Though this game was played over the board, my opponent was the well-known and formidable correspondence player, Eugene Martinovsky, who I believe resides in the Chicago area. He is also a FIDE Master.

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 d5

The Modern Defense.

4.exd5 Nf6 5.Bb5+

For alternatives see Shaw-Morss.

5...c6 6.dxc6 Nxc6

It was Spassky who first demonstrated the strength of this logical and necessary move.

6...bxc6 was formerly played, after which Spassky-Sacharov, Leningrad 1960, continued 7.Bc4 Nd5 (7...Bd6 8.Qe2+ Qe7 9.Qxe7+ Kxe7 is an endgame where Black's better activity does not atone for his structural weaknesses) 8.0-0 Bd6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Ne4 Be7 11.Bb3 0-0 12.d4 Nd7 13.Qe2 and White, all set for c4, was better.

7.d4

Black was fine after 7.Qe2+ Be7 8.d4 0-0 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.0-0 Bd6 as played in Orienter-Gruenfeld, Vienna 1944.

7...Bd6 8.Qe2+

This is a critical but risky move. In principle, it is not good thus to provoke complications when Black is better developed.

Better, in my view, is 8.0-0 0-0 with a very dynamic postion where both players have 4-versus-2 majorities. While White's pawn structure is better, and the f4 pawn looks like it might fall, the activity of Black's pieces and the weakness of White's kingside dark squares combine to ensure Black good winning chances. For this reason, 5. Bb5+ has fallen out of favor with King's Gambit practitioners.

A. 9.Nbd2

A1. Correct is 9...Bc7!

Analysis position after 9...Bc7!

A1a. 10.Nc4 Qd5!? is my idea (10...Bg4 see variation A2, which is fine for Black and should be chosen when Black needs to win) and 11.Bxc6 Qxc4 12.Ne5 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Qxc6 14.exf6 Qxf6 is equal;

A1b. 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Nc4 (11.c4 Bf5 and Black, planning ...Ng4 and ...Ne3, has good chances) 11...Ba6 and Black is O.K.;

A1c. 10.c3 Bf5 (10...Ne7!?; 10...Ng4!?) 11.Nc4 Nd5 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Nfe5 g5! and Kallai prefers Black, offering 14.Nxc6 Qe8 15.N6e5 f6 16.Nf3 Qh5 with a dangerous initiative for Black;

A2. I don't think much of theory's favorite: 9...Bg4 10.Nc4 Bc7

A2a. 11.c3 Ne7! an important motif in this variation when White fails to exchange on c6. The knight redeploys with the threat, in this case, of ... a6 followed by ...b5. 12.Ba4 (12.Nce5 Bxe5 13.dxe5 Nfd5 is sufficient for Black) 12...Ng6 and Black is doing well enough (12...b5?! 13.Bxb5 Qd5 14.Na3 Qh5 and Black won after 15. Bd3 in Kinlay-Nunn, New Malden 1977, but Gallagher's suggestion 15. h3 appears to ensure a White advantage);

A2b. 11.Bxc6! bxc6 12.Qd3 Bxf3 (12...Qd5 13.Nce5 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 is a simplification that favors White) 13.Rxf3 and Black doesn't have sufficient chances, either on the kingside or down the d-file, to make up for his structural weaknesses. Thus: 13...Nh5 (13...Nd5 14.Bd2 also favors White) 14.Bd2 Qd5 15.Re1 (15.b4!? stopping ...c5, may be even better) 15...Rfd8! (15...Rad8 16.Bb4 forces exchanges and thus favors White) 16.c3 c5 is unclear but I do not feel at all comfortable with the Black side. Black must painstakingly prepare ...cxd4 with such moves as ...Rac8 and ...g6, since, for example, 17. b3 cxd4? 18. Re4 dxc3? 19. Re8+;

