Alterman, Boris - The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 2

The Altertnan Gatnbit Guide
Black Gambits 2
By
Boris Alterman
Quality Chess
www.qualitychess.co. uk
First English edition 20 1 2 by Quality Chess UK Ltd
Copyright© 2012 Boris Alterman and Quality Chess
The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 2

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ISBN 978- 1 -906552-96-1
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Contents
Acknowledgments, Bibliography 4
Foreword by the Author 5
Key to symbols used 6
1 The Marshall Attack 7

2 The Hector Gambit 55
3 The Traxler Counterattack 89
4 The Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit 173
5 The Falkbeer Counter Gambit 209
6 From's Gambit 271
7 Other Systems after 1.e4 e5 309
Game Index 365

Variation Index 367
Acknowledgements
I would like to offer my respect and thanks to the people without whom this book would
never have existed.
The book is in memory of my first chess coach, Soviet Master Vitaly Appolonovich
Marchenko, who nurtured my chess talent.
Thank you to:

Honored coach of Ukraine, Alexander Naumovich Vaisman, for being not only my chess
coach for many years but also my friend, adviser and patron.
My close friends: Zohar Olpiner, Shmuel Fridman, Moty Bank, Aviv Friedman, Shay
Bushinsky, Watson Tay, Antonio Palma and Harvey Mandell for providing extremely
useful comments and help with the project.
My student Kelvin Wee for his invaluable help.
My classmate Oleg Aliferov for supporting the project.
My mother Dora, sister lnna, my wife Luba and my children Ariela, Lior-lsrael and Ben
Osher for their love, devotion, encouragement and amazing support throughout my
chess career.
Special thanks to Jacob, John and Andrew of Quality Chess for their startling help.
Bibliography
Alterman: The Alterman Gambit Guide- White Gambits, Quality Chess 20 1 0
Alterman: The Alterman Gambit Guide- Black Gambits Volume I, Quality Chess 20 1 1
Barsky: The Scotch Game for White, Chess Stars 2009
Brunello: Attacking the Spanish, Quality Chess 2009
Dembo & Palliser: The Scotch Game, Everyman Chess 20 1 1
Emms: Beating I e4 e5, Everyman Chess 20 1 0
Johnsen & Johannessen: The Ruy Lopez: A Guide for Black, Gambit 2007
Kasparov: My Great Predecessors Part I, Everyman Chess 2003
Obodchuk: The Four Knights Game, New In Chess 20 1 1
Panczyk & Ilczuk: Ruy Lopez Exchange, Everyman Chess 2005
Pavlovic: Fighting the Ruy Lopez, Everyman Chess 2009
Sakaev: The Petroff An Expert Repertoire for Black, Chess Stars 20 1 1
Vigorito: Understanding the Marshall Attack, Gambit 20 1 0
ChessPublishing. com
Chess Today
Introduction
My relationship with the 64 squares began at an early stage in life. I first learned to play checkers
at the age of three, and when I became quite good at it, my father decided to teach me a more
complicated game. Chess was the most natural choice. The first lessons were very tough for me,
but I eventually picked up the most important principles of the game.
At the age of ten I was going to join a football team until surgery on my appendix put an
end to that idea. With no better option, I joined the ''Avangard" chess dub in my home town
of Voroshilovgrad (which is called Lugansk nowadays) one of the largest towns in the east of
Ukraine. Students in my group had to memorize the most brilliant tactical examples from the
games of Morphy, Anderssen and other great players, and then show them in class to our coach,
Master of Sport Vitaly Appolonovich Marchenko. This was a useful start to my life in chess, as
to become successful we must develop our tactical skills. As the old saying has it: "Chess is 99%
tactics!" You may come up with a deep strategic idea, but your opponent will punish you if you
make just one tactical slip.
Our coach taught us to play aggressively and energetically, and not to fear sacrificing material
for an attack. His lessons were so instructive and interesting that I did not want to miss a single
session, even when I was sick with fever. It will be no surprise that as a young player I loved to
play gambit systems.
A few years later, when I was quite a strong player, I started to play solid but rather passive lines
as White. I was extremely lucky to be able to join the famous Botvinnik-Kasparov chess school
when it started in 1 986. Mter the very first session Kasparov wrote in my homework: "Improve
your White opening repertoire; play aggressively." This valuable judgment from a great player
helped me a lot to improve my chess.
Later, while reading the great books of Grandmaster Richard Reti, I found the following
expression which every chess player and instructor should note: ''A knowledge of tactics is the
foundation of positional play. This is a rule which has stood its test in chess history and one
which we cannot impress forcibly enough upon the young chess player. A beginner should
avoid the Queen's Gambit and French Defense and play open games instead! While he may
not win as many games at first, he will in the long run be amply compensated by acquiring a
thorough knowledge of the game."
When I started to give lessons I realized that there were few books which could help players to
progress from Beginner to Intermediate and Advanced level. You could try studying the great
books of Mark Dvoretsky, however these books target mostly Master-level players (2200 and
up). Most of the books I looked at started with "How to" then continued "Win in chess", "Trap
your opponent", "Beat the Sicilian" (or Ruy Lopez, French or whatever). However, these books
never explained the basics of opening principles, which are critical for moving from Beginner/
Intermediate level to Advanced.
As I gained more coaching experience I saw that, at the Beginner and Intermediate level, playing
the opening correctly brings many dividends. Many of the games at that level are decided
because one of the players (or both!) does not follow the basic opening principles, committing
sins such as neglecting the center, making too many moves with the same piece, moving the
6 The Alterman Gambit Guide
queen too early in the opening, leaving the king in the center, trying to win material instead of
developing, and so on. This gave me the idea of developing a course of lectures on the Internet
Chess Club called "Gambit Guide".
Mter editing and combining a lot of material, the course has been transformed into this series
of books, which I hope will help the readers become more familiar with the most important
opening and positional principles, teach about tactics and typical combinations in the opening,
as well as explain how to evaluate a position and how to study the principles of attack.
About the second Black Gambits project
As I explained in the Introduction to the previous volume, the Black Gambits project was
originally conceived as a single book but was subsequently divided into two parts when it became
clear that the volume of material was too much for a single book. Thus The Alterman Gambit
Guide Black Gambits Volume 1 covered l .d4 and l .c4 openings, while the second volume,
-
which you are now holding in your hands, is devoted to the 'mirror image' openings of l .e4 and
l .f4. Once again I have selected a group of tried-and-tested gambits with theoretical reputations
ranging from 'popular at super-GM level' (e.g. the Marshall Attack) to 'risky but playable' (e.g.
the Traxler Counterattack). This book offers the foundation for a reliable gambit-based repertoire
covering almost all major l .e4 (and I .f4) openings. Obviously you will not be able to unleash a
gambit in every single game you play (especially with the black pieces) but I have added a special
chapter containing advice on how to meet all major lines which do not fit neatly into one of the
six main gambit chapters.
Just as in the companion volume covering l .d4 and l .c4 openings, I have opted to cover a
relatively small number of gambits, aiming for quality over quantity. Once again I have found
theoretical improvements where they were needed, while striving to maintain the level of
explanations and guidance that characterized the first two volumes.
Enjoy this final instalment of The Alterman Gambit Guide, and I hope that the ideas contained in
these pages will help and inspire you to achieve many exciting victories.
Boris Alterman
Rishon Le Zion, February 20 1 2
Key to symbols used

+
= White is slightly better -+ with attack
+ Black is slightly better t with initiative
± White is better a weak move
+ Black is better ?? a blunder
+- White has a decisive advantage a good move
-+ Black has a decisive advantage !! an excellent move
equality !? a move worth considering
a; with compensation ?! a move of doubtful value
CD unclear # mate
f! with counterplay
Chapter 1
The Marshall Attack
a b c d e f g h
l.e4e5 2.lDf3lDc6 3.�b5a6 4.�a4lDf6 5.0-0 �e7

6J�elb5 7.�b30-0 8.c3 d5
Introduction
Frank James Marshall ( 1 877- 1 944) of the USA was one of the chess world's first grandmasters.
Apart from being one of the strongest players of his time, he left a lasting legacy to the chess world
in the form of the Marshall Gambit in the Queen's Gambit, and even more significantly, the
Marshall Attack against the Ruy Lopez. Despite constant attempts to refute it over the decades,
the Marshall Attack continues to give headaches to Ruy Lopez players all the way up to super
GM level.
l .e4 e5 2.ltJO ltJc6 3.i.b5
� � ..tB-�41)�� T
.r
8
7 ••"� � •"••
""�i)� � � "�
� ,�
6
�
� - �
: �� ,� ��
��-� � �!-� �
� �
3��r� � ��-�
A �� A 'i,fl�
� . �fl� A 'i,fl
2
1
.-�CZJ�VW �� M
0 �o, OJO% JO, O ::0
- --.z----/-�r��---- -w� -----/- .....
a b c d e f g h
The Ruy Lopez (also known as the Spanish Opening) is one of the most enduringly popular
openings at all levels of play. White's system is based on pressure: the bishop develops to a square
where it attacks the c6-knight, which is a defender of the crucial e5-pawn. At the same time,
White does not forget his aim of taking over the center with d2-d4, which may or may not be
prefaced by c2-c3, depending on how Black plays.
3 ...a6
This pawn move may seem like a simple attack on the bishop, but it actually contributes to
Black's central play. At some point in the near future Black will have to take some measures
against the potential threat of �xc6 followed by li:l xe5. For the time being the threat is not real
(see Chapter 2 for more details on 4.�xc6) so the bishop usually retreats to a4. Once that has
happened, Black will be able to insert the move . . . b7 -b5 to drive the bishop away as soon as �xc6
becomes a threat.
4.i.a4
4.�xc6 dxc6 is the subject of Chapter 2.
4... ltJf6
Black continues with his development and attacks the e4-pawn.
5.0-0
The Marshall Attack 9
This natural move is the main line. It makes sense to castle early as White can afford to leave
the e4-pawn hanging.
s ...i.e7
Likewise, Black continues developing his pieces and gets ready to castle. It is interesting that
both sides are happy to leave their e-pawns to their respective fates, since neither side can capture
the opponent's pawn without losing their own.
5 ... tt'lxe4 introduces the Open Spanish, an important alternative which is outside the scope
of the present book. Interested readers may wish to investigate the forthcoming Grandmaster
Repertoire book which covers it from Black's side.
6.gel
White has several alternatives available on moves 5 and 6, and we will deal with the most
important ones in Chapter, beginning on page 35 1 .
6...b5
Now that White has defended his e-pawn, Black must also take measures to safeguard his
central pawn.
7.i.h3
Mter a little dance, White's bishop lands on the active a2-g8 diagonal where it keeps an eye on
the center and the f7 -pawn.
7 ...0-0
Signalling Black's intention to play the Marshall Gambit. The other big move is 7 ... d6, which
keeps the center closed for the time being.
8.c3
This is the most traditional and principled move, aiming to construct a powerful pawn center.
Nowadays many players prefer to avoid the Marshall altogether with moves like 8.a4, 8.h3 and
8.d4. These options can be found in Chapter 7.
8 ...d5!
1
a b c d e f g h
Finally we arrive at the position that signifies the start of Marshall's infamous counterattacking
system. Black's aggressive central thrust has a lot oflogic to it. Black is slightly ahead in development,
especially since White's pawn on c3 takes away the hi -knight's most natural developing square.
By sacrificing the e5-pawn, he draws the white rook onto an exposed square which will enable
him to gain additional time to start an attack later.
The Marshall Attack is one of the most important openings in the history of chess. So far it
has defied all White's attempts to refute it, and for this reason it is a frequent guest at elite
tournaments. Over the years its most notable adherents have included Spassky, Geller, Nunn,
Adams, Short, Anand, Svidler, Kamsky, Shirov and others. Perhaps its greatest endorsement came
from Garry Kasparov, who famously never allowed the Marshall to be played against him in a
single game and instead resorted to various anti-Marshall systems.
9.exd5
Nothing else is likely to worry Black
9.d3 is feeble, and 9 ... dxe4 I O.dxe4 1Wxdl just leads to a level endgame. Both sides are equally
well placed in the center, and neither has the advantage.
9.d4!?
This is not theoretically dangerous, but at least it is a bit more lively.
9 ... tt:lxe4
Black installs the knight on a strong central outpost.
There is a good alternative in 9 ... exd4 1 0.e5 tt:le4 l l .cxd4 �f5, when Black should be at least
equal.
1 0.dxe5
Gaining space on the kingside and uncovering an attack on the d5-pawn.
1 0 ...�e6
8
7
6 �
;:::
�
;::,.
5 �-
<..,
�-
4 �
3 �
;;:;
1 D,.
a b c d e f g h
The position resembles the Open Spanish. White's rook would not usually move to el so
soon, although Black's bishop often prefers the active c5-square instead of e7. The critical
continuation is:
1 l .tt'ld4!?
1 l .tt'l bd2 is a natural move, but after 1 l ...tt'lc5 12.t,c2 d4! White can forget about any
advantage.
1 1 ... tt'lxe5!?
Taking a pawn but sacrificing a piece.
1 2.f3 t,d6! 1 3.fxe4 t,g4
This position was first tested almost a century ago in 1 9 13! Black has decent compensation and
has scored roughly 50% since that time.
9 ... ltlxd5
a b c d e f g h
lO.ltlxeS
1 0.d4!?
Once again White can consider declining the gambit, although Black should be fine if he reacts
correctly.
1 0 ... exd4 1 l .cxd4
Keeping a pawn on d4 while freeing the c3-square for the knight. 1 l .tt'lxd4? is worse, and after
1 l ...tt'lxd4 1 2.'@ixd4 t,b7 Black's easy development gives him the better chances.
1 l ...t,g4!
An important move. Others may see Black struggling to equalize, for instance:
1 l ...t,f5?! 1 2.tt'lc3! tt'l db4?! 1 3.a3 tt'l d3 14J':le3± Parligras - Gyimesi, Germany 2008.
1 L..t,b4 12.t,d2 t,b7 1 3.tt'lc3 t,xc3 1 4.bxc3 tt'l a5 1 5.t,c2 tt'l c4 16.t,g5 f6 1 7.'@id3 g6 1 8.t,h6±
Nisipeanu - Beliavsky, Pune 2004.
1 2.tt'lc3 tt'l f6 1 3.t,e3 '@id6 14.l'k1 1"lad8 1 5 .a4 b4 1 6.tt'lb1 tt'la5 1 7.t,c2 tt'l d5 1 8.'1Wd3 g6 1 9.tt'lbd2
tt'lxe3=
Perez Candelario - Sargissian, Zafra 2007.
10 ... ltlxe5 l l.E:xe5

