The Mortimer Gambit
by Philip Hair
My previous article, “The Australian Attack”, concerned an obscure opening line (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.a3) and was published in a previous edition of the Bulletin (July 2021). This article concerns an even more obscure opening line, a very obscure sub-variation of Ponziani’s Opening. The critical position is reached via the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Qa4 d6 5.d4. Initially I thought I had actually invented the line, but it is very difficult to be original in chess, and it turns out that James Mortimer beat me to it by more than a century. He played this variation as White in the Paris tournament of 1900. I have therefore decided to christen the variation “The Mortimer Gambit”, although in fact it is so obscure that there is no official name for it. Since Mortimer’s game is the only one I have been able to find, apart from my own efforts with the line, it is the appropriate starting point for any discussion. Interestingly, Mortimer’s opponent in the following game had the distinction of subsequently, but fleetingly, being President of Cuba in 1934.
(Editor's Note: I took the liberty of checking the key position with the Lichess Opening Explorer. Indeed there were absolutely no "Mortimer Gambit" games in the Masters database - but there are actually hundreds of amateur games in the "Lichess database", where 5...Bd7 is by far the most popular reply with White scoring 44% in 476 games. Accepting the gambit is way less popular but scores even better for Black, White managing only 38% in 32 games).
Mortimer, James - Marquez Sterling, Manuel
Paris 1900
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 3...d5 is a major alternative but is more risky for both sides than is 3...Nf6. 4.Qa4 4.d4 is the main line of the Ponziani and was played by Magnus Carlsen at a classical time control in the game Carlsen vs Harikrishna, Wijk aan Zee 2013. 4...d6 4...Be7 can also be met by 5.d4. Black can also try (4...d5 transposing to the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 Nf6 (Leonhardt’s variation) which is best met by 5.Nxe5 Bd6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.d3! ) 5.d4
Moves are clickable
With this move, the key position of the Mortimer Gambit has been reached. 5...Bd7 Sterling decides to decline the gambit, preferring not to try (5...Nxe4 ) 6.d5 Alternatives are 6.Qb3 or 6.Qc2, keeping the centre fluid. 6...Ne7 6...Nd4 7.Qd1 Nxf3+ 8.Qxf3 was also playable. 7.Qc2 Ng6 8.Bd3 Be7 9.h3 This precaution is not necessary; White could simply play 9.O-O with an equal game. Black is better developed but the position is closed and White has more space. 9...O-O 10.g4 White is concerned about preventing ...f5 so that the position remains closed. The advance g4-g5 may also become possible. Another idea is just simple development with 10.Be3, intending 11.Nbd2. 10...c6 11.c4 c5 More critical is 11...cxd5 12.cxd5, opening the c-file before White has completed development of his pieces. 12.Nc3 a6 13.Bd2 Rb8 14.Ne2 b5 15.b3 b4 16.Ng3 h6 17.Nf5 a5 White has more space but Black is solid. White could regroup so that his pieces are more effective, e.g. by Be3 and then Qd2, before trying any pawn breaks. Another idea is to play 18.a4 with the idea of either gaining significant queen’s-side pressure after 18...bxa3 19.Rxa3, or closing up the queen’s-side if Black does not capture, so that queen’s-side castling is then safe. 18.Ke2 This idea can only make sense if White intends Rag1 and a king’s-side advance. 18...Nh7