B. 9.Nc3 Qb6! 10.Kh1 Bg4 11.Bxc6 Qxc6 12.Qd3 Rad8 13.Bd2 g6 favored Black in Westerinen-Boey, Skopje 1972.;

C. 9.c4 Unlike Gallagher in his excellent book, Winning with the King's Gambit, I do not find it surprising that this move has never been played. This pawn move, in the face of Black's better development, clearly plays with fire. 9...Bg4 10.Nc3 Rc8 threatening 11...Nxd5, and now:

C1. 11.Ne2

C1a. Kallai recommends 11...a6 12.Bxc6 (12.Ba4 Nh5) 12...Rxc6 13.b3 (13.c5? Bxf3 14.Rxf3 Bxc5 Kallai) 13...Nh5 which "produces a complicated battle with chances for both sides." Kallai.;

C1b. or simply 11...Nh5 12.c5 Bxf3 13.Rxf3 (13.gxf3? Nxd4! 14.cxd6 Nxb5 15.Nxf4 Nf6) 13...Bxc5 14.Bxc6 Rxc6 15.Bxf4 Nxf4 16.Rxf4 Bd6 17.Re4 Qb6 and Black is better.;

C2. 11.Bxc6 Rxc6 12.Qa4 Bb8 with unclear chances, but with the two bishops, Black's prospects seem bright enough;

C3. 11.c5 Bb8 12.Ne2 Nd5 with a difficult game, but one that seems somewhat better for Black.

8...Be6 9.Ng5

Interesting and equally difficult for White is 9.Ne5 0-0! 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Bxf4 (11.Nxc6? Qb6) 11...Nd5 12.Bg3 f6 13.Nf3 (13.Nxc6? Bxg3+ 14.hxg3 Qd6) 13...Bxg3+ 14.hxg3 Re8 and Black was doing very well in Hartston-Spassky, Hastings 1965.

9...0-0 10.Nxe6 fxe6

10...Qb6!? is a move suggested by Kallai's Basic Chess Openings, Cadogan 1997, that is not considered by Gallagher or McDonald in their respective King's Gambit monographs. 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Nxf8 Re8 13.Qxe8 Nxe8 14.c3 Kxf8

Analysis position after 14...Kxf8

"The Black queen appears to be stronger than the two rooks due to White's underdevelopment and vulnerable kingside." Kallai.

Indeed, after 15.Nd2 Qd8 16.Nf3 g5, threatening ...g4, it appears that White is in some difficulty.

11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Qxe6+

Theory prefers 12.0-0 Qc7 and only now 13.Qxe6+ (however, see note to Black's 13th, below ). This transposes into the game.

12...Kh8 13.0-0 Qc7

13...f3 "!" 14.Rxf3 Re8 "!" Holzfogt-Schreiber, postal 1968, is universally cited as refuting White's move-order. Lacking the rest of that game, I must confess that I do not see what justifies this. 15.Qf5! Kallai says, "on any queen move the threat is ...Re1+ and ...Ng4," but that is scarcely possible now.

15...Qc7

A. 16.g3? Bxg3 17.hxg3 (17.Rxg3 is similar ) 17...Re1+ 18.Kg2 Rxc1 and Black, who intends ..Rae8 followed by ...R8e1, has an attack worth much more than the sacrificed pawn;

B. 16.Bd2! Bxh2+ (16...Rad8?? 17.Ba5; 16...Rab8 17.Nc3 Rxb2 18.Bg5 is good for White) 17.Kh1 Rab8 (17...Rad8?? 18.Ba5) 18.Nc3! Rxb2 19.Bg5 and White is better. If the foregoing is faulty, I hope someone will have goodness to share it with me.

14.Qh3

In spite of two sets of minor pieces having been exchanged, it is evident that Black has very good compensation for his pawn.

14.Nd2 Rae8 15.Qc4?! (15.Qh3 c5 see note to White's 15th) 15...f3! 16.Nxf3 Ng4 17.h3 Bh2+ 18.Kh1 Rxf3! won for Black in Hahn-Class, Bundesliga 1984; 14.Nc3 Rae8 15.Qh3 transposes into the game.

