The King Of Chess Master

The Omega Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.e4) Part 2
by Clyde Nakamura

The starting position of the Omega Gambit.

Part 1 of this article covers the Omega Gambit Accepted

Omega Gambit Declined

1.d4 Nf6 2.e4

Black can decline the gambit by playing:

2...d6

2...e6

2...g6

2...c6

2...c5

2...d5

2...e5

2…d6 This is probably the most frequently played declined line. This move combined with a Black king-side fianchetto is most often played.

Evilone(1915)-Xbluebolt(1935)
Internet Chess Club 11/1/97 Game 3m + 6s

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 d6 3. Nc3 g6

This is the most common declined line against the Omega Gambit. It now transposes into orthodox lines.

4. h3 Bg7 5. g4 O-O 6. Bg2 e5 7. d5 Na6 8. g5

Fritz8 gives 8.Be3 as better. I agree with Fritz8. White should just continue to develop and castle queen side.

8...Nd7 9. Be3 Nac5 10. Qd2 f5 11. gxf6 Bxf6 12. O-O-O

Castling queen side is a better strategy because Black's game is geared for a king side attack. It will be a lot more difficult for Black to mount a queen side attack.

12...Bg7 13. h4 Nb6 14. b3

I cannot allow Black to post a N at my c4 square, otherwise I will have serious problems defending my queen side castled position.

14...h5 15. Nf3 a5 16.a4 Nbd7 17. Bh6

I needed to trade off my dark squared B to weaken Black's king side. I intend to launch a full scale attack on Black's king side.

17...Nf6 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Ng5 Bd7 20. Bh3 Bg4 21. f3 Bxh3 22. Rxh3

Black's game is getting weaker and weaker. There are now more weaknesses in Black's game. His g6 square will actually be difficult to defend.

22...Qe7 23. Rg1 Kh8 24. Rhg3 Rg8 25. Ne6 Nxe6 26. dxe6 Kh7 27. Nd5 Nxd5 28. exd5 b6 29. Rg5 Qf6 30. Qd3 Kh6 31. R1g3 Raf8 32. Kd1 Rg7 33. Ke2 Rfg8 34. Qe3 Qf4 35. Qxf4 exf4 36. Rg2 Rf8 37. Kd3 Rf6 38. Re2 Rg8 39. e7

39. Kc4 Kg7 40. c3 Kf8 41. Reg2 c6 42. dxc6 Ke7 43. Rxh5 Rxe6 44. Rh7+ Kf6 45. h5 Re3 46. Rh6 Re5 47. b4 axb4 48. cxb4 Ke7 49.Rgxg6 d5+ 50. Kb5 Rxg6 51. hxg6 Kf6 52. Rh8 Re3 53. c7 Rc3 54. Kxb6 Kxg6 55. Rd8 Rc4 56. Rd6+ Kf7 57. b5 Rxc7 58. Kxc7 Black is lost.

39... Re8 40. Re4 Kg7 41. Rg2 Kf7 42. Rge2 Rf5 43. Kd4 Rf6 44. c3 Rf5 45. b4 axb4 46. cxb4 Kf6 47. a5 bxa5 48. bxa5 c5+ 49. Kc4 Re5 50. Rxe5 dxe5 51. d6 Ke6 52. d7

52. Rd2 Kd7 53. a6 Ra8 54. a7 Rxa7 55. Rb2 Ra4+ 56. Kd5 Rd4+ 57. Kxc5 Rc4+ 58. Kxc4 g5 59. Kd5 gxh4 60. Rb8 e4 61. e8=Q#

52... Kxd7 53. Rxe5 Rxe7 54. Rxe7+ Kxe7 55. a6 g5 56. hxg5 h4 57. a7 h3 58. a8=Q h2 59. Qh8 1-0

Evilone (1905) – JustPlainEd (2000)
Internet Chess Club 11/2/97 Game 5m

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 d6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. g4

Here Fritz8 suggested 5.f4 but I like to surprise my opponent with an early g4.

5...O-O 6. g5 Nh5 7. Bxh5 gxh5 8. Qxh5 Bxd4 9. Nge2 Bg7 10. Be3 Nc6 11. f4 e6 12. O-O-O

White is now fully developed and ready to attack. I intend to first play Rdf1 then f5 then f6. And I can also do a R lift with Rf3 after playing Rdf1.

12...Ne7 13. Rhg1 c5 14. Rdf1 b5 15. Ng3

I cannot push f5 right away because Black has 3 pieces guarding the f5 square.

15...b4 16. Nb1 c4

The question is whose attack will strike first White's king side attack or Black's queen side attack. I believe White will get in his attack first because Black is not fully developed on the queen side.

17. f5 exf5 18. Nxf5

I threatened to play Nxg7 followed by Bd4+. It appears that Black has to take out my N at f5.

18...Bxf5 19. exf5 Nd5 20. Rf3 Nxe3?

I do not believe Black has time to do this.

21. Rxe3

The following line also works. 21. Rh3 f6 22. Qxh7+ Kf7 23. g6+ Ke8 24. Rxe3+ Kd7 25. Qxg7+ {+- 8.34}

21... Bd4 22. Rh3 Be3+ 23. Kd1

My R is hanging but my opponent faces mate in 1.

23...h6 24. Qxh6 1-0

Evilone (1941)-DoctorHeart (1905)
Internet Chess Club 1/25/04 Game 5m

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 d6 3. Be3

Black has one more chance to take the gambit pawn at e4.

3...g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3 Ng4 7. Bd2 e5 8. d5 exf4 9. Bxf4 Nd7 10. h3 Nge5 11. Bd3 Nc5 12. O-O Nexd3 13. cxd3 f5 14. e5 dxe5 15. Nxe5 Re8 16. d4

I needed to put a lock on my center position by ensuring that my pieces in the middle are guarded.