8 �.-.i.B
� ��•
' m ..-
7 ' "m
- -n--' &ym i
6 l��%" "
� "" "� ' "�� '"""�
4 ��•m
s � ��
�� "
'��
'""y� -��
�
3�,��
� �,if----%�,%''i:�
A 'i:�
��'� A 'i:�
'i:fl��''0
2 0
%""/"""� ,�"""�
%'0% 0% %'0% 0 %'0% !:{
��ltJ�VR �
"'" "� ' "" "
1
a b c d e f g h
The present position will be our main starting point (although we will return to the subject of
the ami-Marshall systems in Chapter 7). White has gobbled the e-pawn and the knight on d5 is
under attack. However, the rook is exposed in the center and once Black deals with the threat to
his knight, he will be able to gain time with ...iLd6.
At this point we must make an important decision. To begin with, I must acknowledge that
l l...c6 is by far the most popular move, and the one that enjoys the best reputation amongst
theoreticians. Black keeps the knight in the center, and prepares ...iLd6 and ...1!Jfh4 in the near
future. Unfortunately it comes pre-packaged with a truly mind-boggling amount of theory,
including numerous forced drawing lines and pawn-down endgames in which Black can hold a
draw but has little chance to play for a win.
For this reason I decided it would be more interesting to focus on two less popular lines. Both
of them contain a good deal of venom and are likely to come as a surprise to many opponents.
Games 1 -4 will focus on 1 1...C2Jf6?!, the move chosen by Marshall himself against Capablanca
in a game that we will soon see. One of the primary aims of my Gambit Guide is to help the reader
improve his arsenal of tactical and attacking motifs. The l l ...tt'lf6 line has these in abundance,
and for this reason alone it was worth including it in the book.
Despite its allure, I must make it clear that the l l ...tt'lf6?! variation is not entirely sound, and if
White plays accurately then he should be able to obtain a clear advantage. Nevertheless I found
some improvements for Black in certain variations that were previously considered unfavorable
for him. Overall I would consider Black's system a dangerous practical weapon, especially against
an unsuspecting opponent.
Forgetting about beautiful attacks and sacrificial combinations for a moment, we must also
keep theoretical soundness in mind. For this reason I have covered the slightly unusual but still
respectable l l...iLb7!? in games5 and 6. This move leads to a noticeably different type of game
in which Black strives for positional compensation in the center and on the queenside. Black's
chances of scoring a quick checkmate are diminished, but he has good chances to maintain the
balance even when White plays strongly.
After reading through the chapter the reader will be able to select whichever option he finds
more appealing to use in his own games.
The Aggressive ll...CLJ f6?!

We will start by analyzing the game which first brought the Marshall Attack to the world's
attention.
Gamel
Jose Raul Capablanca - Frank Marshall
New York 1 9 18
l.e4 e5 2.lbf3 lbc6 3.J.b5 a6 4.J.a4 lbf6 5.0-0 J.e7 6.�el b5 7.J.b3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5
lbxd5 10.lbxe5 lbxe5 l l.�xe5 lbf6
12.d4
The actual move order seen in the game was 1 2.:1:le1 J.d6 1 3.d4, but I have changed it in order
to help the reader to become familiar with the most popular sequence.
1 2.g3? cannot be recommended. 1 2 ...il.d6 1 3.:1:le1 il.b7 Since the long diagonal has been
weakened, Black immediately posts his bishop there. 14.d4 'Wd7! This multipurpose move
prepares numerous attacking ideas including ...'Wc6, ...'Wh3 followed by ... lt'l g4, not to mention
the simple ... :1:\aeS. 1 5.d5 Closing the long diagonal will cost White a pawn. 1 5 ...'\Wf5 1 6.il.e3
lt'lxd5 1 7.il.xd5 il.xd5 Black has restored material equality and his bishop pair gives him the
advantage, especially with White's kingside being so vulnerable.
1 2.h3
Hoping to prevent .. .t2Jg4, but this is easier said than done.
1 2 ...il.d6 1 3 .:1:le1
At first glance it is not so clear how Black should continue the attack, but it turns out that he
can embark on a direct assault.
1 3 ... lt'lg4!
6 �
;::
�
;::,
5 ...,
�-
�
4 �
3 �
;::;
1 L
a b c d e f g h
Offering a sacrifice that White should not accept. From here it is worth analyzing a) 14.g3?,
b) 14.hxg4? and c) 1 4.'®'f3!.
a) 14.g3? is one pawn move too many on the kingside. Black can blast through the defenses with
14 ... lLlxf2! 1 5.�xf2 j,xg3t 1 6.�xg3 '®'g5t when White's king is totally exposed and helpless. The
finish might be 1 7.�f2 (17.�h2 '®'f4t 1 8.�g2 j,b7t 1 9.�gl '®'g3t 20.�fl '®'g2#) 1 7 ...'®'h4t
1 8.�g2 '®'xh3t 1 9.�f2 '®'h4t 20.�g2 j,b?t when Black's queen and bishop are enough to bring
down the house.
b) 14.hxg4? '®'h4
Already Black has a vicious attack.
1 5.'®'f3
1 5.g3? loses immediately: 1 5 . . .j,xg3 1 6.fXg3 '®'xg3t 1 7.�fl j,xg4 1 8.'®'c2 j,h3t 1 9.�e2
Ei:feSt-+
1 5 ...j,h2t! 1 6.�fl j,xg4 1 7.'®'e4
1 7.j,xf7t �h8 1 8 .'®'d5 Ei:ad8 wins easily.
1 7.g3 '®'h5! and 1 7.1"le4 j,f4! are also hopeless for White.
Now in Fink - Kantorovich, corr. 1 957, Black missed a convincing win. Can you find it?
8 ...
7
6 �
;::
�
;::,
5 ...,
�-
�-
4 �
3 �
;::;
a b c d e f g h
1 7 ...�f4!
Threatening mate on h 1 .
1 8 .g3 1Wh2 1 9.gxf4 �h3t 20.�e2 :gae8
Black picks up the queen and maintains a decisive attack.
c) 14.1Wf3
This is the only acceptable move for White.
14 ... 1Wh4
Black brings the heavy artillery into the attack. He can afford to leave the rook on aS en prise,
as taking it would allow mate in two.
1 5 .:ge8?
The appeal of such a move is obvious; after all, the old adage has it that "The best defense is a
good offense!" Unfortunately for White, there is a convincing refutation.
The right move is 1 5.d4! which transposes to the main Capablanca - Marshall game.
1 5 ...�b7!
Black neatly avoids the mating threats and launches a lethal 'counter-counterattack'. In the
process he sacrifices a whole knight, but his enormous lead in development more than makes
up for it.
1 6.:gxf8t
1 6.1Wxf7t? looks terrifYing, but after 1 6 ...�h8 there is no mate and White faces a massacre.
1 6 ... :gxf8 1 7.1Wxg4
Black is a piece down and threatened with a queen exchange. How should he proceed?
a b c d e f g h
1 7 ... :ge8!
Black can afford to leave his queen hanging as he threatens mate on the first rank.
1 7 ...\We7 is less accurate as 1 8.�e6! keeps White in the game for a while.
1 8.�fl
1 8.1Wd1 led to a quick defeat in the following game: 1 8 ...1Wf4 1 9.g3 1We4 20.f3 1Wd3 0-1
Loma Rodriguez - Farran Martos, Tarragona 2003.
1 8 ...1We7 1 9.�e6!
The only chance, although the best White can hope to achieve is to escape to a losing endgame.
19. Wfd 1 occurred in Cruz - Biriescu, Athens 1971, and now the quickest win would have been
1 9 ... Wfe5 20.f3 (20.g3 Wff5-+) 20 ...Wfh2 with mate to follow shortly.
8 ....
7
6 �
;::
�
.,.
5 �·
<->
�·
4 �
3 �
;::;
a b c d e f g h
1 9 ...�c8!
The white bishop is pinned, so Black can arrange to take it without exchanging queens or
blocking the e-file.
1 9 ...�d5! was equally good.
20.d3 �xe6 2 l .Wid1 ?
2 1 .We4 was the best try, although after 2 l ...�f5! 22.Wxe7 �xd3t 23.me1 �xe7t 24.�e3 �f4
Black will win a pawn and should not have too much trouble converting his advantage in the
endgame.
The text move was played in Quiroga - Lamperti, Mar del Plata 1 974. At this point Black
could have won in lovely style:
2 l ...�g4!! 22.f3
22.hxg4 Wh4 and 22.Wid2 �f4! are both hopeless for White.
22 ...�f5
White has no defense; the primary threat is ...�xd3t followed by ...Wh4.
Let us now return to the main game.
12 ...�d6 13-l:�el
a b c d e f g h
13... lLlg4!
The whole point of Black's 1 1 th move was to prepare this aggressive lunge.
14.h3
The following alternative is risky:
14.g3 '2lxh2!
Black's attack is crude but effective. We will analyze the responses a) 1 5.mxh2?, b) 1 5.�d5?!
and c) 1 5 .'1Wh5!.
a) 1 5.mxh2?
This is the most obvious answer, and also one of the weakest as it allows the kingside to be
smashed to pieces.
1 5 ...1Wh4t 1 6.mg1 �xg3
1 7.Wf3
1 7.fxg3 Wxg3t 1 8.mh1 �g4 forces White to give up his queen. He will get three pieces for it,
but his king is terribly exposed and will soon perish after Black brings a rook into play.
1 7 ...�h2t! 1 8.mg2 �g4 19.Wd3 �ae8
Black swiftly completes the mobilization of his forces. White's extra piece is of no use whatsoever.
20.�e3
20.�d2 �xe1 2 1 .�xe1 �f4 0-1 was the swift finish ofJantunen - Kurki Suonio, corr. 1 97 1 .
20 ...�f4 2 1 .�d5
Becker - Rudnik, Cologne 2004. Now the most efficient route to victory would have been:
2 1 ...�xe3 22.�xe3 �h3t 23.mg1 Wg5t 24.mh1 Wxd5 t-+
b) 1 5.�d5?!
This looks like a plausible way to combine attack and defense, but Black has a strong counter.
1 5 ... �xg3!
You didn't think we were going to move the rook on a8, did you?
1 6.fxg3
Taking the rook soon leads to disaster: 1 6.li,xa8 li,g4! 1 7.'1Mfd3 Wxa8 1 8.'1Mfxg3 tt'l f3t 1 9.rJifl
tt'lxel 20.Wxg4 Wh l t 2 1 .'\Wgl Wxgl t 22.rJ?xgl tt'l c2 Mter a long sequence af forced moves,
Black traps the rook on al to reach a winning endgame.
1 6 ... Wxd5 1 7.rJixh2 li,b7
Black has a powerful attack on the light squares, and will soon finish the game with some cute
tactics.
1 8.l"i:gl l"i:ae8!
Bringing the last piece into play.
1 9.li,f4
1 9.li,d2 and 1 9.tt'ld2 can be met by 1 9 ... l"i:e6! followed by ... l"i:fe8 with decisive threats.
1 9.c4!? is a desperate attempt to confuse the issue. Black can simply play 1 9 ...Wxc4 threatening
a check on e2, when 20.tt'lc3 b4 wins easily enough. Alternatively 1 9 ...Wf5!? is also good
enough, as 20.d5 can be met by 20 ... li,c8! winning.
Mter the text move Black has a beautiful win available.
1 9 ... l"i:el !!
A double-deflection, as White's queen and rook are both needed to cover checkmating
squares.
20.�g4
White cannot be happy with 20.l"i:xel �g2# or 20.�xel �h5#. The text is not much better
though.
In one game White avoided an immediate mate with 20.c4, but after 20 ... Ei:xgl Black won
easily all the same.
20 ...�hl t!
A final flourish to force a fatality.
2 l .l"i:xhl l"i:xhl mate!
c) 1 5.�h5!
Although the previous variations are lovely, we must not forget White's strongest defense
against 1 4 .. .ltJxh2.
1 5 ... tt.'lg4 1 6.i.g5 �d7!

1 6 ... tt.'lf6 17.�h4t is not so appealing.
The present position is extremely complicated and unclear. Here is just one plausible
continuation:
1 7. f3
This move was played in Fraas - Rachela, Slovakia 200 1 , and here Black should have responded
with:
1 7 ... h6! 1 8.i.h4 ctJf2!
With enormous complications. Though the position is hard to evaluate, one thing is for sure:
White should resist the temptation to capture the knight.
1 9.';hf2? �h3 20.i.d5 1Mih2t 2 1 .<j;Je3 i.xg3
White will have to pay a heavy material price in order to avoid being mated.
I4.. .'1Wh4 15.'1Wf3

The illogical 1 5.V;Me2? was once played by Lasker with disastrous consequences, albeit in a
simultaneous exhibition. The game soon ended after 1 5 ...�d7 1 6.CLJd2? Ei:ae8 1 7.V;Mf1 �h2t
1 8.mh1 CLJxf2t 1 9.mxh2 Ei:xe l 0-1 Lasker - Bigelow, USA (simul) 1 926.
15 lt.\xf2
...
Black has some other ways to keep the game interesting, but I was unable to find equality
anywhere.
1 5 ... h5 sets a kind of 'mini-trap', as the natural 1 6.CLJd2?! can be met by 1 6 ...�h2t! 1 7.mfl �d6
when Black forces a draw instantly as the king must return to g l . Unfortunately 1 6.�e3! is better,
and leaves Black without full compensation for his missing pawn, although he can at least take on
e3 and try to make use of his bishop pair.
1 5 ... �h2t 1 6.mfl ( 1 6.mh l ? lt:Jxf2t 1 7.mxh2 lt:Jg4t-+) 1 6 ...�d6!? gives White a choice:
The greedy 1 7.hxg4?! is well met by 17 ...j,xg4 1 8.g3 "Mrh5 1 9.1Mfd5 "Mrh2! when White is in
danger, although he can hold his position together with 20.!"1e3! (20.j,e3? j,xg3!-+) when Black
has no more than a perpetual.
However, White can do much better with 1 7.j,f4! when Black is a pawn down for very little.
The move chosen by Marshall leads us to an important position.
a b c d e f g h
16J!e2!
According to my analysis this is the strongest move. The fact that Capablanca was able to find
it over the board, having been taken completely by surprise by Marshall's innovative opening
gambit, gives us a hint at just how strong a player the Cuban genius really was.
The obvious move is 1 6.1&xf2, which can be found in Game 2 along with some rare alternatives.
16.!"1e3!? is an interesting option which is considered in Game 3.
1 6.j,d2!? enjoys a good reputation but I personally do not find it as convincing as the text. See
Game 4 for more details about this move.
16 i.g4
...
If Black wishes to deploy the l l ...lLlf6 variation in tournament play, then I would recommend
one of the following two options. In both cases White can keep the advantage with perfect play,
but in a practical situation many players will have a hard time navigating the complications.
1 6 ...j,xh3!?
Giving up a piece in order to destroy the white king's defensive shelter.
1 7.gxh3 tt:Jxh3t 1 8.\t>fl
1 8.\t>g2 lLlg5 1 9.j,xg5 "Mrxg5t 20.\t>f2 1&h4t (20 ...1&cl 2 1 .!"1d2! !"1ae8 22."Mrd l ±) 2 1 .\t>fl c5!?
gives Black reasonable chances.
1 8 ...j,f4!
1 8 ... g5 1 9.lLld2 lLlf4 20.tLle4!±
1 9.�xf4 ttJxf4 20.2:e4 g5 2 l .ttJd2 Wh8 22.2:ael 2:ad8