Black is concerned about the advance g4-g5. 19.h4?! This loses material. Better would be (19.Rag1 eg 19...a4 20.Be3 Ra8 21.Qd2 axb3 22.axb3 Ra3 23.Bc2 ) 19...Bxf5 20.gxf5 Nxh4 21.Rag1? (21.Nh2 would leave Black’s h4 knight stranded, e.g. 21...Bg5 22.Rag1 Ra8 23.Ng4 when White has pressure to compensate for the pawn minus. ) 21...Nxf3 22.Kxf3 Bg5 23.Ke2 Bxd2 24.Qxd2 Ng5 25.f4? This only opens up lines for the Black pieces. 25...exf4 26.Qxf4 Qf6 White’s king is now effectively homeless. 27.Rc1 Rfe8 28.Rhe1 Rb7 29.Kf1 Rbe7 30.Bb1 Qd4 31.Rcd1 Qe5 32.Qg4 White does not wish to exchange queens as he is a pawn down and has the worse minor piece. 32...Qh2 33.Re2 Qh1+ 34.Qg1 Qf3+ 35.Qf2 Qxf2+ 36.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 37.Bxe4 Rxe4 38.Rxe4 Rxe4 39.Kf3 Re5 40.Kf4 Re2 White is now two pawns down and with a passive rook. He could well resign at this point but carries on for a few more moves. 41.Ra1 g6 42.fxg6 fxg6 43.a3 Kf7 44.axb4 axb4 45.Ra7+ Re7 46.Ra6 Rd7 47.Ra8 Kf6 48.Rf8+ Rf7 49.Re8 Kg7+ 50.Kg4 Rf6 51.Re7+ Kf8 52.Rd7 g5 53.Kh5 Ke8 54.Rh7 Rf3 55.Rxh6 Rxb3 56.Rxd6 Rc3 57.Re6+ Kd7 58.Re4 b3 0-1
This appears to have been the first appearance of the Mortimer Gambit in an international tournament, and was unfortunately not exactly a resounding success for the White pieces. This result may have contributed to the unpopularity of this opening innovation; even Mortimer himself did not play it again. However, White’s position was perfectly O.K. after 17 moves and it was just weak play at moves 19, 21 and 25 that cost the game. This one game is so significant for the variation that I think I should give some more background. The Paris 1900 tournament was held in conjunction with the Exposition Universelle, a major international exposition. James Mortimer finished in 15th place in the 17-player round-robin tournament, winning only 2 games, against Leon Rosen (also of the USA) and M. Didier (of France). He also achieved a draw and a loss (scored as 0 points) against both Jacques Mieses (German Empire) and James Mason (USA). Manuel Márquez Sterling finished in 16th place. Both players were therefore clearly tail-enders. In fact Mortimer’s chess exploits were such that they could well have qualified him for inclusion in “The Book of Heroic Failures”. However, occasionally he could draw, or even win, against one of the heavyweights, as evidenced by his draw against Mieses. We now leave the trailblazer James Mortimer and turn to the 21st century and the efforts of Philip Hair to revive Mortimer’s gambit. First, a game played in the Autumn Tourney of North Shore Chess Club in 2017:
Hair, Philip - Johns, Daniel
