#1 Lessons from my chess training games - Learning the Geller Gambit in the Slav
After a year-long slide in rapid rating, I have decided it is time to play some more 15+10 games to stop losing on time in winning positions. I plan to share some of the interesting games here on Substack together with a short YouTube video.
SayChessClassical (2152) - Bartman42 (2208)
Time control: 15+10
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 This move was a surprise for me. 4...e6, the semi-slav, is what I almost always see in my games with White.
5. e4!? The one time I had this position before I played 5. e3, which is safer. However, in the game, I decided to play aggressive with 5. e4.
I did not know this move or that it was called the Geller Gambit. To get a grip on the opening I have made a short 5 min. video explaining my thoughts about it and the ideas.
5…b5 6. e5 Nd5 7. a4 e6 Stops ideas with white playing e6 and protects the Knight. Like 7…Bb7 8. e6 and Black has a big problem with the f-pawn.
8. axb5 I could have played 8. Be2 here following a line played back in 1949 in the game Efim Geller vs M Grozdov. Look at the nice finish by Geller!
8…Nxc3 9. bxc3 cxb5
We followed the main line until this point. I spent around 1 minute and 30 seconds here and decided to develop with Be2. This is however now a bit slow compared to the idea Ng5. I have tried to map out the plan for White.
An example of this plan can be found in the game Efim Geller vs Wolfgang Unzicker (Stockholm Interzonal, 1952). Geller weakens the Kingside, stops the pawn avalanche on the Queenside, and finishes off the weak Black King.
10. Be2?! Here Be2 is a bit too slow compared to the plan mentioned above, and since this is Gambit there is no time to lose. 10…Be7
Black takes away the g5-square and I can no longer provoke the g6-move, which is very important, so I’m suddenly I’m worse ~ -1.5-2 according to Stockfish. The Geller gambit is not particularly well evaluated by the engine, and probably why it is rarely played today. 11. O-O Bb7 12. Nd2 Nd7
13. f4?! My idea was to attack the Kingside. However, I lack targets. My Queen is stuck behind the Bishop, and my other Bishop is also kind of stuck. Better would have been to play Rb1, and if a6 then Bxc4. 13…g6? A free gift. My opponent weakens the Kingside without reason to do so. I guess my opponent was afraid of g5, but after 13...Nb6 14.f5 exf5 15.Rxf5 O-O It is not completely clear how White will attack the Black King. 14. Bf3 Qc7 15. Ne4 I now get my Knight into the game.
15…O-O 16. g4! Going for the attack! My opponent was clearly surprised by this move and spent 12 minutes on the next move! I now had good time to think about how to continue my attack. 16…a5 17. f5
17…b4?Here my opponent needs to do something about the attack. The best option is to give a Knight for 3 pawns: 17...exf5 18.gxf5 Nxe5 (18...gxf5 is also worth mentioning 19.Ng3 Kh8 20.Nxf5 Rg8+ 21.Kh1 looks a bit better for White, but anything can happen here) 19.dxe5 Qxe5. 18. f6 Creating a dangerous square on g7. 18…Bd8? Black needs to give some material to prolong the game. 19. Qd2 Going to h6. 19…Kh8 20. Qh6 Nxf6 21. exf6 1-0
I hope you found the video and annotations interesting. I think the Geller Gambit can be an interesting surprise if you are prepared and your opponent is unprepared. Did you know the Geller gambit beforehand?
/Martin
Nice game, Martin. I have to admit I am not brave enough to play the sharp variants of the Slav, so I usually choose 3.cxd5 now ;)
Nice game Martin, the Geller gambit is difficult to play for both sides :). One thing to take a look at is 6.Be2 which is kind of the modern main line