Black plans to open the center with . . . c5. A possible continuation is:
23.2:xf4!? gxf4 24.2:e4

White hopes to benefit from returning some of his extra material.
24 .. .f5 25.2:xf4 vgh6 26.Wel c5!
Black is still somewhat worse, but he is very much in the game.
1 6 ... ttJg4!?
This is another interesting try. Black offers his opponent a choice between a knight and a rook
on a silver platter.
1 7.g3!
This precise move is the only route to an advantage.
The knight is heavily poisoned, and 1 7.hxg4?? �xg4-+ is a complete disaster for White.
It is possible to capture the rook, although after 1 7.vgxa8 vgg3 White must walk a tightrope
to survive: 1 8.hxg4 vgh2t 1 9.Wf2 ( 1 9.Wfl ? �g3+) 1 9 ...�xg4 20.vge4 �g3t 2 l .We3 vggl t
22.r;t>d3 �xe2t 23.'�xe2 Wxcl 24.Wd2 Wfl t 25.r;t>c2 �f4 26.tt:la3! Wxal 27.Wxf4 c5 28.dxc5
Wgl 29.tLlb l Wxc5 30.tLld2 After a long and mostly forcing sequence of moves, we reach an
endgame in which any result is possible although White's chances should be slightly higher.
Before moving on, we should note that 1 7.:ge8? is once again a bad idea: 1 7 ... �e6! ( 1 7 ... tt:lf6!?
is also good for Black) 1 8.:gxf8t :gxf8 1 9.�d2 tt:lh2 20.We3 :ge8 2 l .CLla3 :ge7 Black's attack is
close to winning.
1 7 ...Wxh3
1 7 ...�xg3?? allows 1 8.Wxf7t! and mate next move.
1 7 ... tt:lh2?! 1 8.Wxf7t :gxf7 1 9.:ge8t �f8 20.gxh4 should also win for White in the long run.
1 8.Wxa8
Despite his menacing pieces, Black has no convincing way to conclude his attack. For
instance:
1 8 ...Wxg3t 19.Wg2 Wh4 20.tLld2 �h2t 2 1 .r;t>fl
White's extra rook should be enough to win the game as long as he plays carefully.
Back to the game!
a b c d e f g h
17.hxg4
The only move, as after 1 7.Wxf2?? �g3 1 8.Wfl �xe2 1 9.Wxe2 :gae8-+ White will be
thrashed.
17 ...�h2t 18.�fl �g3

1 8 ... tLlhl !? is interesting but does not really help Black, as after the knight checks on g3, the
king will calmly move to e 1 and Black will have no damaging discovered check available. Play
may continue 1 9.:ge3! ( 1 9.�e3 is also excellent for White) 1 9 ... c5!? 20.dxc5 :gadS 2 l .�d2! tt:lg3t
22.r;t>el when Black can continue playing for tricks but he is basically just losing.
19Jhfl Wl'hl t 20.�e2 ixfl

It looks as though Black has managed to create serious problems for the white king, but
Capablanca's next move sets the record straight.
2I..id2!
White's two strong bishops control all the important squares, and once he unravels the rest of
his queenside, his material advantage should guarantee victory.
2 l ..ixf7t? should obviously not be met by 2 1 ...Eixf7? 22.'1Wxa8t, but rather by 2 1 . ..Wh8! when
the pin along the f-file is nasty.
2I. ...th4 22.'Wh3

22.Wd3!? was a strong alternative, and 22 ..td5!? Elad8 23 ..ie4 !:'1fe8 24.Wd3 c5 25.d5 c4t
26.Wc2 should be winning as well.
22... Eiae8t
More often than not, Black will choose the queen's rook to occupy the e-file rather than the
one on f8. In some variations he can look to open the f-file for attacking purposes, while in other
cases, such as the present position, his motivation is to keep the £7-pawn guarded and avoid
leaving a loose rook on a8.
24 �£2?!
•••
Marshall misses a final chance to complicate this historic battle.
24 ... c5! would have forced White to find some accurate moves. The main line runs as follows:
25.dxc5! (after 25.'\Wxh4? c4 26.�xc4 bxc4 27.'1Wh3 :t::le2 it is White who must fight for equality)
25 ...'\Wf2 Other moves let White develop too easily. 26.'\Wf3! (if 26.c6?! �g3! the white queen is
shut out of play) 26 ...'\Wxc5 27.C2:Ja3± White will bring his rook into play and should win without
major difficulties.
2S.Wi'f3 Wl'g1 26.�dS cS 27.dxcS �xeS 28.b4! �d6
29.a4!
Finally all the white pieces are playing, and Capablanca finishes the game efficiently.
29 ...aS 30.axbS axb4 3 1 .1::l a6 bxc3 32.lt:Jxc3 �b4 33.b6 �xc3 34.�xc3 h6 3S.b7 :t::l e3 36 .ixf7t.
1-0
Black resigned as 36... 1::lxf7 37.b8='1Wt wins easily and 36... <;t>h7 37.'\Wf5t <;t>hs 38.1::lxh6 is
mate.
What we have learned:
•• ! Marshall's l l ...ctJf6 move gives Black dangerous attacking chances, despite not being
completely sound.
•:• Black can and should leave his knight on g4 en prise, as taking it will be at best dangerous
and at worst suicidal for White.
!
•• Watch out for mating threats involving a combination of'\Wxf7t and :t::le 8!
•!• Once you have started sacrificing material to attack the enemy king, be relentless and do
not be afraid to give up additional pieces if necessary!
•!• If you intend to give this variation a try in competitive games, 1 6 ...�xh3!? seems to be
the best candidate to reach a playable position. The tricky 1 6 ... lt:J g4!? is a high-risk/high
reward option which could easily net you a full point, although if White finds the right
defensive moves he will soon get a decisive advantage.
Game 2
Andre Eng - Benjamin Foo
Singapore 20 1 0
l .e4 e5 2.ctJf3 ctJc6 3.i.b5 a6 4.i.a4 ctJf6 5.0-0 b5 6.i.b3 i.e? 7.�el 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5
ctJxd5 10.CLlxe5 CLlxe5 l l.�xe5 ctJf6 12.d4 i.d6 13.�el ctJg4 14.h3 �h4 15.�f3 ctJxf2
16.�xf2?!
Theory says this move is bad. I have given it a dubious mark as it is objectively inferior to
Capablanca's 1 6J::1e 2!, and in a practical sense it puts White in some danger. Nevertheless, if
White follows up correctly then the position should remain unclear but roughly balanced.
Apart from the two aforementioned moves, White's most significant alternatives are 1 6.El:e3 and
1 6.il.d2!?, which will be covered in games 3 and 4 respectively. But before going any further, we
will check a selection of truly poor alternatives:
1 6.'\WxaS? ? allows a forced mate, the main line of which runs as follows: 1 6 . . . C/Jxh3t 1 7.gxh3
'iWxel t 1 s.mg2 '1We2t 1 9.mgl '1Wh2t 2o.mn il.xh3t 2 1 .<j;le 1 il.g3t 22.md1 il.g4t 23.'1Wf3
il.xf3#
1 6.El:fl ? is feeble, and after 16 ...il.xh3! 1 7.gxh3 ctJxh3t 1 8.mg2 C/Jg5 Black is winning.
1 6.El:e8?
This attempt to solve White's problems tactically also leads to disaster.
1 6 ... C/Jxh3t!
In one of my old internet games I played the premature 1 6 ...il.b7? and after 1 7.El:xf8t El:xf8
1 8.'1Wxf2 il.h2t 1 9.mfl il.g3 20.'1We2 I was clearly worse and was lucky to win.
1 7.gxh3 il.b7!
With the kingside already ripped open, this move is deadly. To put it nicely, White is up a well
known creek without a paddle.
I S.ElxfSt
I 8.'1Wxf7t �h8 leaves White completely defenseless.
I 8 ... Elxf8 I 9.'1We3
White has no good defense, as the following variations show:
I9.'1Wxb7? 'lWei t 20.�g2 Ele8-+
I9.'1Wf2? '!Wxh3 ( 1 9 ...�h2t! is equally good) 20.d5 Ele8 and White soon resigned in Susilodinata
- Jojua, Oropesa del Mar I 998.
I 9.d5 'lWei t 20.'\Wfl �h2t 2 l .�g2 '!Wg3t 22.�hi Eld8! Calmly activating the last piece and
preparing a neat sacrificial finish. 23.'1Wg2 (23.tt:ld2 Elxd5-+; 23.�f4 Elxd5! 24.�xg3 Eld2t-+)
23 ... Elxd5! 24.'1Wxg3 Eldi t 25.�xh2 Elhi #
a b c d e f g h
I 9 ...�f4!
I9 ... �c6 20.�d2! allows White to struggle on a little longer.
I 9 ...�g3!? is less spectacular than the text move, but should also win pretty comfortably.
20.'1Wxf4 1Wei t 2 l .�h2
2 1 .'\Wfl ? '!Wg3t mates next move.
2 1 ...h6!
Black can also win by forcing the king up the board with 2 1 . .. '\Whl t, but it is easier to set up
the lethal ... g7-g5(t) in advance.
22.d5
There is no other defense against the check on h l , but now the bishop's diagonal towards f7 is
blocked, so...
22 ... l"i:e8!
White can resign.
16...�h2t!
Black must at all costs avoid 1 6 ...i.g3?? which allows the classical mating pattern: 1 7.'1Wxf7t!
l"i:xf7 1 8.l"i:e8#
17.i>fl �g3
Now it is safe to play this move, as 1 8.'1Wxf7t?? l"i:xf7 now comes with check.
18.Wfd2!
The only move; the queen must stay off the e-file, as shown by the following variation.
1 8.1We2
By the way, 1 8 .'1We3 would meet with the exact same response.
1 8 ...�xh3!
Black sacrifices another piece in order to rush a rook to the e-file.
1 8 ...�xe l ? is feeble, and after 1 9.'\Wxel Black's attack has disappeared.
1 9.gxh3 2"1ae8!
20.<;t>g2!
Offering the queen is White's best chance.
20.1Wxe8? '!Wxh3t wins immediately.
Another game continued: 20.�e3 �xel 2 1 .'\Wxel ?! (The untested 2 1 .1Wf3! looks like the best
try, although 2 1 ...2"1e6 22.<;t>e2 2"1f6 23.'1Wg2 l'!e8 still gives Black good winning chances.)
2 1 ...1Wxh3t 22.<;t>f2 '!Wh4t 23.<;t>fl '!Wxel t 24.<;t>xel 2"1xe3t 25.<;t>d2 2"1fe8 Black had a winning
endgame in Butschek - Wittke, Kranenburg 2009.
20 ...�xe l !
Mter 2 0 ...2"1xe2t 2 1 .2"1xe2 Black should b e winning i n the long run, but it i s far more effective
to ignore the queen and concentrate on the attack!
2 1 .'1Wf3 2"1e6!
Forcing White to open the f-file.
22.�xe6 fxe6
White is defenseless, for instance:
23.1Wg4 1Wf2t 24.<;t>hi 'iWfl t 25.1Wgl '!Wxh3t 26.1Wh2 l'!fl#
1 8 J.xh3
...
The only sensible move. Instead 1 8 ... �b7? 1 9.2"1e3! leaves Black with little to show for his
material investment.
19.gxh3
1 9.:ge3!? is a strange-looking defense, but it seems to hold up. 1 9 ...ii.e6! Black has tested the
bishop retreats to g4 and f5, but neither looks completely convincing. 20.:gxg3 (20.:gf3? 'IMfh l t
2 l .We21Mi'xg2t 22.We31Mi'h3 23.1Mi'd3 ii.xb3 24.axb3 :gae8t-+) 20 ... 1Mlxg3 2 1 1Mi'
. f2! (2 l .d5 :gadS!
22.Wgl ii.xd5 23.ii.xd5 c6 24.ii.xf7t Wxf7 25.1Mff2t 1Mfxf2t 26.<;hf2 Wg8t 27.We2 :gd6+ White
faces a difficult ending as he is about to lose his g-pawn.) 2 1 ...1Mi'd3 22.1Mi'e2t Black has enough
play to maintain the balance or force a perpetual, but no real advantage.
19. J�ae8?
.
Too optimistic.
1 9 ...ii.xe l ? is also unsatisfactory: 20.1Mi'g2! (20.'\Mfxe l ? 1Mi'xh3t 2 l .Wf2 :gae8 22.ii.e31Mi'h2t 23.Wfl
1Mi'xb2+) 20 ... :gae8 2 l .ctJd2 :ge6 22.ctJf3!±
1 9 ...1Mi'xh3t
This obvious move is the best.
20.1Mi'g2
20.Wgl ? is a losing move: 20 ...ii.xel 2 1 .'\Mfxel :gae8 22.1Mff21Mi'g4t 23.Wfl
23 ...�e6! 24.ii.xe6 fxe6 25.l2Jd2 h5 26.1Mfxf8t xf8 27.@f2 h4 28.lt:Jfl h3 29.lt:Jg3 1Wd1 30.lt:Jfl
Now in J. Russell - Rooijakkers, e-mail 2000, Black could have obtained a comfortably winning
endgame with 30 ... \t>£7!, instead of settling for a draw with 30 ...\Wg4(?) 3 1 .lt:Jg3 1Mfd1 Y2-Y2.
20 ...\Wxg2t
Ideally Black would prefer to keep the queens on the board, but after 20 ... �f5t?! 2 1 .\t>g1 ii.xe1
22.lt:Jd2 �ae8 23.lt:Jf3! White's position is preferable.
2 1 . xg2 ii.xe 1 00
The endgame is rather double-edged. Black has three connected passed pawns, but White's
bishops are powerful. I continued analyzing for a while:
22.lt:Jd2!?
22.ii.f4 c6 23.lt:Ja3 (23.lt:Jd2 is another idea) 23 ... �fe8 24.ii.e5 ii.h4 25.�fl occurred in
Byczynska - Atlaska, Lubniewice 1 993, and here 25 ... �a7 intending ... c5 would have kept the
position roughly even.
22 ... �ae8
22 ...ii.h4 23.lt:Je4 �ae8 24. f3 ii.d8 25.ii.f4 looks a bit better for White.
23.f3 ii.xd2
23 ...ii.h4 24.lt:Je4! h8? 25.ii.f4! f5 26.lt:Jc5+-
24.ii.xd2 h6 25.�g1 h7 26.�h1
Stopping the pawns from advancing.