Autumn Tournament 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Qa4 d6 5.d4 For the first time in more than a hundred years - as far as can be determined - the key position of the Mortimer Gambit appears on the board. 5...Bd7 My opponent prefers to decline the gambit, choosing the same move that Márquez Sterling played. 6.Qc2 I prefer to keep the centre fluid rather than close it with 6.d5 as Mortimer did. 6...exd4 Black is planning to put pressure down the e-file. 7.cxd4 Qe7 8.Nc3 Bf5 If (8...Nb4 then 9.Qb3 Nxe4 10.Be3 c5 and White has several choices which maintain equality despite the pawn minus: 11.dxc5, 11.Bc4, 11.O-O-O and 11.a3. White has better activity and development. (10...a5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Qxb7 Ra7 14.Qb2 with a slight advantage to White ) ) 9.Bd3 O-O-O Not (9...Nb4? 10.Qa4+ Nc6 11.d5 ) 10.O-O Nb4 11.Qa4 11.Qb3 might possibly be slightly better. 11...Nxd3 12.exf5 a6 13.b4 Nxc1?! Apparently best is (13...d5 14.b5 Qb4 15.Qc2 Qc4 16.bxa6 bxa6 17.Rd1 Nb4 18.Qd2 with just a slight advantage to White. ) 14.Rfxc1 d5 15.b5 Rd6 16.Re1 White now has a large advantage. Another strong move is 16.Rab1. 16...Ne4
Moves are clickable
17.Qc2?! White should play (17.Nxd5! Qd7 (17...Rxd5 18.bxa6 bxa6 19.Qxa6+ Kd7 20.Qa4+ c6 21.Rab1 and White has a crushing attack ) 18.Nxc7 Nc3 19.Qb3 Qxc7 20.Re8+ Rd8 21.b6 Qd7 (if (21...Qc6 then 22.Rxd8+ Kxd8 23.Ne5 Qd5 24.Nxf7+ Ke8 25.Qxd5 Nxd5 26.Nxh8 ) 22.Qxc3+ Kb8 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 24.Ne5 Rg8 25.Qc4 ) 17...axb5 18.Nxb5 Rb6 19.Nc3?! Much stronger was (19.Qa4! Ra6 20.Na7+ Rxa7 (20...Kb8 21.Qxa6 bxa6 22.Nc6+ ) (20...Kd8 21.Nc6+ Rxc6 22.Qa8+ Kd7 23.Ne5+ Kd6 24.Qa3+ Nc5 25.Rac1 Qxe5 26.Rxe5 +- ) 21.Qxa7 Qa3 22.Qxa3 Bxa3 23.Re3 +- ) 19...Rc6 20.Nxd5 Rxc2 21.Nxe7+ Bxe7 22.Rxe4 White is a pawn up, but this includes doubled f-pawns, and Black’s pieces are now active. However, it appears that White still has some advantage. 22...Bd6 23.a4 Kd7 24.Ne5+ Bxe5 25.dxe5 Rd2 26.e6+ fxe6 27.fxe6+ At least White no longer has doubled pawns. 27...Ke7 28.f4 g6 29.Rc1 Rc8 30.Rb1 White should play 30.g4 to prepare f4-f5. 30...b6 31.Rb5 (31.g4 +- ) 31...Rd6 32.f5 c6?! (32...gxf5 33.Rh4 Rh8 34.Rxf5 Kxe6 35.Rfh5 Rd7 = ) 33.Rxb6 gxf5 34.Rb7+ White appears to have regained an edge, but rook and pawn endings provide many resources for the defender. 34...Kf6 35.Rf7+ Kg6 36.Rd7 Possibly better is (36.Rh4 Rb8 37.h3 h6 38.Rf4 Rb1+ 39.Kh2 Rxe6 40.R7xf5 Rb4 41.Rxb4 Kxf5 42.a5 ) 36...fxe4 37.Rxd6 Kf6 38.Rd4 White should activate the king: (38.Kf2 Ke5 39.Rd7 Kxe6 40.Rd4 Kf5 41.Rc4 Rb8 42.Rc5+ Kf4 43.g3+ Kg4 44.Rxc6 Rb2+ 45.Ke3 Rxh2 but this still looks equal. ) 38...Ke5 39.Rc4 Kd5 40.Rb4 Kxe6 (40...c5 41.Rb7 c4 42.e7 (threatens Rc7) 42...Kd6 43.Kf2 c3 44.Rb1 Kxe7 45.Ke3 Rc4 46.a5 Kd6 47.a6 c2 48.Rc1 Ke5 49.a7 Ra4 50.Rxc2 Ra3+ 51.Ke2 Rxa7 ) 41.Rxe4+ Kf5 42.Re7 Ra8 43.Rxh7 Rxa4 44.Rc7 Rc4 45.h3 Rc2 46.g4+ Kg5 47.Rf7 c5 48.Rf2 Rc3 49.Rf5+ Kg6 50.Kf2 Rxh3 1/2-1/2
In the above game, White gained an advantage from the opening, but missed key tactical opportunities at moves 17 and 19. In addition, 30.g4 would have been White’s last chance to maintain some advantage. My second Mortimer Gambit game was played in the Asian Seniors Tournament, held in Auckland in 2017. My opponent had travelled all the way from Nepal to participate.
Hair, Philip - Shakya, Rabindra
Asian Seniors 2017
