The two King's Gambit games of the Gambit Match have ended after one year.

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 Obligated moves bring the King's Gambit Accepted. 3. Bc4 Timmerman avoids the pawn avalanche of the Knight's Gambit. I agree with him, because the line 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 d6! 6. Nxg4 Be7 is sunny for Black. 3... Nf6 3... Qh4+!? 4. Kf1 was often played in the nineteenth century, but this variation is less suitable for correspondence chess at top level. 4. Nc3 Bb4 4... c6! gives a positional edge in the Bishop's Gambit (Spielmann-Bogoljubow, Karlsbad 1923). Umansky wants tactics! 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Nd5!? Usual is the quiet 6. O-O (Paulsen - Kolisch, ninth match game London 1861). 6... Nxd5 7. exd5 Re8+ 8. Kf2 Timmerman has followed De Riviere - Morphy, eleventh match game, Paris 1863. White plans to further develop his centre pawns and hopes to regain the gambit pawn on f4. 8... b5! Umansky sacrifices a pawn for a quick development of the queenside. 9. Bxb5 c6 10. Bc4 cxd5 11. Bxd5 Nc6 12. d4 White avoids 12. c3 Ba6! 13. cxb4 Bd3! 14. Bxf7+ Kf8! 12... Ba6 13. c4 Rc8 14. a3 14. Bxf4 Ne7 15. Bg5 Bxc4 16. Bxc4 Rxc4 17. Qb3 d5 18. Rac1 Rxc1 19. Rxc1 leads to equality by exchanges. 14... Bd6 15. b3 Bb8 16. Bxc6? I found 16. Qd3 very strong during the game, but 16... Qf6 17. Be4 Ne7! 18. Qc2 g6 is okay for Black. 16... Rxc6 17. d5 Qb6+ 18. Qd4 Rg6 19. Bd2 Rxg2+!! Suddenly, a lightning strikes: the quasi- sacrifice opens the white defence. 20. Kxg2 Re2+ 21. Kf1 Qxd4 22. Nxd4 Rxd2 23. Nf3 23. Re1 Kf8 24. Re4 f5 25. Nxf5 Rd1+ 26. Re1 (26. Kg2 f3+) 26... Rxd5! wins for black. 23... Rb2 24. Re1 Kf8 25. Nd4 Rd2 The rook on the second rank restrains the white pieces. 26. Nb5 26. Nf3 Rd3 27. Kg2 Rxb3 28. Rb1 Rxb1 29. Rxb1 Bd6 30. Rc1 Bc5! exchanges rooks but brings another restriction. 26... Bxb5 27. cxb5 g5 28. Rg1 f6 29. Rg2 Rxd5 30. a4 f3 31. Rc2 Kf7 32. h3 h5 33. Rc4 f5 34. Rcc1 Rd2 35. Rcd1 Rh2 36. Rxd7+ Kf6 37. Ree7 g4 38. Rf7+ Ke5 39. hxg4 hxg4 40. Rh7 Rb2 41. Rhe7+ Kf4 42. Rd4+ Kg3 The feared avalanche of pawns has struck at the end. 0-1 [Jan van Reek]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 Black's obligation was not to accept the King's Gambit. 2... Nc6 The best known responses are 2... Bc5 (Classical Defence) and 2... d5 (Falkbeer Counter Gambit). 3. Nf3 f5 I call this rare opening the King's Counter Gambit. It was played in De Saint Bon - Dubois, London 1862. 4. exf5 e4 5. Ne5 Nxe5 6. fxe5 Qe7! Both sides are making the sharpest moves. 