26 ... l::l e7 27.ibf4 l::lfe8 28.ibd5 lt>g8
It is not easy for either side to improve their positions.
20.l::lxe8?
White misses his chance.
20.l::le 3! would have halted the attack quite convincingly. 20 ... l::l e6 2 l .ibxe6 fxe6t 22.lt>g2 l::l f2t
23.1Mfxf2 ibxf2 24.l::l f3 White has way too many pieces for the queen and a few more careful moves
should bring him a comfortably winning position, for instance: 24 ...ibel 25.ibe3 g5 26.ctJd2 g4
27.hxg4!? (the simple 27.l::lxel should also suffice) 27 . . .1Wxg4t 28.1t>fl ibxd2 29.l::l f2!+-
20 .. Jl:xe8 2I.@g2 i.el !

Suddenly White i s forced to sacrifice his queen and enter a tricky endgame.
22.i.xf7t
22.1Wf4? l::l e2t 23.lt>gl ibf2t 24.1t>fl l::l e l t 25.lt>g2 l::l g l t 26.1t>f3 1Mfxh3t 27.1t>e4 l::le l t 28.lt>d5
1We6t 29.1t>c5 1Wb6t 30.It>b4 (30.It>d5 l::l e6-+) 30 ... c5t 3 l .dxc5 ibxc5#
22 ... @f8! 23.i.xe8 YNg3t 24.@fl hd2 2S.ltJxd2 YNxh3t 26.@fl @xeS
The computer evaluates this endgame as equal, but in practice it is much more dangerous for
White on account of his uncoordinated pieces and the powerful kingside pawns.
27.ttlf3 Wfhl ! 28.b3 Wfd1 29.'it>g3 hS 30..tb2 h4t 3 I.'it>g4 '1Wc2-+

lf2-1/2
By now Black's position is definitely winning, but in mutual time trouble, the players agreed
a draw.
•:• Once again, remember not to fall for the '1Wxf7t and l"i:e8 mating trick!
•:• Black should not hesitate to sacrifice a bishop (or if it is still surviving on f2, a knight!) on
the h3-square.
•:• Mter sacrificing one or rwo minor pieces, the key to Black's success will often lie in
activating one or more of his rooks.
•:• The rook maneuver ... Ei:ae8-e6 can be used to provoke .ixe6, after which ... fXe6 will open
the f-file for the other rook!
•:• Sometimes Black will be happy to enter an endgame, as having rwo or three connected
passed pawns on the kingside may be enough to offset any material sacrifices he has made.
Game 3
Ruben Mario Moret - Pedro Alfonso Parnenzini
Correspondence 1 992
l.e4 eS 2.ttlf3 ttlc6 3.-thS a6 4 ..ta4 ttlf6 5.0-0 .te7 6J!el bS 7..th3 0-0 8.c3 dS 9.exd5 ttlxdS
lO.ttlxeS ttlxeS l l.l"i:xeS ttlf6 12.d4 .td6 13.l"i:el ttlg4 14.h3 Wfh4 IS.Wff3 ttlxf2 16.Ei:e3!?
This rare move is one of the computer's top choices, and it leads to interesting complications.
a b c d e f g h
16... ttld3!
16 ... ctJg4 1 7.hxg4 .ixg4 1 8.g3! ( 1 8.'1Wf2?! '1Wh2t 19.'tt> fl .if4 20.ctJa3 .ixe3 2 l ..ixe3 Ei:ae8 gave
Black a strong attack in Dewi - Foo, Singapore 20 1 0) 1 8 ... '\Wh5 1 9.'1Wd5! '1Wg6 20.ctJd2 was clearly
better for White in Djoni - Hukom, Jakarta 201 1 .
17J�e4?
This tempting move leads to trouble. Taking the knight would cost White his queen, but two
other moves are worth checking.
1 7.�d2
Now Black can cause problems with a most striking idea.
1 7 ... �g4!!
This amazing move was found by Victor Mikhalevski.
1 7 ... �b7? 1 8.g3! '1Wxh3 1 9.V�hb7 +- was Tesic - Ingolfsson, carr. 1 994.
17 ... tt'lf4!? is more interesting, but after the accurate 1 8.'1Wxa8! �xh3 1 9.g3! White keeps the
upper hand in the complications.
1 8.hxg4
White can hardly turn down the offer.
I 8 ...'1Mfh2t I9.mf1 'IWhi t 20.me2 tt'lf4t 2 1 .mf2 El:ae8!
Black has good counterplay.
White's strongest move is:

1 7.g3!
1 7 .. .\Wxh3
1 7 ...�h6 1 8 ..id2! wins material. Now 1 8 ... ctJxb2 1 9.�xa8 does not give Black much hope,
while 1 8 ....ixh3 1 9.l"lxd3 �g6 20.l"le3 should also enable White to defend his kingside and win
with his extra piece.
1 8.l"lxd3 .if5 1 9.l"le3 Elae8
Black is mobilizing all his pieces, but it is not quite enough.
20.ctJd2 l"lxe3 2 l .�xe3
Remus - Posylek, corr. 1 997.
2 l ...h5!?
This looks like Black's best chance, but ultimately White should prevail with his extra
material.
Barring any serious improvements for Black over the above analysis, it looks like 1 6.l"le3!? followed
by 1 7.g3! is another route to an opening advantage for White against the 1 1 ... ctJf6 system .
8 ....
7
6
4
3
1
a b c d e f g h
17...�b7!
1 7 ...�g3 was played in Sjugirov - Akylbekov, Khanty-Mansiysk (ol) 20 1 0, and now 1 8 ..ixf7t!
�h8 1 9.�xg3 .ixg3 20 ..id5 Elb8 2l .ctJd2 .if5 22.l"le2 would have given White good defensive
chances, as pointed out by Mikhalevski.
18.�xh4 i.xf3 1 9.CtJd2

1 9.gxf3 ctJxcl leaves White facing the threat of ... ctJ d3xb2, and 20.ctJd2 is met by 20 ... Ct:Jxb3!
2 l .ctJxb3 f5! 22.d5 l"lae8 23.�f2 l"le5 24.Eld4 f4! with a clear advantage for Black.
19 ... CLlxcl?!
19 ... .ib7!+ would have made life difficult for White. Black's pieces are active, he is ready to take
over the open e-file, and the rook on h4 is badly misplaced.
20.�xcl
After 20.ctJxf3 ctJe2t 2 l .�f2 l"lae8+ White's rook is in danger.
a b c d e f g h
20 ...�b7 2 U'!fl
2 l .lt'le4! would have equalized.
2I..J:!ae8 22.�c2 g6 23.ttle4 �e7 24J3hf4 f5i
Black is still better in the final position, but he was content to take a draw.
!
•• 1 6.Ei:e3!? could be a serious try for an advantage, although after 1 6 ... li'ld3! White will have
to find the excellent move 1 7.g3! to prove it.
!
•• If White plays too timidly and declines Black's material sacrifices, he may wind up in a
difficult position - even after a queen exchange.
Game 4
Leonid Gofshtein - Nir Shahal
Beersheba 1 9 9 1
l.e4 e5 2.ttlf3 ttlc6 3.�b5 a6 4.�a4 ttlf6 5.0-0 �e7 6.Ei:el h5 7.�b3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 ttlxd5
10.ttlxe5 ttlxe5 l l.Ei:xe5 ttlf6 1 2.h3 �d6 13.Ei:el ttlg4 14.'Wf3 'Wh4 15.d4 ttl:xf2 16.�d2!?
8 T
7
6
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
This move is recommended by some theoretical sources as the strongest, but I am not so sure.
White's rook is now protected and Black's knight is trapped, but his attacking resources are far
from exhausted as we will see.
16 i.xh3!
...
Facing a loss of material, Black must keep the momentum going one way or another.
16 ... CUxh3t? 1 7.gxh3 i.xh3 1 8.l"i:e4+- is not worth a second thought.
However, the following move is a serious alternative to the main line:

1 6 ...i.b7!?
Black is offering material with almost every move.
1 7.'Wxb7
After 1 7.'Wxf2? i.h2t 1 8.Wfl i.g3 1 9.'Wf5 g6 20.'Wd3 'Wf6t 2 l .We2 i.xel 22.i.xel c5 23.'Wg3
(23.dxc5 l"i:feSt) 23 .. .1::\ feSt 24.Wdl cxd4 25.CUd2 dxc3 26.bxc3 Ei:ad8-+ White is helpless
against the power of Black's twin blasters.
1 7 ... l2Jd3!
Black is fighting for the f2-square.
7
6
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
1 8.l"i:e2!
Some sources give this is a winning continuation. The final verdict may be correct, but White
will have to navigate some treacherous complications to prove it.
1 8 .Ei:fl ? is strongly met by 1 8 ... 'Wg3 1 9.l"i:xf7! Wh8!! ( 1 9 ...'Wh2t 20.Wfl Wh8 2 l .We2 CUxb2
22.i.cl l"i:aeSt 23.Wd2 'Wgl 24.Wc2 C2J d3! 25.i.d2 lUel t 26.Wb2 C2Jd3t=) 20.'Wf3 'Wh2t
2 l .Wfl 'Whl t 22.We2 cuc1 t 23.Wf2 l2Jxb3 24.axb3 Wg8-+.
1 8 ... 'Wg3!
Threatening a deadly check on h2.
1 8 ...l"i:ae8 1 9.'Wf3 l"i:xe2 20.'Wxe2 'Wg3 2 l .Wfl is nothing much for Black.
1 9.wfl
The only move, but now Black can pose problems with:
1 9 ... l2Jf4!
In his notes to the Capablanca - Marshall game, Kasparov only mentioned 1 9 ... l!Mh2? 20.g4
l!Mxh3t 2 1 . l!Mg2 when White wins.
Now White must be precise.
20.1'l:f2!!
The only clear-cut path to a serious advantage.
After 20.�xf4? l!Mxf4t 2 1 .l!Mf3 l!Mcl t White's pieces on the first rank are all pinned. 22.�f2
�h2 Threatening mate on g1! 23.l!Me4 %%adS! (Unfortunately 23 ... g6 intending ... 1'%ae8 allows
White to trap the queen with 24.1'l:e1 !! l!Mxb2t 25.l!Mc2 l!Mxa1 26.%%dl !+- followed by '2ld2,
Titjen - Tistrup, corr. 1 963.) 24.'2ld2 �g1 t! 25.�g3 l!Mxa1 26.'2lf3 %%d6+ Black's chances are
higher.
The other main move leads to a draw: 20.1'l:e3 l!Mh2 2 1 .l!Mf3 1'%ae8 22.l!Mf2 1'l:xe3! (22 ... '2lh5?
23.g4 '2lg3t 24.1'l:xg3 l!Mxg3 25.l!Mxg3 �xg3 26.'2la3+- Fleck - Westerinen, Germany 1 99 1 )
23.�xe3 1'l:e8 24.'2ld2 (24.'2la3 1'l:xe3 25.l!Mxe3 l!Mxg2t 26.�e1 �fS 27.1'l:cl ctJxh3t) 24 ... 1'l:xe3
25.l!Mxe3 l!Mxg2t 26.�e1 l!Mh1 t=
20 ... l!Md3t
Macicek - Cempel, Czech Republic 2006. Here White's most accurate continuation would
have been:
2 1 .cj;Je l !
The king should be safe here, despite appearances.
It must be said that the game continuation of 2 1 .cj;Jg1 ctJe2t 22.!"i:xe2 Wxe2 23.'W'f3 was also
enough to consolidate White's position and obtain a decisive advantage.
2 l . ..!"i:ae8t 22.cj;Jd1
Black is a piece down and can only play for tricks. The following is the computer's main
line:
22 ... !"i:e3 23.i.c2 !"i:el t 24.cj;Jxel Wxc2 25.i.xf4 !"i:e8t 26.i.e5 Wei t 27.cj;Je2 i.xe5 28.'W'e4 Wxb2t
29.cj{f3 'W'xal 30.dxe5+-
Let us return to the position after 16 ...i.xh3.
a b c d e f g h
17.gxh3 ti:Jxh3t I S.fl g5!
Black has no convenient way to improve his pieces, so he starts including his pawns in the
attack.
19J�e2
1 9.!"i:e4! seems to be the strongest answer. My suggestion would be the untested 1 9 ...Wh6!?.
(19 ...i.f4 20.i.xf4 ctJxf4 2 l .ctJa3 and 19 ... ttJf4 20.i.xf4 i.xf4 2 l .ctJd2 cj;Jhs 22.'W'g2+- do not carry
much hope for Black.) From here a possible continuation would be 20.!"i:e2 ctJf4 2 l .i.xf4 i.xf4
22.ctJd2 cj;Jhs 23.ctJe4 g4 24.Wg2 f5 25.ctJc5 !"i:ae8 when White keeps some objective advantage
thanks to his extra material, but Black's advancing kingside pawns and attacking chances give him
realistic counter-chances.
19... t±>g7
Preparing .. .f5 and . . . g4. The computer thinks White is still better, but the irregular position is
not easy to handle over the board, and it looks like Gofshtein became increasingly uncomfortable
over the next few moves.
20..iel '?Nh6 21.tlJd2 ti:Jf4 22.�e3

22 .f5!
..
Black's attack is difficult to stop.
23.'1Wc6? �ad8
23 ... !"i:ae8! would have been winning immediately.
24.�g3 CDe2??
A faulty combination.
24 ... g4 would have kept a clear advantage.
25.'1Wg2??
White could and should have called his opponent's bluff with 25.'the2 !"i:deSt 26.'tt> d3 f4
27.!"i:gl Wg6t 28.CLJe4+-.
25 ... CDxg3t 26..ixg3 f4

26 ....ixg3 27.Wxg3 f4 28.Wf3 Ei:de8+
27..if'l
27 .. JWg6!
Finally all of Black's pieces are coordinated, and the kingside pawn armada soon decides the
game.
2B..tds '1Wd3t 29.'kt>gl '!Wxd2 30.'\WxgSt 'kt>hs 3 1 .'\Whs i.e7 32.'1Wh3 f3 33JUI 'IWgSt
0-1
•• ! Once again the game and notes featured a variety of violent tactics and sacrifices.
•• ! In vastly complicated positions, the question of who stands 'better' or 'worse' is oflimited
importance. The result of the game will depend on who makes the last mistake!
A Calmer (and Sounder) Alternative - ll...ib7!?

