Scotch Gambit Sarratt Variation I

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mikrohaus2014

Bullet and Blitz players are always looking for some off-the-wall opening variation to confound their opponents. If the variation is not quite sound and their opponents prove up to the task of finding their way through the maze, well, they might win on time anyway, because of their opponents' difficulties in finding the way.

Such an opening is the Scotch Gambit Sarrat Variation, which has more soundness in the end than a lot of other craziness.

However, to show all the attacking and defensive ideas in this somewhat complicated variation would require a really long post. So, I tackle that problem by breaking it up into the historical development of the variation, which makes it easier to remember for most people, and divide it among 3 posts. [I use the Roman numerals I, II, and III to differentiate among the posts, just like "Star Wars"!]
 
The Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 ed 4.Bc4) is usually answered by 4...Bc5, although other moves are tried, such as 4...Qf6. With 4...Bc5, though, Black supports the gambit pawn by developing a piece to a good square in openings of this sort.

In the position under consideration, it appears White will have to expend some effort to regain a pawn or not bother at all and try to get compensation in some other way. One time-tested method for White is 5.c3. Then, after 5...dc 6.Nxc3, White has developed with tempo and has half-open c and d files for his heavy pieces, plus his pawn on e5 is uncontested. All-in-all White has adequate compensation for a pawn at the moment in this case.

However, sometime around 1818 Jacob Henry Sarrat turned his attention to the Scotch Gambit and wondered if there wasn't something better than 5.c3. After all Black is not forced to play 5...dc and might play 5...d3. Whether B or Q takes on d3, neither piece is particularly well-placed there and will usually need to redeploy, wasting time. Plus, it's not like the Pc3 is helping out, and would probably be better back on c2 to give the Nb1 a good square.

Well, Sarrat came up with a totally radical idea: 5.Ng5, which doubly attacks the weak spot f7 and opens the diagonal d1-h5 for the Q. The latter is not an incidental factor in forming an evaluation of the position. By geometrical motif, Qd1-h5 can attack the unsupported Bc5, after all the trades are made at f7 and the king captures last. Since Qd1-h5 would be with check, the Bc5 must fall. Therefore, White has really serious threats.

After 5.Ng5 many players of the black pieces have lost their heads and thrashed out with moves like 5...Bb4+ or 5...d4. These hot heads didn't always lose after these sorts of moves -- sometimes they even won -- but it wasn't because they had a better or even equal position after their rash plays.

Cooler heads playing the black pieces would take a moment to evaluate. First, Black has made no bad moves -- or even a pair of 2nd-best moves -- in the opening; so, why should Black panic? Second, opening principles tell us that moving pieces twice in the opening to start an attack is premature and should result in failure; so, that should fortify Black's spirits as well.

The reality on the board, though, is that White threatens to crash through on f7, winning a  R, Q, or even K. As if that weren't enough... if Black survives the first wave, there is always Qd1-h5 and the Bc5 could be lost.

With these thoughts in mind, what defense would you consider best? [See Part II for some historical developments in this line and a couple of interesting complete games for some answers.]

mikrohaus2014

I use the Kennicott-Morphy game in II, but Morphy's game against Judge Meek could have been used as well for our purposes.

Your points are well taken: ...d6 is good, ...d5 is good, and so is ...Qh4, once Black gets to take a breath.

My point was to get to the Vitzthum Attack (Part III), in case Black plays best moves. I believe a lot of players could learn something about strategy and tactics from study of this variation, even if they never play it from the white side. Otherwise I would not have spent a few hours putting it together.

In my heart I want Black to blast White off the board after 5.Ng5, but it is not possible, if White doesn't go off the rails. I have lots of games in my databases of ELO <2200 winning with regularity with White in serious games of recent vintage.

I would rather have the black side in a blitz game, but I might get disappointed with a draw in the end.

I simply can't prove the Sarratt Variation loses for White by force, despite my researches. I liken it to Fischer's article "A Bust of the King's Gambit" published decades ago, after he lost to Spassky from the black side. All the 10000 people around the world, who won today with the white side of the KG, are sure to be amused that they were playing a "busted" opening.

mikrohaus2014

My problem is not that White gets away with wasting a move, but that Black has to play precisely to deal with it. It just seems wrong somehow.

What I find particularly amusing is how the the defense thought moving one of their own pieces twice was a solution, e.g. 5...Ne5 or 5...Bb4+. [See Part II.]

ponz111
Fiveofswords wrote:

whatever is making you think that black could totally refute ng5 is honestly wrong intuition. There is no reason you should expect such a thing. I will grant that Ng5 isnt a totally logical move but white can get away with stuff like that since hes white assuming he doesnt continue to neglect development

Black gets the better game. White by move 5 in any sound opening should have an equal game or a slight advantage.

Why play a move that is not totally logical?

Why play a move which gives White a  disadvantage on move 5?

mikrohaus2014

You are preaching to the choir with me. I don't get it either, but people keep winning or drawing with the Sarratt Variation for no logical reason whatsoever.

Here is a game from a few months ago from possibly one of our "Carlssens-in-Waiting". The guy who drew with white didn't even have an ELO rating !!!