7. Qh5+ Kd8 8. d4 exd3 9. Bxd3 Qxe5+ 10. Qe2!? Abruptly, the battling stops. The fight continues by 10. Kd1 Nf6 11. Qf3 Bc5 12. Nc3 (Gallagher-Wohl, Kuala Lumpur 1992). 10... Qxe2+ 11. Bxe2!? 11. Kxe2 also draws. 11... d5 12. c4 Nf6 13. g4 h5 14. g5 Ne4 15. Rf1 Bd6 16. Nc3 Rf8 17. Bf4 Nxc3 18. Bxd6 cxd6 19. bxc3 Bxf5 20. cxd5 Kc7 21. O-O-O Bh3 22. Rxf8 Rxf8 23. Bxh5 Rf5 24. Rd3 Bg2 25. h4 Bxd5 26. a3 Be4 27. Rg3 Rf2 28. Bd1 b5 29. h5 Rh2 30. Rg4 Bd5 31. Rf4 a5 32. Rf8 Kb6 33. Rb8+ Kc5 34. Rc8+ Kb6 35. Rb8+ Kc5 36. Rc8+ Kb6 37. Rb8+ Kc5 1/2-1/2 [Jan van Reek]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 White had to play the Classical Variation of the Two Knights. 4... d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Be2 h6 9. Nf3 e4 10. Ne5 They have followed Neumann - De Riviere, Paris 1867. 10... Bc5 11. c3 Qc7 12. d4 exd3 13. Nxd3 Bd6 14. Nd2 Bf5 15. b4 Nb7 16. Nc4 Rd8!? 16... Bxh2 17. Be3 Nd6 18. Qb3 Nxc4 19. Qxc4 leaves the initiative to White. 17. Be3 O-O 18. Bxa7 Nd5 19. Bd4 Rfe8 20. Nxd6 Rxd6!? 20... Nxd6 is known from Sutovsky - Postny, Israel 2001. 21. O-O c5! 22. bxc5 Nxc5 Timmerman has pressure in the centre for two pawns. 23. c4!? 23. Rc1! Rxe2! 24. Bxc5 Rde6 25. c4 Nf6 26. Bd4 Ng4 27. g3 Rxa2 brings a white edge, but he should avoid 28. Nf4? sue to 28... Qxf4! 29. gxf4 Rg6 23... Bxd3 24. Bxc5 Qxc5 25. Bxd3 Nf4 26. Qa4 Red8 27. Bc2 Qc8 28. Be4 Ne2+ 29. Kh1 Nc3 30. Qc2 Qxc4 31. Rac1 Qxe4 32. Qxc3 Rd2 Black has regained a pawn and stops the a-pawn. 33. a3 Qa8 34. Rce1 R8d3 35. Qb4 1/2-1/2 [Jan van Reek]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 8. Be3 Bxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Nc3 Ng5 12. Bxg5 Qxg5 13. h4 Qh5 14. O-O Qg6 15. Ne2 f6 16. exf6 Rxf6 17. Rfe1 Bd7 18. Ng3 Raf8 19. h5 Qg5 20. Re5 Rf4 21. Qe3 Qf6 22. Rf1 Qd6 23. f3 c5 24. Re1 h6 25. b3 c6 26. Qc3 c4 27. b4 a5 28. bxa5 Ra8 29. Re7 Rf7 30. Rxf7 Kxf7 31. Kf2 Qc5+ 32. Kf1 Kg8 33. Qe5 Rf8 34. Qc3 Ra8 35. Qe5 Rf8 36. a6 c3 37. Qe3 Qc4+ 38. Qd3 Qxd3+ 39. cxd3 Ra8 40. Re7 c2 41. Ne2 Bf5 42. Nc1 Rxa6 43. Re5 Bh7 44. Ke1 Kf7 45. Kd2 Kf6 46. Re8 c5 47. Rc8 *

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 These moves are obligated. 3... exd4 4. Nxd4 Timmerman chooses the Scotch Game. 4... Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qd2 dxc6 7. Nc3 Ne7 8. Na4 Bd6 9. f4 O-O 10. Qf2 Nd5!? This sacrifice is known from Hamdouchi - Ibragimov, Pulvermuehle 2000. 11. exd5 Re8+ 12. Be2 Bg4 13. Nc3 Bb4 14. Bd2 Bxe2 15. Nxe2 Qxb2 16. Rd1 Bxd2+ 17. Kxd2 Rad8 18. Nc3 Qb4 19. Qf3 cxd5 20. Kc1 Qa3+!? 