The l l ...ctJf6 variation leads to fascinating complications, but it is not to everyone's taste to
venture such a risky expedition. It is for this reason that I have included the following section on
l l...i.b7!?, which has a reputation for being more reliable, without requiring anywhere near the
same level of theoretical knowledge as l l ...c6.
a b c d e f g h
The above diagram shows the basic starting posltlon after l l . ..�b7. Compared with
l l . . . ttJ f6 - and, to some extent, the main line of l l ... c6 - we can identify the following major
differences:
� Black plays for quick and fluid development, without resorting to wild sacrifices.
� The dark-squared bishop rarely goes to d6, instead favoring the f6-square.
� Black will undermine the enemy center by playing ... c7-c5.
� Black will aim for positional compensation based on pressure against the enemy center and
queenside, rather than a direct attack.
Game S
Vladimir Kirpichnikov - Mikhail Steinberg
Riga 1 968
Mikhail Steinberg was one of the most talented players of Karpov's generation and the Ukrainian
Kharkov chess school. When he played this game he was only 1 6 years of age. Unfortunately he
never become a grandmaster, as his life was tragically cut short by leukaemia at the age of just 23.
l .e4 eS 2.ttlf3 ttlc6 3 ..ibS a6 4..ia4 ttlf6 5.0-0 .ie7 6.E:el bS 7 ..ib3 0-0 8.c3 dS 9.exd5
ttlxdS lO.ttlxeS ttlxeS l l.E:xeS .ib7!?
According to the database this was only the second time anyone had tested this move.
12.d4
This might seem like an automatic choice, but 1 2.Wff3!? is a serious alternative which we will
encounter in the next and final game of the chapter.
12...Wfd7
Black has a second reliable option here:
12 ...if6 1 3.E:e1 E:e8!
13 ... c5 1 4.dxc5 E:e8 1 5.ctJa3 Wfc7 1 6.E!xe8t E!xe8 1 7.ixd5 E!d8 1 8.if4 Wfxf4 1 9.Wff3 Wfxf3
20.ixf3 ixf3 2 l .gxf3 b4 22.ctJc2 bxc3 23.bxc3 E!c8± Anand - Short, Amsterdam 1 993.
1 4.id2
After 1 4.ctJa3 b4! 1 5.lt'lc4 bxc3 1 6.lt'le5 Wfd6 1 7.1Mfe2 E!e7 1 8.bxc3 ctJxc3 1 9.Wfc4 Wfd5 Black
had equalized in Mukhin - Romanishin, Vilnius 1 97 1 .
Also 1 4.ctJd2 lt'lf4 1 5.lt'lf3 ixf3 1 6.gxf3 Wfd6 gave Black good compensation in Jobava - Stern,
Dresden 2007.
1 4 ... E!xel t
Three other ideas deserve a mention:
14 ... c5 does not equalize: 1 5.dxc5 E!xe 1 t 1 6.Wfxe1 Wfc8 1 7.ctJa3 1Mfxc5 1 8.E!d!t
1 4 ... a5 1 5.lt'la3 b4 1 6.ctJc2 E!xe l t 1 7.Wfxel a4 1 8.ixd5 Wfxd5 1 9.ctJe3± Anand - Hracek,
Germany 2002.
The untested 14 ...Wfd6!? is interesting, and after 1 5.Wff3 c5 Black has promising compensation.
a b c d e f g h
1 5.'\Wxe1 b4
1 5 ... '\Wd7!? intending ... :ge8 looks reasonable as well.
1 6.a3 bxc3 1 7.l/Jxc3 i,xd4 1 8.:gd1 c5
Y2-Y2 Kokarev - Stern, Rijeka 20 10.
a b c d e f g h
13.g3?
White goes badly astray - it is hard to guess his motivation for weakening the long diagonal.
Here are some other examples of how the game may continue after better moves by White:
1 3 .h3 i,f6 1 4.:gel mes 1 5.i,d2 :gxe1 t 1 6.'\Wxe1 :ge8 1 7.'\Wfl l/Je7 (17 ... l/Jb6!?) 1 8 .l/Ja3 c5! Black's
position already looks better. 1 9.:gd1 cxd4 20.i,e3 l/Jf5 2 l .i,xd4 l/Jxd4 22.cxd4 g6 23.l/Jc2 a5
24.a4 bxa4 25.i,c4 :gbs 26.l/Je3 h5+ Krnan - Tseitlin, Montreal 2004.
1 3.'1Wf3 :gadS 1 4.l/Jd2

Now Black has a strong tactical sequence which is worth remembering.
1 4 ... c5! 1 5.dxc5 i,f6 1 6.:ge1 l/Jxc3 17.'1Wg3
a b c d e f g h
1 7 ... lt:Ja4!
Stronger than 17 ...'\Wc6 1 8.bxc3 �xc3 1 9 .1::1 b 1 �xd2 20.�xd2 !:l:xd2 2 1 .2:l:bcl (2 1 .2:l:e5!=)
2 l ...a5 22.2:l:e7 !:l:d3 23.f3 a4 24.�e6 !:l:d1 t 25.2:l:xd1 '1Wxc5t 26.'1Wf2 '1Wxe7-+ Faibisovich
Ivanov, Leningrad 1 973.
1 8.�xa4 bxa4 1 9.l2lc4 '1Wd5 20.lt:Jb6 '1Wxc5 2 1 .l2lxa4 '1Wc6 22.l2lc3 �h4 23.'1Wh3 !:l:d6 24.�f4 !:l:f6
25.l2le2 g5 26.�g3 �c8
0-1 Dimitrov - Hebden, Cappelle la Grande 1 989.
1 3.a4 �f6 1 4.2:l:e1 !:l:ae8!

Playing for development.
14 ... b4 1 5.c4 l2le7 1 6.d5 c6 1 7.d6 l2lf5 1 8.c5 looks dreadful for Black at first sight, but in
the following game White soon went astray: 1 8 ... 2:l:ae8 19.�e3? (Better was 1 9.l2ld2! !:l:xe 1 t
20.'1Wxe1 !:l:e8 when Black has some compensation, but White should have a clear advantage
if he plays correctly.) 1 9 ... l2lxe3 20.fxe3 '1Wf5 Black was already better in Ciocaltea - Tseitlin,
Kragujevac 1 974.
1 5.l2ld2
1 5 ... lt:lf4!
Black has a strong initiative for a pawn.
1 3.ctJd2!? is the computer's top choice. I think Black should respond aggressively with 1 3 ... lt:lf4
1 4.ctJf3 ctJxg2! 1 5J"he7 Wxe7 1 6.ci>xg2 2':1ad8 as played in Tukmakov - Tseitlin, Odessa 1 972. 1he
position is difficult to assess. White has a material advantage of two pieces for a rook, but Black
has some pressure on the long diagonal and White's king will not be safe for a long time. I believe
Black has enough resources to maintain roughly equal chances.
a b c d e f g h
13 . i.f6 14.2"1el �ae8!
. .
Blacks attack develops effortlessly, while White is still struggling to complete his development.
15.ClJd2
1 5 .e3 ctJxe3 1 6.fxe3 �g5 1 7.Wd3 c5! puts White under strong pressure in the center.
t5 ... llJf4!
A powerful attacking move, although it is worth mentioning that there was a good alternative
in 1 5 ... c5!, intending to meet 1 6.dxc5 by 1 6 ... Wc6! with unpleasant threats. (The immediate
1 5 ...\Wc6 can be met by 1 6.ixd5 \Wxd5 17.f3, with reasonable chances to defend.)
16J�e3?
After 1 6.Bxe8 Bxe8 1 7.gxf4 Bel t! 1 8.\Wxel \Wg4t Black wins.
White's last chance to prolong the game was 1 6.d5, although Black will still have a strong
initiative in a position with equal material.
16 .. Jhe3 17.fxe3 �h3t IS.fl 'IWfSt 19.e2 'IWflt

1 9 ...ig2! and 1 9 ... Be8! were even more conclusive, but the text is good enough.
20.d3
a b c d e f g h
20... c5!
Bringing yet another fighting unit into the attack. White cannot even retreat his king to c2, as
this would allow mate in one!
21.c4
2 1 .\We2 \Wf5t 22.e4 l2lf2t 23.mc2 t2lxe4-+
21...cxd4
0-1
White's position is a complete disaster so he resigned.
•!• The l l ...ib7!? variation is relatively easy to learn and does not require much detailed
theoretical knowledge.
•!• The central strategy with . . .if6 and ... c5 can sometimes give rise to ... l2lxc3 tactics.
•!• The bishop on b7 can become an extremely powerful attacking piece, especially ifWhite
is foolish enough to weaken himself on the long diagonal.
•!• The ... lt:Jf4! sacrifice.
In the next game we see the l l ...�b7!? variation holding its own at super-GM level.
Game 6
Vassily lvanchuk - Gata Kamsky
Montreal 2007
l .e4 e5 2.itJf3 ltJc6 3.�b5 a6 4.J.a4 itJf6 5.0-0 J.e7 6J�el bS 7.J.b3 0-0 8.c3 dS 9.exd5
ltJxdS lO.ltJxeS ltJxeS l l.E1xe5 J.b7 12.'\�ff3!?
This is the most interesting and ambitious attempt to deactivate Black's opening. White
highlights the unstable position of the knight on d5 and bishop on b7, and hopes to force the
defensive move ... c6 which would obviously not sit well with the bishop on b7.
Fortunately Black can avoid this with the help of some tactics.
12...J.d6! 13.J.xd5
The other capture is taboo: 1 3.Ei:xd5? 'We7! 14.�fl (the game actually featured the move order
1 4.1Wdl Ei:ae8 1 5 .�fl , but this gives Black an additional and possibly even stronger option in
14 ...�xd5 1 5.�xd5 'We5.) 1 4 ... !"\aeS 1 5 .1Wdl Borjini - Abicht, Dortmund 2003. Here Black
could have won with the help of a simple double attack:
8 ....
7
6 �
;:!
�
;::,
5 ...,
1:;·
�-
4 �
3 ;;±
;::;
1
a b c d e f g h
1 5 ...il,xd5 1 6.il,xd5 V!lfe5! 1 7.il,f3 V!lfxh2 1 8.g3 Ele6! with a decisive attack, for instance 1 9.d4 Elfe8
20.il,d2 il,xg3! 2l .fXg3 V!lfxg3-+ followed by ... Elf6.
13. .c6!
.
Black puts his pawn on c6 after all, but only after enticing White into giving up his valuable
light-squared bishop.
14J�e2
Intending to keep control over the e-file.
Another game continued 1 4.Elel cxd5 1 5 .d4 V!lfc7 1 6.g3 Elfe8 17.il,e3 a5 1 8 .ttJd2 b4 1 9.cxb4
( 1 9.Elacl bxc3 20.Elxc3 V!lfb6�) Golubev - Van den Doel, Leiden 2008, and now 1 9 ... axb4!
would have equalized. (In the game Black took with the bishop and was a little worse, although
he still drew without much difficulty.)
14 ...cxd5 1 5.d4 "Wc7!

This move is consistent with the character of the 1 I ...il,b7 system. Black gains time for
development by creating a threat against the kingside, without giving up his influence over the
center.
1 5 ...V!lfh4? might superficially seem more in the spirit of the Marshall Attack, but after 1 6.g3 V!lfh3
1 7.il,f4!± Black has no real attack and his queen is misplaced.
16.g3 �ae8
1 6 ... Elfe8 had been played just one day earlier at the very same tournament. Here too Black
had few problems equalizing: 17.il,e3 a5 1 8.ttJd2 b4 1 9.Elcl V!lfd7 20.Eleel bxc3 2 1 .Elxc3 il,b4
22.Elc2 Elac8 Black's bishop pair provides full compensation for the pawn, and he soon exchanges
one of them to reach a drawn opposite-colored bishop position in which White has virtually
no winning chances. 23.Elecl Elxc2 24.Elxc2 a4 25.a3 il,xd2 26.il,xd2 Yz-Yz Sutovsky - Short,
Montreal 2007.
17.i.e3
One notable older game ended in a quick draw: 1 7.ctJd2 b4 1 8.cxb4 Vfic2 19.Ele3 �c8 20.tt:Jfl
�xb4 2 l .a3 �a5 22.b4 �b6 23.Elxe8 Elxe8 24.�e3 �e6 25.Vfidl Elc8 26.ctJd2 Vz-Vz Anand
Short, Manila 1 992.
17... a5
The queenside minority attack is a typical method for Black to generate active positional
compensation in this line.
The kingside attacking plan is less convincing: 1 7 .. .f5 1 8 .ctJ d2! f4 1 9.�xf4 Elxe2 20.Vfixe2 �xf4
2l .gxf4 Vffxf4 22.Elel �c8 23.Vfie3t Tsuboi - Perdomo, Sao Paulo 2007.
However, the flexible 17 ... Ele6! deserves serious attention, and would be my first choice from this
position. Play may continue: 1 8.ctJd2 Elfe8 1 9.ctJb3
18.CLld2
18 ...b4!
Continuing the thematic plan.
1 8 ... a4?! takes away the b3-square from the knight, but leaves Black's pawns completely static and
gives White time to complete his mobilization with 1 9.a3 E1e6 20.2:'1ael E1fe8 2 I .i.f4!±.
19.cxb4 i.xb4 20.a3 i.d6 2Ul:eel

2 l .CLlb3?! 'Wb6! works out well for Black, as White can hardly contemplate 22.ltk5? i.xc5
23.dxc5 d4!-+.
21. .. 2:'1e6 22.2:'1acl 'Wb6 23.'\Wdl l:l:feS 24.'Wb3 Jbf8;!;

Black does not have much in the way of tangible compensation, but his two bishops and
active pieces make it hard for White to make much progress. This is not a bad outcome from the
opening, especially considering that Black also has an improvement available on move 17.
25.:Ek3 '1Wa6 26.tLlf3 a4 27.'1Wc2 f6

Taking away the e5-square from White's pieces.
28.:El:cl '1Wb5 29.tLlel!

Ivanchuk is one of the best players in the world, and he finds a way to make life slightly
uncomfortable for Black by maneuvering his knight to d3.
29 ...:El:b6 30.tLld3 :El:ee6?!