[Event "World Youth Boys U18 2014"]
[Site "Durban RSA"]
[Date "2014.09.26"]
[Round "8.30"]
[White "Varden,Randall"]
[Black "Machlik,Jon"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo ""]
[BlackElo "1859"]
[ECO "C44"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5 Ne5 6.Bxf7+ Nxf7 7.Nxf7 Bb4+ 8.c3 dxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3+ 10.Nxc3 Kxf7 11.Qd5+ Ke8 12.Qh5+ Kf8 13.O-O Nf6 14.Qf3 d6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Ba3+ Kf7 17.Rad1 Qe8 18.Ne4 h6 19.Rc1 Qe6 20.Rxc7+ Kg6 21.Nxf6 Qxf6 22.Qg3+ Qg5 23.Qxg5+ hxg5 24.Bb2 Re8 25.Re1  1/2-1/2

Black should have lost after 5...Ne5 and definitely after 7...Bb4+, which I show in Part II of my 3-part post. Apparently my post needs to be seen, at least by some in the U18 crowd who play in World Youth tournaments. LOL

mikrohaus2014

Thanks to all my chess.com pals for giving thoughtful ideas from the logical perspective [Prin and Swords need to stop with logic! This is about the <10-min crowd and a crazy game, regardless of being right.]

With that in mind, I think a fun idea for  Black in the Vitzthum (Part 3) is the "desperado" idea from Part 2 (...Bb4+, in case White thinks it's irrellavant which  piece captures on f7 first), which I think my logical friends would seize upon so fast and do brutality upon their hapless oppenents so fast, that we would leave the score of their games to their "My Best Chess Games" collections. I believe it's a bust to careless move selection in the Vitzthum for White.

Now to get back to the frey: every logical good player wants to bust my chops, but I never said I wanted either side of this argument. It's just challenging chess and lots of Bullet and Blitz players will get interesting positions -- actually wins -- from what I wrote from both sides.

This variation is really old and really interesting. It can't be classed as a trap opening, but has it's own own logic of a unique sort.

[BTW, this whole idea came to me from recently rereading "New Ideas in Chess", by Reti, where Reti "proves" Morphy figured this whole variation out. Well, I take everything with a grain of salt nowadays-- even the great Reti and Morphy -- so, I reaearched it and here we are. White has chances in the Vitzthum, even though we chess logicians hate it. White has chances the whole time, if Black doesn't know what's going on.]

It's a fun variation for study and certainly <10 min play from either side.

"Swords" made a cogent comment that I didn't say as forcefully as I might in Part II: "White can waste a move, because he's White" (my way of saying it, not his, but that's the point he made quite well.) Don't forget that, because it is wise and true and great to keep in mind if you try the Sarratt Variation from either side.

mikrohaus2014

Doh!

I keep talking about Parts II and III without a link: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/scotch-gambit-sarratt-variation-ii

My most fun writing was in Part II, where we meet up with antagonists who could only play each other from the grave.

The games are of high quality, I assure you. NMPrin suggested Judge Meek vs. Morphy, which is a famous game, but I chose Kennicott-Morphy.

Why? We need the killer instinct, to be good chess players, and Morphy shows how. It doesn't make us bad people, after all, but skillful "chessicutioners", to coin a phrase, to do it efficiently. [But all the Meek-Morphy games are good.]

mikrohaus2014

I guess part 3 is http://www.chess.com/view/chess-openings/scotch-gambit-sarratt-variation-iii

It's more difficult to make pronouncements against the Vitzthum Attack than anything I've ever done in chess. Sure, I know the (good) plans with ...Qf6 and ...Qg6 or the ...Qe7 (good) counter-attacks, but it can't be killed by my exertions.

So,all games of quailty, using this opening, White or Black, are requested to be submitted so we can take an unbiased survey

notmtwain
mikrohaus2014 wrote:

I guess part 3 is http://www.chess.com/view/chess-openings/scotch-gambit-sarratt-variation-iii

It's more difficult to make pronouncements against the Vitzthum Attack than anything I've ever done in chess. Sure, I know the (good) plans with ...Qf6 and ...Qg6 or the ...Qe7 (good) counter-attacks, but it can't be killed by my exertions.

So,all games of quailty, using this opening, White or Black, are requested to be submitted so we can take an unbiased survey

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/scotch-gambit-sarratt-variation-iii

You left out the /forum in your link.

p2kpradeep

Why not something like:

 

 

notmtwain
p2kpradeep wrote:

Why not something like:

 

 

Because, as pointed out in posts #1 and #2, black doesn't have to take on c3 with 5..dc.

#1 suggests 5..d3. #2 suggests 5..Nf6.

/ If you are going to revive old threads, you should at least read them.

p2kpradeep
notmtwain wrote:
p2kpradeep wrote:

Why not something like:

 

 

Because, as pointed out in posts #1 and #2, black doesn't have to take on c3 with 5..dc.

#1 suggests 5..d3. #2 suggests 5..Nf6.

/ If you are going to revive old threads, you should at least read them.

 

Yes, I did read that. I'm not trying to refute the original post, but just trying to understand the rationale, to help me build my repertoire on better understanding.

 

Here are some of my thoughts:

5. c3 Nf6 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 { and I don't see that White is uncomfortable }

5. c3 Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd5 { to follow-up with Qb3, O-O, Nxc3 etc.; again, I don't see that White is uncomfortable }

In case of 5. c3 d3 It seems to me that White still has many good options; I may be wrong in thinking so, in which case I wanted to learn from more experienced people.

Simply saying "Opponent may play d3 instead of taking on c3, so let's play another variation," without looking at possible follow-ups after the opponent's move doesn't really help learn the variation deeper.