Chess: Bishop's Gambit – the shock weapon

We continue our series on the King's Gambit. The position arises after 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Bc4. Black to play. RB The Bishop's Gambit variation of the King's Gambit isn't a common sight, but I have particular reason to know it. Many years ago the late human rights lawyer Larry Grant and I played a correspondence game, of sorts. I had White and I thought I'd catch Larry out with precisely this opening. I was being held at that time in Brixton prison and I would see Larry at the weekly remand hearing. We'd exchange moves, often in the holding cell below the court. I can still remember the grin on Larry's face when, instead of the queen check on h4 I'd been expecting, he played 3...f5. I'd never seen it before and Larry quickly got a good position (and eventually won). Later I did a little bit of research on the opening, hoping for the chance to unleash it one day. But since no one has ever done me the courtesy of playing the Bishop's Gambit, my preparations remain untested. Until now. So 3...f5, and if 4 exf5 then the queen check: 4...Qh4+ 5 Kf1 f3 – with an uncovered attack on the bishop at c4. It's sharp and messy, but great fun. DK I have to admit, I've never seen 3...f5 before, and as a shock weapon it looks perfect. On consulting The King's Gambit by Korchnoi and Zak (Batsford 1974 – a treasured book in my youth) I find this was all the rage in the 1870s. K&Z recommend 4 Qe2 Qh4+ 5 Kd1 – not an obvious continuation – and anything can happen. A more orthodox counter for Black is 3...Nf6 4 Nc3 c6, followed by ...d5, solidly blocking out White's dangerous bishop. This is generally the choice of today's professionals. What Black definitely shouldn't do against the Bishop's Gambit is 3...Qh4+ (though I suspect that many will be tempted by the check). The king moves to f1 where it isn't so badly placed, then follows Nf3 and White is suddenly ahead in development. [email protected]