30 ...�d6 3 1 .�f4 �f8 32.:r::l c7 :r::lbe6 33.�e3± looks best.
34 ...'1Wd7 35.:El:cbl �c6 36.'\Wf5 :El:e8 37.'1Wxd7

Ivanchuk did well to avoid 37-'Wd3 d4! 38.�xd4 :r::la4 39.:r::l b4 'Wd5 40.f3 :r::l d8 when Black has
strong counterplay.
37 ....ixd7 38.h4 :r::l ea8

Now Black has almost equalized.
39.:El:b6 .if5 40.:El:xa6 :El:xa6 4I.:El:b8t �f7 42.:El:b7t �g8

1/2-¥2
•!• 1 2.'Wf3!? is a tricky continuation and it is important for Black to know the correct counter
1 2 ... �d6! along with a few supporting variations.
•!• The moves �xd5 and ... cxd5 lead to a change in the pawn structure which brings certain
advantages for both players.
•!• White benefits from the blocking of the long diagonal and restriction of the b7-bishop,
but Black has the long-term advantage of the bishop pair.
•!• My suggested improvement with 1 7 ... Ele6! followed by ... ElfeS highlights the importance
of activating all the pieces before playing with pawns. (There are of course some exceptions
to this rule, but still...)
•!• The minority attack with ... a5 and ... b4 is an important part of Black's strategy.
Conclusion
In this chapter we became acquainted with two vastly different methods of handling the Marshall
Attack: the ultra-aggressive l l ...ctJf6?! and the calmer l l ...�b7!?.
The first thing to say about l l ... li:Jf6?! is that it is not technically sound, and it would be dishonest
to suggest otherwise. Does that mean you should automatically decide never to play it? That really
depends on your own outlook. The plus points are that it is rarely played, and it is unlikely that
many opponents will know (or remember) exactly how to deal with it. Even if your opponent
remembers his theory and follows the recommendation of Capablanca, the deviations 1 6 ... li:Jg4!?
and 16 ...�xh3!? enable Black to keep the game going and force White to make some difficult
decisions.
On the other hand, Black must also learn quite a large body of theory to play the l l ...li:Jf6
line effectively, and not everybody will wish to do this for a line that is known to be dubious.
Having presented the pros and cons, I will allow the reader to make up his own mind. In any
event, this part of the chapter contained a wealth of interesting chess and instructive attacking
ideas, which I hope will be interesting even to those readers who have no intention of playing
it over the board.
By contrast, l l ...�b7!? is less likely to lead to a quick kingside attack, but on the positive side
it requires little theoretical knowledge and yet still appears to be a fully viable alternative to the
main line of l l ...c6. By developing and centralizing his pieces with maximum efficiency, Black
obtains quite promising compensation for a pawn.
On a cautionary note, it is slightly surprising that l l ...�b7!? has not become popular amongst
high-level grandmasters, despite having been used to good effect by Short and Kamsky. Could
this mean that the world's top players know of some subtle drawback to l l ...�b7, or is it merely
the case that with l l ...c6 still holding up firmly, there is no desire to fix something that isn't
broken? I, for what it's worth, have not been able to find any reason not to play it. At the very
least, 1 1 .. .�b 7 should serve as an ideal introductory line for players who wish to play the main
lines of the Marshall, but are not yet ready to learn 30 or more moves of theory in multiple
variations after l l ...c6.
Chapter 2
The Hector Gatnbit
a b c d e f g h
l.e4 e5 2.CD f3 CDc6 3. .ih5a6 4 ..ixc6 dxc6 5.0-0 .ig4 6 . h3 .ih5

l .e4 eS V!ljf3 llJc6 3.i.b5 a6 4.i.xc6 dxc6

In the old days the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez was considered a solid but somewhat
dry system, in which Black's two bishops gave sufficient compensation for his doubled queenside
pawns. It was Bobby Fischer who reinvented this old line by winning some good games, thus
inspiring a new generation of players to incorporate it into their repertoires or at least play it
from time to time. Although Black's theoretical chances are generally considered to be satisfactory
in most of the main lines, there are many players who find the positions somewhat tedious. In
this chapter I will advocate a dynamic and combative approach which offers Black promising
counterplay and is also likely to offer a good deal of surprise value.
Introduction
We will begin by exploring the next few moves leading up to the Hector Gambit, checking a few
harmless sidelines along the way.
5.0-0
This is generally regarded as the only serious move. White has no real chance to fight for an
advantage with anything else. Here is a brief summary of White's minor alternatives:
5.'2lxe5? is a beginner's mistake. After 5 ...W/d4 Black wins back the pawn and his bishop pair gives
him a slight plus in the resulting position.
A slow move like 5.d3 can be met by 5 .. .f6 (or 5 ...j,d6 first) intending ... c5 and ... ctJe7-c6, when
Black enjoys a strong grip on the center and his two bishops should offer excellent prospects.
5.d4 exd4 6.W/xd4 Wfxd4

In this line White reaches a thematic queenless position in which he 'only' has to exchange all
the remaining pieces to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. Nevertheless his approach
is rather simplistic and Black's two bishops should enable him to develop good counterplay.
7.'2lxd4 j,d7 s.j,e3 0-0-0 9.'2ld2
The Hector Gambit 57
The other knight development is playable but less flexible: 9.'Zlc3 ilb4 1 0.'Zlde2 'Zle7
( 1 0 .. .f5!? is also interesting) 1 1 .0-0-0 'Zlg6 1 2.a3 ild6 1 3.f3 ( 1 3.f4 f6 1 4.g3 c5 was agreed
drawn in Matanovic - Hulak, Surakarta 1 982, although it seems to me that Black's position is
more promising as the e4-pawn could become weak.) 13 . . . 1'.lhe8 14.Wb1 Y2-Yz Machulsky
C. Horvath, Sverdlovsk 1 989. Obviously either side can play for a win from this position, but
Black is certainly not worse.
9 ... 'Zle7 1 0.0-0-0 'Zlg6
1 1 .f3
1 l .ctJ4b3 ild6 1 2.'Zlc4 ile6 1 3.'Zlxd6t cxd6 14.'Zld4 E.lhe8= was solid for Black in Pecorelli
Garcia - R. Huerta, Cienfuegos 1985.
1 1 ...ile7 1 2.1'.lhe1 ilf6 1 3.'Zle2 h5 1 4.ild4 ilxd4 1 5.'Zlxd4 c5 1 6.'Zl4b3 b6
The position was balanced in Piazzini - Espinosa Flores, Buenos Aires 1 959. The exchange
of dark-squared bishops is helpful to White, but on the other hand Black's queenside pawns are
controlling some important squares and overall his position has enough positive features to make
up for his compromised pawn structure.
5.'Zlc3
Just as with 5.0-0, White defends his e4-pawn and thus threatens to take on e5.
5 ... f6
Other moves are possible, but the text is considered the most reliable.
6.d4 exd4 7.'Zlxd4
7.'Wxd4 'Wxd4 8.'Zlxd4 ild7 is similar to 5.d4 above. One game continued 9.ile3 ilb4 1 0.'Zlde2
'Zle7 1 1 .0-0-0 'Zlg6 1 2.a3 ild6 1 3.f3 h5 1 4.h4 'Zle5 with comfortable equality for Black,
Blocker - Ibragimov, King's Island 200 1 .
7 ... c5 8.'Zlde2 'Wxd1 t 9.'Zlxd 1
Here we see the drawback of 5.ctJc3 compared with 5.0-0. The latter move often leads to a
similar situation where White recaptures on d 1 with the rook, developing another piece and
leading to a more harmonious position. In this position he must take a step backwards with the
knight, which makes this whole line a lot less threatening for Black.
9 ...ile6 1 0.ilf4 0-0-0 1 l .ctJe3 'Zle7
1 2.l.'1d1
1 2.h4 should be met by 12 .. .luc6.
12 ... l.'1xd1 t 13.�xd1 g5!
This is the most promising and dynamic way to mobilize Black's kingside pieces.
1 4.�g3 f5
1 4 ...�g7 1 5.h4! gives White some chances for an edge.
1 5.�e5
1 5.exf5 l/Jxf5 1 6.l/Jxf5 �xf5 1 7.�e5 l.'1g8 is good for Black.
1 5 ... l'1g8 1 6. l/J c3
1 6... l.'1g6!?
This was a new move at the time, but it is a logical way to activate the rook and is also the
computer's top choice.
1 7.f3 b5 1 8.exf5 tt'lxf5 1 9.l/Jxf5 �xf5 20.g4 �d7 2 1 .l/Je4 �c6 22.l'1e1 �e7 23.b3 l.'1e6 24.�g3 h6
Yz-Yz Cardoso Garcia - Kulczycki, Internet 20 1 0. Once again there was plenty of play left in
the position but the players decided to call it a day.
The general conclusion for the above variations is that Black's bishop pair and fluid development
should be enough to ensure a satisfactory game. With 5.0-0 White is aiming for an improved
version of the queenless middlegame, with the rook taking on d 1 instead of the knight. According
to current theory Black does not have much to fear here either, but for our purposes it is more
interesting to investigate a combative approach which leads to a more complex middlegame.
a b c d e f g h
5 ...ig4
This active move may not be the most common choice, but it is a well known move. It is on the
next turn that things really start to get interesting.
6.h3
The critical test. A slower move such as 6.d3 would be met by 6 ... f6 when Black has no
problems. (On the previous turn Black's main line is 5 ... f6, after which 6.d4! is the critical
move.)
6...ih5!?
Offering a real gambit! This is a fresh and exciting alternative to the traditional 6 ... h5, when
White should avoid capturing the bishop and instead develop his pieces, obtaining a slight
advantage after correct play.
According to the database the text move was first played in 1 905. After that it occurred in a
number of games from the 1 960s onwards, but suffered from rather a dubious reputation right
up until the last five years or so. The gambit does not have an official name, but I decided to
name it after Jonny Hector. The Swedish grandmaster did not invent the gambit and has only
played it four times according to the database, but he was one of the first grandmasters to play
it and no other GM has used it in as many games at the time of writing. Apart from Hector,
the gambit has also been used by GMs Pavasovic, Carlsen, Meier, Naiditsch, Shirov, I. Sokolov,
Gustafsson and Hammer. It is also worth mentioning the Spanish amateur player San Claudio
Gonzalez, who has used the gambit seven times, including Game 9 which can be found in the
present chapter on page 70.
7.g4 Ag6 S.ttlxeS

In all the theoretical books that I studied in the early 1 980s, I do not remember any author or
theoretician who considered this line to be anything other than unsound for Black. Supposedly
White's recipe for success was simply to exchange the bishop on g6, then protect his kingside
pawns by 1Wf3 and mg2. Many years passed before players began to realize that instead of relying
on direct threats against White's king, Black could instead aim for positional compensation,
based on the holes on f4 and h4 and longer-term pressure against White's weakened kingside.
Even today White has not found a convincing way to neutralize Black's domination over the dark
squares, which tends to offer him significant compensation for the sacrificed pawn. This will be
illustrated by the following games, beginning with Jonny Hector's first outing with the gambit.
Game ?
Rune Djurhuus - Jonny Hector
Malmo 1 995
l.e4 eS 2.ttlf3 ttlc6 3.Ah5 a6 4.hc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Ag4 6.h3 AhS!? 7.g4 Ag6 8.ttlxe5 Ad6
This natural move develops a piece and forces the knight to make a decision. The interesting
8 .. .f6 is the subject of Game 9, while the main line of 8 ...'\Wh4! is considered in games 1 0 and 1 1 .
9.ctJxg6
Opening the h-file is not a perfect solution for White, but we will see in the next game that the
alternatives are no better.
9 ...hxg6 10.g2 \Wh4 l l.Wff3 i.£4!?

Hector wastes no time in occupying the outpost on f4. It is doubtful that Black has anything
better:
1 1 ...0-0-0 allows 1 2.d4, and after 1 2 ... f5 1 3.e5 !be7 14.c3 White was better in Tassopoulos
Mihailidis, Ermioni 2006.
1 1 . . .lt'l f6?!
In 2005 Magnus Carlsen decided to test the Hector Gambit, and the text move was his novelty.
He eventually prevailed although I would not advise the reader to follow his example.
a b c d e f g h
1 2.e5! ctJd5!
Black can afford to leave the bishop hanging, although we will see that this does not completely
solve his problems.
1 3.d4!
1 3.exd6 leads to a draw: 1 3 ... lt:Jf4t 1 4.�h2! ( 1 4.�hl also gives Black the option of forcing a
draw with 1 4 ...'Wxh3t, but he can also consider playing for more with 1 4 ... 'Wg5!? or 1 4 ...'Wf6!?.)
14 ... 'Wxh3t Black has nothing better than taking the draw. 1 5.'Wxh3 l-'1xh3t 1 6.�gl ctJe2t
1 7.�g2 lt:Jf4t=
1 3 ...!be7 1 4.'Wg3?!
Much better was 14.!be3! 0-0-0 1 5.ctJc3! when Black is struggling to demonstrate
compensation.
1 4 ...'Wh7 1 5.c4 lt:Jb4 1 6.ctJa3?!
There is no reason to put the knight on the edge of the board. Over the next few moves White's
position continues to deteriorate.
1 6 ... 0-0-0 1 7.!be3 ctJd3! 1 8.l-'1ab1
1 8 ... g5!
White's center is about to start crumbling. The 1 4-year-old Magnus finishes the game in style.
1 9.Wf3 c5 20.dxc5 .txc5 2 l ..txg5 CLJxe5 22.Wf5t Wxf5 23.gxf5 §d3 24.CLJc2 §dxh3 25 . .te3
§h2t 26.mg3 .td6 27.c5 §Sh3t 2S.mf4 §f3t 29.me4 §h4t 30.md5 ct:Jc6 3 1 .tLld4 §xf5t
0-1 Bogner - Carlsen, Gausdal 2005.
12.ltlc3
White could have called his opponent's opening into question with 1 2.d3! g5 1 3 ..txf4 gxf4
14.§h1 ( 14.CLJd2 CLJe7 1 5.§h1 l2Jg6 1 6.We2 0-0-0 1 7.CLJf3 also gives White some advantage)
1 4 ...Wf6 as occurred in Rolletschek - Brandner, Mureck 200 1 . At this point 1 5 .CLJc3 CLJe7 1 6.e5!
would have enabled White to keep the upper hand.
For this reason I believe Black should avoid 8 ....td6, preferring instead 8 ... f6!? (Game 9) or
8 ...Wh4! (games 1 0 and 1 1) .
12 ... ltle7 13.d4 g5 14.ltle2 ltlg6 15.:ghl

Another game continued 1 5 ..txf4 gxf4 1 6.§h1 Wg5 1 7.mfl 0-0-0 1 8 .§d1 c5 1 9.c3 §d6
20.§cl, at which point Black should have switched his attention to the other flank:
a b c d e f g h
20 ... cxd4! (much better than the game continuation of 20 ... Ei:f6?! 2 l .e5 Ei:e6 22.Ei:e1 Ei:b6 23.b3
cxd4 24.cxd4 Ei:c6 25.'�e4± Slingerland - Hajdarevic, Sarajevo 20 1 1) 2 l .cxd4 1Mfb5! This clever
queen move enables Black to regain his pawn, while White's kingside troubles remain.
1 5 .. .'11*/h6
1 5 ... 1Mfh7 1 6.mfl occurred in Krassowizkij - Engelmann, Bad Liebenzell 20 1 0, and here Black
should have continued in the same manner as the present game: 1 6 ... 'Llh4 17.1Mfd3 i.xcl 1 8.Ei:xcl
0-0-0�
16.i>fl
16... lbh4
In a later game Black also found success with a different approach: 1 6 ...i.xcl 1 7.Ei:xcl 0-0-0
1 8.Ei:d1 'Llh4 19.1Mfe3 1Mfe6 20.ctJc3 1Mfc4t 2 l .Ei:d3 'Llg6! Black's initiative is becoming dangerous,
and it soon develops into a mating attack. 22.1Mfxg5 Ei:xd4 23.b3 1Wb4 24.1Mff5t mbs 25.'\Mfx£7
Ei:xd3 26.cxd3 1Mfxc3 27.1Mfxg6 1Mfxd3t 28.mg2 Ei:f8-+ Valeanu - S. Brunello, Yerevan 2006.
17.1Mfd3 ixcl
1 7 ... 0-0-0!? is also strong.
18J'hcl 0-0-0
We have reached a typical middlegame position for this gambit. White will remain with an extra
pawn for the foreseeable future, but his pieces lack harmony. His kingside contains numerous
weaknesses, his rooks are passive, and Black is poised to develop strong pressure in the center.
a b c d e f g h
19.Wfe3 �he8 20.�gl
Trying to prevent Black from including his f-pawn in the attack. A move like 20.b3 could be
met by 20 .. .f5! 2 l .gxf5 'Uxf5 22.Wfd3 cu h4 23J'�gl Elf8 when Black starts to develop pressure
on the f-file, for instance 24.Wfe3 '®h7 25.1"lg3 Eld7 26.1"ldl Eldf7 with at least a pawn's worth of
compensation.
20 Wfe6!
.•.
This double attack hits the pawns on a2 and e4.
21.ltlc3
Defending both pawns, but Black has a good answer.
2I. W/c4t! 22.ltle2 Wfxa2 23.Wfxg5 �xe4!

