Alterman’s Gambit Guide - Krush Gambit

Opening: E34: Nimzo-Indian

Player(s):

Alexander Beliavsky is a product of the legendary Soviet School of Chess and once a contemporary of Anatoly Karpov. "Big Al" as he's affectionately know as, is a four-time USSR Champion (1974, 1980, 1987 and 1990), and has played at the Olympiad for three countries, first starting with the USSR, the latest being his now adopted homeland of Slovenia. In his time at the top, Big Al was a noted theorisist - and in 1996, he came up with an interesting line in the classical Nimzo-Indian after 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 d5 5 cxd5 Qxd5 6 Nf3 Qf5 7 Qd1 e5!? that quickly got christened "The Beliavsky Gambit". The Beliavsky Gambit was quickly adopted by other top stars such as Adams and Khalifman. Although out of fashion these days, it has never been refuted outright. But top US Women's player, IM Irina Krush, came up with her own counter-gambit to eschew the complications of the Beliavsky gambit, with the enterprising 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2 d5 5 cxd5 Qxd5 6 Nf3 Qf5 7 Qb3 c5 8 a3 Bxc3+ 9 Qxc3 Nbd7 10 g4!?