16...Nd7 17. Re1 Nb6 18. Qb3 a5 19. d6+ Be6 20. d5 a4 21. dxc7 Qxc7 22. Qb5 Bf7 23. Nxf7

This line was suggested by Fritz8.

23. Nxg6 Bd4+ 24. Kh2 Qc5 25. Ne5 Bxd5 26. Qd3 Re7 27. Rac1

= 0.19 White

23... Bd4+ 24. Kh1 Qxf4 25. Rxe8+ Kxf7 26. Rxa8 Be5 27. Qe8+ Kf6 28. Qd8+ 1-0

If 28...Kg2 or 28..Kf7, 29.Qf8+ and checkmate.

2…e6 This could lead to a possible knight chase variation after 3.e5 Nd5 and etc.

Evilone (1953) – Estes (1891)
Internet Chess Club 9/1/97 Game 10m

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 e6 3. e5

The N chase variation. It could transpose into an Alekhine's Defense type of position.

3...Nd5 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nc3 d5 6. c5 Nc4

I do not believe that the N at c4 will be a factor in this game. I do not intend to castle queen side so this N could actually be on a useless square.

7. f4 b6 8. cxb6 axb6 9. Nf3 Bb4 10. Bd3 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 c5 12. O-O cxd4 13. cxd4 b5 14. Ng5 h6 15. Qh5 Qe7

Better is 15...Ra7.

16. Nxf7 O-O

If 16...Qxf7 17.Bg6 and Black's Q drops.

17. Qg6 1-0

If 17...Qxf7 18.Qh7+ mate, If 17...Rxf7 18.Qh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8+ mate. If 17...Qh4 18.Qh7+ Kxf7 19.Bg6+ Ke7 20.Qxg7+ Kd8 21.Qxf8+ and should White should win easily.

2…g6 This also leads to a possible knight chase variation after 3.e5 Nd5 and etc.

Evilone (2013)-Danny (2040)
Internet Chess Club 11/16/97 Game 5 m

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 g6

Another N chase variation. That is very interesting.

3. e5 Nd5 4. c4 Nb6 5. a4 d6 6. a5 N6d7 7. f4 Bg7 8. Nf3 c5 9. Be3 cxd4 10. Bxd4 Nc6 11. Bc3 dxe5 12. Be2 O-O 13. O-O exf4 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Qc1 Nxa5 16. Qc3+

Black's N drops.

16...f6 17. Rxa5 b6 18. Rd5 Bb7 19. Rd2 Qc7 20. Nd4 Kh8 21. Ne6 Qc6 22. Nxf4 e5 23. Nd5

According to Fritz8 I missed the following line which wins: 23. Nxg6+ hxg6 24. Qh3+ Kg8 25. Rxd7 {+-5.00 Fritz8}

23... Nc5 24. Qe3 Rae8 25. Bf3 e4 26. Bg4 Kg7 27. Rdf2 f5 28. Qd4+ Kf7 29. Bxf5 gxf5 30. Rxf5+ Ke6 31. Qe5+

I missed the following easy win: 31. Rxf8 Rxf8 32. Rxf8

31... Kd7 32. Rf7+ Kc8 33. Rxf8 1-0

2…c6 I have no games with this move, however the following line can be played: 3.e5 Nd5 4.c4 Nc7 (or Nb6). Black’s game may be a bit cramped so this line may not actually be good for Black.

2…c5 This is probably a good line for Black to play. The moves 3.e5 Nd5 4.c4 Nc7 (or Nb6) 5.d5 are playable for Black.

2…d5 This line is the second most played declined line in the Omega Gambit.

A. Vaisser – D. Anic
ch-Fra, Auxere 1996

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 d5

An interesting Omega Gambit Declined line.

3. exd5 Nxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. c5 Nd5 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. a3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 b6 12. Re1 Bb7 13. h4 g6 14. Ng5 Bf6 15. Qg4 h5 16. Qg3 Ne7 17. Bf4 Nf5 18. Nxe6

A really interesting N sac. Fritz8 suggested the move 18.Bxf5. Not really sure which move is better. Black cannot play 18...Nxg3 because he drops a piece after 19.Nxd1 since both the N at g3 & the B at b7 will be hanging.

18...fxe6 19. Qxg6+ Bg7 20. Rxe6 Qxh4 21. Bxf5 Qxf4 22. Qh7+ Kf7 23. Rae1 1-0

The game is over since Black cannot prevent the 24.Bg6+.

2…e5 This is an interesting counter gambit that occurred in the first known Omega Gambit game Warren-Dr. Selman 1936. In that game White played 3.dxe5 Nxe4 and got into trouble. White could instead play 3.Bd3 guarding the e-pawn and if 3…exd4 White has 4.f4 transposing into the Halasz-McDonnell Gambit, which is a good gambit to play for White.

Warren – Dr. Selman
Fernpartie NED 1936

1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 e5

It appears to be a reverse Elephant Gambit position (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5) but White has arrived at the position one move too early, so the tactics in this position are different.

3. dxe5 Nxe4 4. a3 d6 5. exd6 Bxd6 6. g3

?? White had to guard his f2 square with Be3, otherwise Black has that same cheapo like in the Budapest Defense where Black plays Nxf2, Kxf2, Bxg6+ winning White's Q.

6...Nxf2 0-1

Conclusion

The Omega Gambit Declined does not necessarily give White an opening advantage. Some of the declined lines transpose back into regular orthodox opening lines. However some of declined lines lead to some very interesting opening board positions...

Further References to the Omega Gambit
Eric Schiller's chess books