.•
Black can afford to leave his knight hanging, and with his last move he restores material equality
while keeping the initiative.
24.f3?
A blunder. 24.�xh4 was a better try, although after 24 ...�c4 25J''l e l !"\deS Black regains the
piece and maintains strong pressure.
The best defense was 24.!"lg3! �c4 25.!"ld3 'Llg6 26.�f5t �e6 27.�xe6t !"lxe6 when Black
certainly has no problems in the endgame, but White should be okay too.
24... lL!xf3 25.�f5t E:e6!

Only now did White realize that the knight was taboo.
26J�g3
26.�xf3 !"lf6 27.'Llf4 !"lxd4-+
26...Wfc4
26 ... 'Llxd4-+ would have won immediately.
27.E:xf3 Wfxe2t 28.@gl E:xd4 29.E:cfl?!

29.�xf7 should have been the last chance, although after 29 ... !"ld2 30.�f8t !"le8 3 1 .�f5t �b8
32.!"lf2 �e3 33.�f4 !"lxf2 34.�xe3 !"lxe3 35.�xf2 !"lxh3-+ the rook ending should be a simple
win.
29... E:d7
Two pawns down with an exposed king, White's position should have been helpless. But at this
stage both players were in time trouble, and Black goes on to squander most of his advantage.
a b c d e f g h
30.'1Wc5 b6 3 1 .W!'f8t @b7 32.Wfxg7 E:d2?!
32 ...�xc2! 33.!"lxf7 !"le2!-+
33.E:3fl Wfe3 34.Wfc3 E:xfl 35.E:xfl Wfcl t?!

35 ...�xc3 36.bxc3 !"leT+
36.�fl VMh6 37.VMg3?

37Jl:xf7 would have practically forced Black to win the game all over again.
37 ... f6 38.h4 a5 39.h5 �e4 4o.VMf3 �b4 4I.�h2 VMg5 42.�h3 �xb2 43.VMxf6 VMe3t 44.VMf3
VMc5 45.VMf5 VMa3t 46.VMd3 VMa2 47.�f2 �bl 48.�g2 VMg8 49.VMd7 VMc4 50.VMf5
Given the change in the game's momentum, I suspect that White was thinking about playing
for a win. Nevertheless, Black still has the advantage, and it looks like Hector was able to regain
his composure after the time control. He shows good endgame technique from here.
58 ... �h2t 59.�g6 VMest 6o.�f7 �xh7 6I.�xh7 VMxf7t

0-1
•!• The holes on f4 and h4 are the cornerstone of Black's positional compensation.
•!• Black should almost always look to take these squares under control with the thematic
plan of ... g5 and ... lt'le7-g6.
•!• Once Black has finished developing, he may play .. J:l:he8, switching his attention from the
h-file to the center.
•!• A quick transfer of the black queen to the center or queenside can be an effective tool,
especially when White is focusing his attention on the kingside.
•!• The importance of the .. .f5 break to open more lines on the kingside.
•!• On a more general note, this game highlights the importance of time management! Hector
played a good game and should have been winning easily, but almost threw it all away after
using up far too much of his allotted time.
Game S
Sonja Lindholm - Antti Arpalahti
Helsinki 2000
l .e4 e5 2.c!ljf3 l2Jc6 3.J.b5 a6 4.hc6 dxc6 5.0-0 J.g4 6.h3 J.h5 7.g4 J.g6 s.l2Jxe5 J.d6
As I mentioned before, this bishop move is not the one I would recommend. However, I
wanted to show this game to illustrate the potential dangers associated with White's kingside
pawn advance.
a b c d e f g h
9.l2Jf3?!
This slow move looks wrong. There is some logic behind the decision not to allow the opening
of the h-file, but the negatives outweigh the positives. White loses time and leaves Black with two
powerful bishops.
Before moving on, it worth noting that a couple of other moves have occurred in practice:
After 9.d4 �xe5 1 0.dxe5 �xdl l l .l"lxdl �xe4 Black was at least equal in Faust - Schnabel,
e-mail 2007, and indeed it is White who is under pressure to find a good response to the
forthcoming ... h7-h5.
9.li:Jc4 is rare but not stupid. White intends to eliminate the dark-squared bishop, but Black
obtains sufficient counterplay on the kingside as usual: 9 .. .'\Wh4 1 0.'®f3 h5 1 1 .li:Jxd6t cxd6 12.d3
hxg4 1 3.Wxg4 Wh7� Netzer - Raps, Germany 2009.
a b c d e f g h
9 .h5!
..
Black immediately sets his sights on the kingside.
10.e5?
This is just asking for trouble. The best response is of course:
1 0.g5
Trying to keep the kingside blocked.
1 0 ... Wd7!
The most accurate.
Less attractive is 1 0 ...We7 1 l .e5 ixe5? 1 2.d4! when White wins material (but not 12.li:Jxe5??
Wxg5t-+ as in Kolmas - Sevcik, Olomouc 1 998).
1 1 .�g2
1 1 ...0-0-0
1 l ...ii.xe4? is reckless, and after 1 2.:9:e1 Vffe6 1 3.C2Jc3! ii.xf3t 1 4.Wxf3 ii.e5 1 5.Wg2! Black is
defenseless against f2-f4 or d2-d4, winning the bishop.
1 l ...CtJe7 is a decent alternative though. 1 2.CtJc3 h4 1 3.d4 was played in Aabling Thomsen
- Hector, Copenhagen 2007, and now the logical 1 3 ... 0-0-0 would have given Black full
compensation.
1 2.d3 f6 1 3.l2Jh4
Bax - Veltman, Hengelo 200 1 . Now the simple approach would have been best:
1 3 ... CtJe7!
Black develops another piece, and maintains promising compensation for the pawn.
IO...hxg4!
Of course Black should not pass up such an opportunity to open the h-file.
l l.hxg4?
This should lose by force, but even after the superior 1 l .exd6 gxf3 1 2.:9:e1 t Wf8 1 3.Vfixf3 cxd6
1 4.d3 Vfid7 1 5.Wg2 ii.f5 1 6.:9:h1 CtJe7 1 7.ii.f4 l2Jg6 White is in trouble.
l l ...ii.c5?!
This keeps some advantage, but 1 l .. .ii.e4! would have decided the game immediately. 1 2.exd6
( 1 2.:9:e1 is losing by force after 1 2 ... :9:hl t! 1 3.Wxh1 [ 1 3.g2 Vfih4-+] 1 3 ... Vfih4t 1 4.g2
Vffxg4t-+) 12 ...Vfig5! 1 3.CtJh2 Vfih4 and mate is inevitable.
12.d4?
12.Vfie2 Vfid7 1 3.e6 would have kept White in the game, although he is still considerably
worse.
12....ie4!
Finally!
a b c d e f g h
13.c3 :9:h3 14 ..ig5

14. ttJ h2 :9:xh2 is terminal.
14...�xg5!
An elementary tactic, exploiting the potential mate on hi .
15.ttlh2 :gxh2 16.f3 �h4

0-1
White's play was poor, but it is useful to see how quickly Black can generate a decisive attack
with the help of just one open file.
•!• Avoiding the exchange on g6 has some positive features for White, but generally they will
be outweighed by the loss of time and Black's strong bishop pair.
•!• An open h-file spells great danger for a castled king.
•!• Tactics! In this game the powerful ...Jie4 move was the key idea which enabled Black to
create devastating threats.
An Interesting Sideline on Move 8

Although 8 .. .'®h4! is the best move and the one I would recommend, I would also like to mention
an interesting alternative which caught my eye.
Game 9
Enrique Alvarez Fernandez - Francisco Javier San Claudio Gonzalez
Asturias 2000
l.e4 e5 2.ttlf3 ttlc6 3 ..ih5 a6 4..ixc6 dxc6 5.0-0 .ig4 6.h3 .ih5 7.g4 .ig6 8.ttlxe5 f6!?
This rare move leads to a different type of middlegame struggle.
The main line of 8 .. .'1Wh4! is considered in the next two games.
a b c d e f g h
9.ttlxg6 hxg6 1 0.�f3 �d7
This time Black keeps his queen in the center instead of the h4-square. His general strategy will
be the same: gain control over the weak f4- and h4-squares, then press against the enemy center.
l l.d3
White can play more energetically with:
l l .ll:lc3 0-0-0 12.d4!
White is ready to sacrifice a central pawn in order to accelerate his development and attack on
the queenside.
12 ... V�hd4?!
It would have been better to stick with the normal plan of 12 ... g5 intending ... ll:le7-g6,
although compared to the usual positions resulting from 8 ... \Wh4!, Black's compensation is less
convincing.
13.Ei:dl \Wc4
1 3 ...\Wc5 1 4.Ei:xd8t �xdS 1 5 .�e3 1We7 1 6.Ei:d l t±
1 4.Ei:xd8t �xdS 1 5.�f4 �cS 1 6.Ei:dl
1 6.1Wg3!? \Wf7 1 7.Ei:d l ±
1 6 ...�b4
1 7.1We3!
Eyeing the a7-square.
1 7...1Wc5
The only move to stop White's mating attack.
1 7 ... b6? 1 8.1Wd2! wins immediately.
1 8.\Wd3 1We7 1 9.ctJa4
White has by far the more dangerous attack. Black's bishop is also misplaced and he was unable
to solve his problems in Benjamin - Van der Wiel, Cannes 1 992.
1 1...0-0-0
A year later San Claudio Gonzalez deviated with 1 I ...j,d6!? and was successful once again.
The game continued 1 2.ctJd2 0-0-0 1 3.ctJc4 ctJ e7 1 4.ctJxd6t ( 1 4.d4!? is interesting although
after 1 4 . . . . :8h4 1 5.�g2 f5! Black's compensation should be sufficient) 1 4 ...1Wxd6 1 5.�g2 g5�
Cenal Gutierrez - San Claudio Gonzalez, Norena 200 1 .
12..if4?!
White decides he wants his bishop on the h2-b8 diagonal, but this allows Black to play ... g5
with the gain of a valuable tempo.
A more recent game showed the right path for White: 1 2.Wg2!? j,d6 ( 1 2 ... g5? 1 3.\Wf5!±) 1 3.ctJc3
ctJe7 1 4.j,f4 j,xf4 1 5.1Wxf4 g5 16.1We3 ctJg6 1 7.ctJe2 ctJ h4t 1 8.Wg1 Elh6 1 9.f4!± Struch -
T. Hansen, Helsingor 2008.
12... �e7 13.V9e3 @bs 14.@g2 g5 15 ..ig3 �g6 16.�d2 .id6!

Once again Black has succeeded in obtaining his typical compensation. His pieces are well
coordinated and he has full control over the weak f4- and h4-squares.
17.�£3?
Sometimes it only takes one careless move to stumble into a hopeless situation. Can you find
Black's winning idea?
17.. Jhh3!!
Destroying the enemy kingside.
18.'kt>xh3
White could have survived for longer with a move like 1 8.�g l , but after 1 8 ...\Wxg4 the result
is hardly in doubt.
18 ... ltlf4t
18 ... �h8t 1 9.�g2 tZ'lf4t was equally devastating.
19.'1t>h2
1 9.il,xf4 �hSt 20.�g2 1Wxg4t also leads to an immediate disaster.
19 ... \Wxg4 20.'1t>gl �h8

0-1
White has no good defense against ... �h1 t with mate to follow, so he resigned.
•:• 8 ... f6!? has some positive features although I must emphasize that I do not consider it as
strong as 8 ...\Wh4! which we will consider in the next two games.
•:• When one side has given up material for compensation, the opponent may do well to
return the material to reclaim the initiative. The note to move 1 1 shows a perfect example
of this strategy in 1 1 .tZ'lc3 0-0-0 12.d4!.
•:• If Black establishes the set-up with ... g5 and . . . tZ'le7 -g6, he will almost always have some
practical compensation due to the weakness of the f4- and h4-squares.
•:• When one side has a weakened king shelter, tactical shots such as 1 7 ... �xh3!! can seemingly
appear out of nowhere! Be sure to look out for them when you are attacking, and also
when defending.
The Critical 8 \Wh4! ...
The final two games and annotations highlight the growing popularity of the Hector Gambit
at grandmaster level. Its appeal is obvious: Black avoids the typical queenless positions usually
associated with the Exchange Ruy Lopez, instead aiming for a rich and complicated middlegame
with chances to fight for the initiative and play for the full point. Mter a certain amount of
practical testing and analysis, it gradually became clear that 8 ... 1:Wh4! was the most accurate path
for Black. We will now focus our attention on this critical variation.
Game 10
Vadim Chemov -Jan Werle
Bundesliga 2009
l .e4 e5 2.CLJB ctJ c6 3.i.b5 a6 4..L.:c6 dxc6 5.0-0 i.g4 6.h3 i.hS 7.g4 i.g6 8.ctJxe5 Wl'h4!
a b c d e f g h
Mter a while it became clear that Black could delay the development of his dark-squared
bishop. Instead he gains a tempo with his queen and prepares to play ... f6 on the next move.
After the likely exchange on g6, he will continue with the standard plan of ... g5 and ... ctJe7-g6,
establishing his ideal set-up as quickly as possible.
9.WI'B
The strange-looking 9.Wg2 is playable, although after 9 ...i.xe4t 1 0.f3 j,d5 1 1 .1:We1 1:We7 White
obviously had no opening advantage in Urlau - Hobert, e-mail 2006.
9...f6 10.ctJxg6
As usual, any attempts to avoid this move are unimpressive.
1 0.ctJc4?! h5 l l .d3 occurred in Levine - Everett, Lansing 1 993, and now l l ...j,f7! would have
been good for Black, with ideas of ...j,e6, ...j,xc4 or simply ... hxg4 regaining the pawn.
IO... hxg6
a b c d e f g h
1 1.d4!?
A rare move but not a bad one. White is trying to lure Black into regaining his pawn at the
expense of the initiative, but we will not comply!
In one game White went for the same idea a full tempo down with 1 1 .�g3?!, but this was too
much of a liberty. 1 l ...�xh3 12.�xh3 Ei:xh3 1 3.lt>g2 Ei:h4 1 4.f3 0-0-0 1 5.d3 �d6 was more
pleasant for Black in Stripunsky - Gustafsson, Philadelphia 20 1 0.
The usual 1 1 . lt>g2 can be found in the next game.
1 1 ...0-0-0!
Werle refuses to deviate from the normal plan. Instead after 1 l ...�xh3 1 2.�xh3 Ei:xh3 1 3.<;t>g2
Ei:h4 1 4.f3 0-0-0 1 5 .�e3 White enjoys a slight edge without much risk.
12.�e3 g5 13.ll:Jc3
The alternative knight development is also possible:
1 3.ctJd2 l1Je7 14.�g2 l2lg6 1 5.Ei:ad1
The position was reached via a different move order in the following game which took place
in 20 1 1 :
a b c d e f g h
1 5 ...�xh3
1 5 ...il.d6!? and 1 5 ... Ele8!? both deserve attention.
1 6.�xh3 Elxh3 1 7.c;t>g2 Elh4 1 8.f3 il.d6 1 9.Elh l
1 9.e5 Eldh8 forces a draw. ( 1 9 ...il.e7 also leads to an equal position.) 20.exd6 Elh2t 2 I .c;t>gi
El8h3 22.Elfel Elhl t (Black can prolong the game with 22 ... ltJh4 23.c;t>f1 ctJxf3 24.ltJxf3 Elxf3t
25.c;t>gi Elxc2, but he has no more than a perpetual here either.) 23.c;t>f2 El3h2t 24.c;t>g3 Elh3t
Black must take a perpetual check.
1 9 ...il.f4
White must tread carefully here, as his pawn weaknesses could prove costly in the endgame.
20.Ji.f2 Elxhl 2 I .c;t>xh l
21 ...Elh8t
Black could have posed real problems with 2l ... c5! 22.c3 (22.d5 ElhSt 23.c;t>gi ctJe5 is awkward)
22 ... Elh8t 23.c;t>gl il.xd2 24.Elxd2 Elh3 25.Eld3 ctJf4 26.Ele3 c4+ when White is badly tied up.
22.c;t>gl il.xd2
At this point the players agreed a draw in the game Wittmann - Godena, Aix-les-Bains 20 1 1 ,
but Black could have played on.
23.Elxd2 Elh3 24.Eld3
a b c d e f g h
24 ... c5!
White is under pressure.
1 3 ... ftle7 14.�g2

