a b c d e f g h

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a b c d e f g h

Moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4

ECO C50

Origin Wilhelm Steinitz, The Modern ChessInstructor, Part II, 1895

Namedafter

Legend on Blackburne (see text)

Parent Italian Game

Synonym(s) Kostić Gambit

Blackburne Shilling Gambit

Contents1 History2 Analysis3 See also4 References5 External links

Italian Game, Blackburne Shilling GambitFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit is the namefacetiously given to a dubious chess opening, derivedfrom an offshoot of the Italian Game, that begins:

1. e4 e52. Nf3 Nc63. Bc4 Nd4?!

It is also sometimes referred to as the Kostić Gambitafter the Serbian grandmaster Borislav Kostić, whoplayed it in the early 20th century.[1]

HistoryWilhelm Steinitz made the first known mention of thisline, noting it in 1895 in the Addenda to his ModernChess Instructor, Part II.[2] The earliest game with the opening on chessgames.com, Dunlop–Hicks, NewZealand Championship, dates from 1911.[3] Another early game, mentioned by Bill Wall, is Muhlock–Kostić, Cologne, 1912.[1][4]

AnalysisBlack's third move is, objectively speaking, a weak, time-wasting move. Steinitz recommended 4.0-0 or4.Nxd4 in response.[2] International Master Jeremy Silman writes that White has an advantage after 4.0-0,4.c3, or 4.Nc3. He recommends as best 4.Nxd4! exd4 5.c3 d5 6.exd5 Qe7+ 7.Kf1 +/=, when 5...Bc5? loses apawn to 6.Bxf7+! Kxf7 7.Qh5+.[5]

The only virtue of 3...Nd4 is that it sets a trap that has ensnared many players. After the natural 4.Nxe5!?,Black wins material with 4...Qg5! Now the obvious 5.Nxf7?? loses to 5...Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3#, asmothered mate. This trap is what gives the line its name; the great English master Joseph HenryBlackburne reputedly used it to win shillings from amateurs.[1] However, Wall has questioned this, stating

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The Wikibook ChessOpening Theory has apage on the topic of:Blackburne ShillingGambit

that there are no recorded games of Blackburne with the opening.[1]

The opening is not a true gambit, since White cannot take the pawn on e5 without losing material. However,after 4.Nxe5 Qg5, White can maintain a playable game with 5.Bxf7+! Steinitz wrote that this move,"followed by castling, is now White's best chance and in some measure a promising one, considering that hehas two Pawns and the attack for the piece".[2] After 5...Ke7? (5...Kd8!? 6.0-0 [6.Ng4? Nh6!−+] +/=) 6.0-0Qxe5 7.Bxg8 (7.Bc4 is also possible) Rxg8 8.c3 Nc6 (8...Ne6 9.d4! Qxe4? 10.d5 Nf4?? 11.Re1 pins Black'squeen against his king and wins; Silman analyzes 9...Qf6 10.f4 when "[w]ith two pawns and an attack forthe sacrificed piece, White’s compensation isn’t in doubt".[5]) 9.d4, White's two extra pawns, strong center,and lead in development, combined with Black's awkwardly placed king, give White strong compensationfor the sacrificed knight. G. Chandler–NN, Stockbridge 1983, concluded 9...Qa5? (9...Qf6 10.e5 Qf7 may bebest) 10.d5 Ne5? 11.Qh5! Nf7? (11...d6 12.Bg5+ Kd7 13.Qxh7 also wins for White) 12.d6+! 1–0 (in light of13.Qxa5).

Graham Burgess writes that 3...Nd4 is also known as the "Oh my God!" trap, as for full effect, Black issupposed to make this exclamation, pretending to have accidentally blundered the e-pawn. Burgesscondemns this behavior as unethical, and notes that the trap, if avoided, leaves White with a largeadvantage.[6]

See alsoList of chess openingsList of chess openings named after people

ReferencesBill Wall (2005), The Blackburne Shilling Gambit (http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/shilling.htm&date=2009-10-25+09:51:10)

1.

Wilhelm Steinitz, The Modern Chess Instructor, Edition Olms Zürich, 1990 (reprint), p. 63 of Part II. ISBN3-283-00111-1.

2.

Dunlop–Hicks, New Zealand Championship 1911 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1320024).3. Muhlock–Kostić, Köln 1912 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1243016)4. Jeremy Silman (2004), Two Wild Black Systems (http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_opng_anlys/040801_two_wild_black_systems.html)

5.

Graham Burgess, The Mammoth Book of Chess, Carroll & Graf, 1997, pp. 122–23. ISBN 0-7867-0725-9.6.

External linksOpening Report: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 (635 games)(http://studimonetari.org/edg/blackburn2.html)

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Categories: Chess openings Chess traps 1912 in chess

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