20... d4 21. Nb1 was played in the mentioned game. 21. Kb1 d4 22. Nb5 White decides to defend the queenside by pieces. 22... Qa5 23. Na3 b5 24. Rd3 c5 25. Qh5! The counteraction occurs timely. 25... Re1+! 26. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 27. Qd1 Qb4+ 28. Rb3 Qa5 29. Qf3! Not 29. Nxb5? c4! 30. Rb2 Re8 31. Nd6 Qe1! 32. Kc1 c3! 33. Rb4 Qe3+ 34. Kb1 Qd2! 29... a6 30. Qc6 c4! 31. Nxc4! White returns the knight and forces a draw. 31... bxc4 32. Qxc4 g6 33. g3 Kg7 34. Kb2 Rd6 35. a3 Qf5 36. Qe2 h5 37. h4 Re6 38. Qc4 Qe4 39. Rb4 Rd6 40. a4 Qe7 41. Qd3 Qf6 42. Kc1 1/2-1/2 [Jan van Reek]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 The Evans Gambit is obligated. 4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O Nf6 8. e5 d5 9. exf6 They play sharp moves. Another wild line is 9. Bb5 Ne4 10. Ba3 (Anderssen - Mayet, Berlin 1851). 9... dxc4 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. Re1+ Be6 12. Bg5 Qd5 13. Nbd2! 13. Bf6? Qf5! favours Black (Geib - Grouls, email 1998). 13... Rxg7 14. Ne4 Kf8!? My preference goes to the queen sacrifice 14... Rg6! 15. Nh4 Rxg5 16. Nf6+ Kf8 17. Nxd5 Rxd5 18. Qf3! The captures continue by 18... Bxc3 19. Rxe6 Bxa1 20. Qxd5 fxe6 21. Qxe6 Re8 22. Ng6+!? hxg6 23. Qf6+ and the sole queen delivers perpetual check. 15. Bh6 dxc3! 15... d3 was played in Anderssen - De Riviere, Paris 1859. The response 16. Qd2! would have started an attack on the black king. 16. Qc1 Rd8 17. Nfg5 Qf5 18. Re3 Kg8?! Hereafter, White gains two exchanges. The alternative 18... Rd3! 19. Nf6!? Qg6 20. Ngxh7+ Ke7 21. Bxg7 Qxg7 22. Rb1 leads to about equal chances. 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Nxe6+ fxe6 21. Rg3+ Kh8 22. Qh6 Qf7 23. Ng5 Qg6 24. Qxg6 hxg6 25. Nf7+ Kg7 26. Nxd8 Nxd8 Forced moves have led to a difficult endgame of two rooks against two minor pieces and three pawns. 27. a4! White has an advantage, because he hinders the black advance on the queenside. 27... Nf7 28. Kf1 a6 29. Ke2 c2! I expected 29... Ne5 and the knight tries to support pawn c3. Instead the pawn is sacrificed. 30. Rc1 b5! 31. Rxc2 Nd6 The pointe of the sacrifice becomes clear. Black supports the advance on the queenside and the rooks stand in front of the black screen clumsily. 32. h4 Kf6 33. axb5 axb5 34. Ra2 Bb6 35. Ra8 b4 36. Rg8 Kf7 37. R8xg6 Bd4 38. Rg8!? White seems to play for a win, but actually accepts a peaceful end. 38... b3 39. Rb8! Ba7! 40. Rb4 Bc5! 40... c5?! 41. Ra4 b2 42. Rxa7+ only leads to chances for White. 41. Rb8 Ba7 42. Rb4 Bc5 43. Rb8 Ba7 A gambit fight has ended in a threefold repetition of positions. 1/2-1/2 [Jan van Reek]