14...Rae8

I don't think 14...c5 15.Nc3 Rab8 16.d5 c4 17.Qf3! is very good for Black.

15.Nc3!

This very reasonable move is unbooked, as far as I know.

Game postion after 15. Nc3!

Theory gives 15.Nd2 c5 16.Nc4 f3! 17.Nxd6 (17.gxf3 Re2?; 17.Rxf3? Bxh2+!) 17...Qxd6 18.gxf3 (18.Qxf3 Ne4 favors Black, according to Gallagher) 18...Qxd4+ 19.Kh1 Re2 and Black is better.

15...Qb6?!

I was quite happy with this move when I played it, but it is time-wasting.

15...c5

A. 16.Nb5 Qb6 17.Qd3 (17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.Bxf4 Qxd4+ 19.Kh1 Qxb2 looks even) 17...Ng4!;

B. 16.d5! c4 17.Qf3 and Black has trouble defending his f-pawn;

15...Nd5! appears to be the only good answer.

A. 16.Bd2

A1. 16...Nb4! 17.Rae1 (17.Rac1 Qb6 18.Be1 Be5! with equality) 17...Nxc2 18.Rxe8 Rxe8 19.Qh5 g6 (19...Rf8 20.Ne4 is good for White) 20.Qh4 Ne3 Black's pawns are worse, but his knight is strong, and if it's exchanged, he gets a dangerous passed pawn. I think it's even.;

A2. 16...Qb6 17.Qd3 Nb4 18.Na4 Nxd3 19.Nxb6 axb6 20.cxd3 and Black may be able to draw, but I am nervous about White's a-pawn advancing;

B. 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.c3 f3! 18.gxf3 (18.Rxf3? Re1+ 19.Kf2 Rfe8 and Black has a winning attack) 18...Re2 19.f4 Qf7 20.Qg4 (20.Qg3 Qf5 and Black is fine) 20...Rfe8 21.Rf2 Re1+ 22.Kg2 R8e6 23.f5 R6e4 and Black has sufficient compensation for his pawn.

16.Qd3 Ng4

This is a thematic move in the modern defense, attempting to exploit White's kingside dark-square weakness. Here, by allowing White's knight to come to e4, it makes a large concession in the center. But Black has no really adequate move in any case, now that he has misplaced his Queen.

16...f3 17.gxf3 Qc7 with merely practical chances in return for the pawns.

17.Ne4 c5 18.c3?

He misses 18.Ng5 g6 19.Qf3! and there is not much left for Black. But highly satisfactory for Black is 18.dxc5 Bxc5+ 19.Kh1 Be3! and Black is prepared for ...Qg6 and a kingside attack.

18...cxd4 19.Ng5?!

Too late. Necessary was 19.cxd4, when 19...Be5 leaves Black with the better game.

19...dxc3+ 20.Kh1

Game position after 20. Kh1

20...Rf5! 21.Bxf4

21.Qxf5? Nf2+ 22.Kg1 (22.Rxf2 Re1+ 23.Rf1 Rxf1#) 22...Nh3+ 23.Kh1 Qg1+ 24.Rxg1 Nf2#; 21.Nh3 cxb2 22.Bxb2 Qxb2 23.Qxf5 Ne3 24.Qg5 h6 25.Qg6 Re6 and Black wins.

21...cxb2 22.Rab1 Nf2+ 23.Rxf2 Qxf2 24.Nf3 Rxf4 25.Qxd6 Rc4

25...Re1+ was pointed out to me later by a player on an adjacent board.

26.Qd1 Rc2 27.Nh4 Rc1 28.Rxc1 bxc1Q 0-1

An interesting game, noteworthy because of Martinovsky's 15. Nc3! I was fortunate that my strong opponent did not punish my inaccurate answer. Even so, with 15...Nd5!, the Modern Defense is vindicated.