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Qa4 d6 5.d4 Bd7 This seems to be everyone’s favourite move. 6.Qc2 Be7 7.d5 Gaining space and closing the centre. 7...Nb8 8.c4 O-O 9.Be2 Ne8 10.Nc3 f5 11.exf5 Bxf5 12.Bd3 Black has lost two tempi with ...Nb8-c6-b8 and White has lost two tempi with c2-c3-c4 and Bf1-e2-d3, so the tempi losses cancel. 12...Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nd7 14.Ne4 h6 The immediate (14...Nef6 may be better: 15.Be3 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Nf6 17.Qf5 Qc8 After 14...h6 the g6 square is weak. ) 15.O-O Nef6 16.b4 Nxe4 (16...a5 would have exposed the weak side of White’s 16th move: White cannot play 17.a3, so would probably have had to try 17.bxa5 Rxa5 18.Bd2 Ra8 19.Be3 when Black has pressure down the a-file. ) 17.Qxe4 Nf6 17...a5= is worthy of attention. 18.Qg6 Qe8 19.Nh4 Nxd5
Moves are clickable
20.cxd5 Better is (20.Bxh6 Qf7 (20...Qxg6 21.Nxg6 gxh6 22.cxd5 Rf7 23.Nxe7+ Rxe7 = ) 21.cxd5 Bxh4 22.Qxf7+ Kxf7 23.Be3 = ) 20...Bxh4 21.Qg4 Bg5 Perhaps slightly better is (21...Qe7 which keeps the extra pawn, as if 22.Bxh6 then 22...Bxf2+ 23.Rxf2 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Qf6+ 25.Kg1 Qxh6 However, after 26.Rf1 White appears to have sufficient compensation because of active pieces. ) 22.Bxg5 hxg5 Less good is (22...Qg6?! 23.Rac1 Rf4 24.Qd7 Qxg5 25.Rxc7 Rg4 26.g3 Rxb4 27.Qxd6 with advantage to White. ) 23.Qxg5 Qb5 24.Qd2 The game is level but such major piece middle-games are difficult and tricky. 24...Rf4 25.a3 Rd4 26.Qc2 Rc8 Black has many other options (26...Qxd5 27.Qxc7 Rf8 = ) (26...Rc4 27.Qd2 = ) (26...Qd7 = ) 27.Qf5 Re8 28.Rac1 Rf4 29.Qh5 Rf7 30.Rc3 Qd7?! Better is (30...Qxd5 31.Rh3 Kf8 32.Qg5 Rf6 (32...Kg8 33.Qh5 = ) 33.Rh8+ Kf7 34.Rxe8 Kxe8 35.Qxg7 Qf7 = ) 31.Rh3 31.Rfc1± is also good. 31...Rf5 31...Rf6, 31...Kf8 and 31...Rf4 are much the same in value as the move played. 32.Qh7+ Kf7 33.Rh6 Better is (33.Rg3 Rg8 34.Rc1 Rf4 35.Rcc3 +/- ) 33...Rf6 The position is complicated. If (33...Re7 then the following sequence is plausible: 34.Qg6+ Kg8 35.f4 Re8 36.Qh7+ Kf8 37.Re6 Rxf4 38.Rxf4+ exf4 39.Rf6+ Ke7 40.Qxg7+ Kd8 41.Qxd7+ Kxd7 42.Rxf4 +/- ) 34.Rxf6+ Possibly better is (34.f4 e4 (34...Rxh6 35.fxe5+ Ke7 36.Qxg7+ Kd8 37.Qg5+ Qe7 38.Qxh6 Qxe5 39.Qf6+ Qxf6 40.Rxf6 ) (34...Rxf4 35.Rxf4+ exf4 36.Rh4 Qa4 37.Rxf4+ Ke7 38.Qxg7+ Kd8 39.Qf6+ Kc8 40.Qf5+ Kb8 41.Qd3 ) 35.Rxf6+ Kxf6 with a slight advantage to White. ) 34...Kxf6 35.Re1 Qf5 36.Qh4+ g5?! Better is 36...Kf7= 37.Qh6+ (37.Qc4 Re7 38.Qb5 b6 39.Qc4 g4 40.b5 looks better for White: White has pressure. ) 37...Ke7 38.h4 Rf8 (38...gxh4 39.Rc1 Kd8 40.Qxh4+ Kc8 41.Qh3 Qxh3 42.gxh3 = ) 39.Qxg5+ Qxg5 40.hxg5 c6?! Better is 40...Rf5. 41.dxc6 bxc6 42.g3 It might be better to activate the rook: (42.Re3 Ke6 43.Rh3 ) 42...Ke6?! (42...Rf3! 43.Rc1 Rxa3 44.Rxc6 Rb3 45.Rc7+ Ke6 46.g6 Rxb4 47.g7 Rg4 48.Rxa7 Kf6 = ) 43.f4 Rg8 44.Kf2 Kf5 45.fxe5?! (45.Kf3 was best, e.g.: 45...Re8 46.Re4 Re7 47.Rc4 Rc7 48.g4+ Kg6 49.fxe5 dxe5 50.Ke4 Kxg5 51.Kxe5 +- ) 45...dxe5 46.g4+ Kf4 47.Rc1 Rg6 48.Rc5 Rxg5 49.Rxc6 I offered a draw at this point, but my opponent declined the offer. 49...Rxg4 50.Rf6+ Ke4 51.Rf7 Kd3 (51...Rf4+ 52.Rxf4+ Kxf4 53.a4 Ke4 54.b5 Kd4 55.a5 Kc5 = ) 52.Rd7+ Ke4 53.Rxa7 Rf4+ 54.Ke2 Rh4 55.Rf7 Rh2+ 56.Rf2 Rh3 57.a4 Rb3 58.b5 Rb4 59.Rg2 Kd4 60.Rg7 Rb2+ 61.Kd1 Rb4 62.Kd2 Rxa4 63.b6 Rb4 64.Rd7+ Ke4 65.b7 1/2-1/2
I did have some opportunities in that game, especially at moves 33 and 34, but again missed the best moves. However, in both games the Mortimer Gambit offered White reasonable chances, although Black declined the gambit in both cases. So how do White’s prospects look if Black accepts the gambit? The real test of Mortimer’s idea surely must be acceptance of the gambit.
