess Openings. Find the label "Files" and click on it. The scroll down to the file TWENTY YEARS WITH THE... My 1991 games are in there.

I would appreciate it if you could upload them here. Thanks.