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Qa4 d6 5.d4 Nxe4
Moves are clickable
(Note that if Black tries 5...exd4 White can maintain material equality by 6.Nxd4 Bd7 7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bb5 Qd7 9.Bxc6 Qxc6 10.Qxc6+ bxc6 11.O-O = ) 6.Bd3 This is White's best move after 5...Nxe4 and now Black has four reasonable continuations: 6...Nf6, 6...f5, 6...Bf5 and 6...d5. Each of the four possibilities could generate extensive analysis, and moreover there are no known games in these variations. Therefore I will limit the discussion to a bare minimum of some plausible lines of play. ( Note that the obvious try 6.d5 doesn't work 6...Nc5 7.Qb5 a6 when the queen can't maintain the pin on the knight ) 6...-- (6...Nf6
This might be the soundest of the four options, getting the knight out of trouble and defending the king’s-side in preparation for castling. 7.O-O e4 8.d5 After 8.Re1, Black can consolidate with 8...d5. 8...exf3 Two other possibilities also lead to equality (8...exd3 9.dxc6 bxc6 10.Qxc6+ Bd7 11.Re1+ Be7 12.Qc4 O-O 13.Qxd3 = ) (8...Nxd5 9.Bxe4 Ne7 10.Re1 Bd7 11.Qb3 (intending Bd5) 11...Na5 12.Qc2 Bc6 13.Nbd2 Bxe4 14.Qxe4 Nc6 but it looks like Black will have to arrange queen’s-side castling in this line. ) 9.dxc6 b6 10.Re1+ Be7 11.g3 O-O 12.Nd2 and White should regain the pawn with equality, e.g. 12...Bg4 13.Ne4 Bh5 (13...h5 14.Ng5 d5 15.h3 Bc8 16.Qd1 h4 17.Qxf3 hxg3 16.fxg3= and although the c6 pawn looks insecure White has plenty of activity) 14.Nxf6+ Bxf6 15.Qe4 Bg6 16.Qxf3=.) ) (6...f5
This looks more aggressive than the previous line. 7.O-O Be7 Probably best, preparing castling. 8.Be3 Threatens d5. 8...exd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.Ne5 Bd7 11.Qb3 Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bc6 13.Bxe4 fxe4 14.Nc3 and now Black has several possibilities, including 14...-- (14...Qd7 15.Rad1 Rd8 16.Rd2 a5 17.Nxe4 Qf5 18.Nc5 Qxe5 19.Bd4 Qf4 20.Rd3 and ) (14...d4 15.Rad1 d3 16.Qc4 Qd7 17.e6 Qd6 18.Nxe4 Qd5 19.Qxd5 Bxd5 20.Nc5 Bxa2 21.Nxd3 Bxe6 22.Rfe1 Bb3 23.Ra1 White seems to get enough activity to compensate for the pawn minus ) ) (6...Bf5
This tricky move threatens an immediate ...Nc5. This may well be the most critical line. 7.Ba6!? This peculiar-looking move may be White’s best option. The computer likes (7.Qb5 but this looks risky, e.g. 7...Rb8 8.d5 a6 9.Qc4 b5 10.Qxc6+ Bd7 11.Qxd7+ Qxd7 12.Bxe4 when White has given up queen and pawn in exchange for three minor pieces. Other moves such as ) (7.Qc2 might be too tame when White is a pawn down: 7...exd4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.O-O Qd7 11.Nc3 O-O-O and it is not clear whether White has sufficient compensation ) 7...Qc8 (7...Qb8 8.Qb5 Bd7 (8...Bc8 9.O-O ) 9.Qxb7 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Nxc6 Qxb7 12.Bxb7 Nxb7 13.Nb4 ) 8.Qxc6+ bxc6 9.Bxc8 Bxc8 10.dxe5 Nc5 11.Kd2 This strange move appears to be best, because of tactics on the f1-a6 diagonal and the black knight coming to d3. 11...Ba6 12.Kc2 Bd3+ 13.Kd1 Bg6 14.exd6 cxd6 15.Be3 Nd3 16.b3 with approximate equality. ) (6...d5
Although this move gives back the pawn immediately, it creates symmetrical pawns in the centre and provides straightforward development for Black. 7.Nxe5 Bd7 8.Nxd7 Qxd7 9.O-O O-O-O 10.Nd2 f5 11.f3 Nf6 12.b4 Kb8 13.b5 Ne7 with approximate equality. )