White finally decides to protect the h3-pawn, but it costs him valuable time. Still, even after
the superior 1 4.�g3 �h7 1 5.Eladl li:'lg6 Black maintains significant compensation for the pawn.
14 ... ttlg6 15.Elhl '1Wh6 16.�fl

The king was never going to be entirely comfortable on g2, being within such easy checking
distance of the black knight. For the moment his position looks safe on the kingside, but we have
already seen that in such positions Black is capable of developing strong central play.
16...i.d6 17.'1Wf5t �b8 18.'1Wa5

White moves his queen out of harm's way and he may even have been dreaming about launching
an attack.
18... ttlh4 19.�e2

Despite his extra pawn and relatively stable position, White is in some danger. His position
contains several weak points and his pieces are not well coordinated.
a b c d e f g h
19 .. J�he8
1 9 ... Wh7!? was an interesting alternative, with ideas of ... Wg8, ... tt'lg2 or ...ibf4.
20.gadl i.f4
Eliminating an important defender. Black has other interesting options:
20 ... tt'lg2 2 l .�dgl tt'lxe3 22.fxe3 Wh4 23.a3 g6 leads to a dynamic balance.
20 ... g6!? looks logical, preparing to mobilize the f-pawn, and after 2 l .�d2 f5 22.�cl f4 23.ibd2
ttJf3! Black has full compensation.
21.i.xf4 gxf4 22.f3?

White is playing with fire. It was safer to swap queens with 22.Wh5!, and after 22 .. .f3t 23.�fl
Wxh5 24.gxh5 f5 the position is balanced.
22 CLJg2
.•.
Not a bad move, but the strongest continuation was 22 ... f5!?, intending to meet 23.gxf5?! with
23 ... Wh5 24.�hfl g6! when White's king is in serious danger.
23.�d2?
White should have preferred 23.�d3! tt'le3 24.ttJd l f5! 25.gxf5 Wh5! 26.�f2 (26.tt'lxe3 �xe4!)
when Black has nothing better than 26 ...Wh4t 27.�e2 Wh5 = repeating the position.
23 ... CLJe3
Threatening a fork on c4 and stopping White's king from running away. Black could have
obtained an even stronger attack with 23 . . .Wh4!, preventing a queen trade.
24.b3
24.Wh5 was the best chance although after 24 ...Wxh5 25.gxh5 tt'lc4+ Black has good winning
chances.
24...f5!
Now White's position is ruined as he no longer has a chance to exchange queens.
25.h4
25.gxf5 �g5 26.:9:h2 lLlxf5-+
25 ...fxg4
It looks like the rest of the game was played in mutual time trouble. Instead of the text move
Black could have finished the game immediately with 25 ... b6! 26.�xa6 fxg4 27.Wf2 gxf3 28.�d3
�g6 29.l:l:gl �h5-+.
26.'1Wg5 gxf3t 27.mxf3 Wfd6 zs.ttldl Wfe6 29.ttlf2
29 J�d7
.•
29 ... :9:f8! was stronger.
30.h5
30. Wxf4! looks incredibly risky but was in fact playable, and after 30 ... ctJd5t 3 1 . Wg3 l'i:f8
32.c4! the position is wildly unclear.
30 .. JH7 3 1 .c4 llJfS 32."1Wg4 "1Wd6 33."1Wg6 "1We7 34.e5 �ds 35.d5 �ff8 36.e6 "IWcS 37.l2Jg4
cxd5
White's center is finally destroyed and his resignation is just a matter of time.
41.�f2 "1Wb6t 42.�g2 "1Wb4 43.�dl l2Je7 44.�c5 �f6 45.�e5 "1Wc3 46."1Wxg7 "1Wc2t 47.�h3
"!Wxdl
0-1
Despite the mutual errors near the end, this game was an interesting and thematic example
which demonstrated the long-term character of Black's positional compensation. White was able
to avoid any early mating threats, but the lack of a secure home for his king proved to be his
undoing in the end.
•• ! If the opponent offers to return material to reclaim the initiative, remember you do
not have to take it! In this game Werle refused to exchange queens and was eventually
rewarded.
•• ! At the same time, there could be certain cases where it makes sense to equalize the material.
We saw a good example in the note to White's 1 3th move; in the game Wittmann
Godena, Black maintained some initiative despite the reduced material.
•• ! The present game once again reminded us of the long-term nature of Black's compensation.
Try as he might, White was unable to find a truly safe home for his king.
•• ! When you are facing an attack, you should almost always take the opportunity to force a
queen exchange. Chernov failed to do so and he paid the price.
Game 1 1
Ruediger Seger - Georg Meier
Bundesliga 20 1 0- 1 1 Griesheim 201 1
l .e4 e5 2.ctJf3 ctJc6 3.�b5 a6 4.hc6 dxc6 5.0-0 �g4 6.h3 �h5 7.g4 �g6 8.CDxe5 'Wh4 9.'Wf3
f6 10.ctJxg6 hxg6 l l.�g2
The most popular choice. White protects his h3 pawn at once, and prepares to bolster the
defenses with !:!hi later on.
l l...g5!
Preparing to put the knight on g6 without delay.
1 1 ... 0-0-0
This move is also quite playable. Even though l l . .. g5! would be my top choice, I would still
like to draw your attention to some instructive games that occurred in this line.
1 2.d3
12.li:Jc3 was played all the way back in 1 905! In the game Black showed a high level of skill and
understanding, as he went on to develop a serious initiative without the benefit of any computers
or knowledge of previous games. 1 2 ...iid6 1 3.li:Je2 l/Je7 14.d4 g5 1 5.l:!hl �b8 1 6.l/Jg3
16 ... c5! An important move, hitting the enemy center and winning additional squares for the
black pieces. 1 7.dxc5 �xc5 1 8.�e3 �xe3 1 9.'1Wxe3 '1Wh7! Black has kept strong pressure over
the kingside, and White cannot challenge for the d-file with l::l d l as the h3-pawn requires
protection. 20.ctJh5 lLlg6 2 1 .l::ladl ctJh4t 22.mh2 l::lhe8 23.l::lxd8t l::lxd8 24.c3 '1Wg8 25.b3 l::l d2!
Black obtained a decisive advantage in Dyckhoff- Schories, Barmen 1 905.
1 2 ... g5
Another game continued 1 2 ...�d6 13.l::l h l g5 1 4.ctJc3 ctJe7 1 5.ctJe2 '1Wh7 1 6.�d2 ctJg6 1 7.mfl
mbs 1 8.�c3 l::l he8 ( 1 8 ... c5!? may be an even better choice to prevent b4) with ongoing
compensation for Black, Collutiis - Pavasovic, Bratto 2009. Black is still a pawn down, but
White will find it difficult to improve his position as his rooks are not connected and there is
no harmony between his pieces.
1 3.ctJd2 ctJe7 1 4.l::lh l '1Wh7 1 5.'1We2 ctJg6 1 6.ctJf3 �d6 17.�e3 '1Wg8 1 8.'1Wd2
1 8 ... l::lh6!
An improvement over 1 8 ... \We6 19.'1Wa5 c5 20.mfl mb8 2 l .a3 l::lh6 22.b4!? with double-edged
play, Maze - Naiditsch, Montreal 2009.
19.'1Wa5 mbs 20.a3 \Wh7!
Black is developing unpleasant threats along the h-file.
12.d3
This has been White's usual choice, but a few other moves deserve attention.
12.Ei:h1 {jj e7 is likely to transpose to another line. (Black can also play 12 ... 0-0-0 1 3 .d3 {jj e7,
when 14.{jj d2 transposes to the aforementioned Maze - Naiditsch game.)
1 2.{jj c3 {jj e7 1 3 .e5?! is a dubious idea, and after 13 ... {jj g6 14.d4 0-0-0! it becomes clear that
the imminent opening of the position will be to Black's favor. 1 5 .{jj e2 '1Wh7 16.�h2 {jj h4
1 7.'1Wd3 '1Wxd3 1 8.cxd3 fXe5 1 9.dxe5 Ei:xd3 Black had a smashing position in Turner - Hammer,
Sunningdale 20 10.
Finally, White can establish a larger pawn center as in the following game:
1 2.d4 {jj e7 1 3.Ei:h 1 '1Wh7 1 4.�g1 0-0-0 1 5.�e3 �b8 1 6.{jj d2 '1Wg8 1 7.b4 {jj g6 1 8 .c3 �d6
1 9.'1We2
1 9 ... Ei:h6! 20.a4 \Wh7

The method of piling up on the h-file with ...\Wh4-h7-g8 followed by ... Ei:h6 and ...\Wh7 is
worth remembering.
2 1 .'1Wf3 {jj h4 22.'1We2 {jj g6 23.'1Wf3 Ei:h8
Black spurns the repetition and plays for a win. There is nothing wrong with this, although
objectively White should be okay.
24.Ei:e1 �f4 25.\Wg2 �c8
It was worth considering 25 ... '1Wg8!? 26.Ei:a1 (The queen was threatening to come to a2, and
26.c4 �d6! is awkward for White.) 26 ... Ei:8h7! intending ... \Wh8 with a most unusual and
effective tripling of the heavy pieces.
26.a5 '1Wg8 27.Ei:a1 '1We6
27 ... Ei:8h7! would have prepared to triple on the h-file.
28.�fl {jj h4 29.'1Wg1 {jj g6 30.'1Wg2 {jj h4 3 1 .'1Wg1 �d6 32.�e2 {jj g6 33.'1Wg2 {jj h4 34.\Wfl {jj g6
35.�d3 {jj f4t 36.�xf4 �xf4 37.{jj c4 g6 38.Ei:e1 \Wf7
Vz-Vz Magem Badals - Gustafsson, Sestao 20 1 0. By now White stands better but he took a
draw anyway, perhaps due to time pressure.
1 2 ..l'ile7
.
Hurrying towards g6.
13.ghl
White almost always feels the need to play this move at some point. Here are two other practical
examples:
1 3.i.e3 �h7 1 4.Elhl ti:lg6 1 5.�e2 'Wg8 1 6.ti:Jd2 i.d6 1 7.ti:lc4 i.f4 1 8.a4 �e6 1 9.b4 'tt> f7
According to the computer 1 9 ... 0-0-0!? is okay, but Shirov obviously felt it would be too risky.
20.ti:la5 b6 2 l .ti:Jb3 i.e5 22.Bab l i.c3
23.ti:Jd2?!
This messes up White's coordination.
23.a5 would have kept the game unclear.
23 ...�a2?
23 ... ti:lh4t! 24.'tt> g l �a2 was more accurate.
24.ti:lc4?!
24.ti:Jf3! �xa4 25.d4 would have given White a good game.
24 ...'\Wxa4
Black was better and eventually prevailed in Wandzik - Shirov, Warsaw 20 10.
1 3.'\Wg3
Here Black has an obvious improvement.
1 3 ...'\Wh7!
It is important to keep the queens on the board.
After 1 3 ... '2Jg6 1 4.1'1h1 0-0-0 1 5.'\Wxh4± White was happy in Sgnaolin - Karpatchev, Calvi 2010.
1 4.f4?!
This may have been the reason why Black felt obliged to allow the queen exchange in the above
game. The move looks active, but in realiry it only leads to trouble for White:
1 4.:!':1h 1 is safer, although 1 4 ... 0-0-0 followed by ... ctJg6 gives Black his rypical compensation.
1 4 ... '2Jg6! 1 5.f5
1 5.fxg5? j,d6-+
1 5 ... '2Jh4t 1 6.ct£h1 0-0-0
White's pawn chain looks impressive but he is unable to keep it together.
1 7.e5
1 7.ctJc3 j,d6+
17 .. J''\ d 5!
White is in trouble, for instance:
1 8 .8:el 8:xe5 1 9.8:xe5 �d6 20.d4 fxe5 2 1 .dxe5 ltJxf5! 22.gxf5 �xf5 Black is winning.
13 ...�h7
Pre-empting �g3, which would hit the c7-pawn while threatening to exchange queens.
14.'it>gl 0-0-0
Ideally Black would like to play 14 ... ltJ g6 as early as possible, but in this position 1 5.�f5! is
troublesome, so Meier tidies up his king position first.
15.CLJc3
Developing the knight on d2 with 1 5.�e3 <ii b S (after 1 5 ... ltJg6 White might be tempted
to try 1 6.�f5t <ii b S 1 7.ltJd2) 1 6.ltJd2 �g8 also leads to a situation where Black has sufficient
compensation.
15 ... 'it>bs 16.�e3 tLlg6 17.ttle2 �d6

Black had a second promising continuation in 17 ... ltJh4 1 8.�g3 �d6 1 9.f4 gxf4 (Black can
also maintain the tension with 1 9 ...�g8 or 1 9 ... g6) 20.�xf4 �c5t 2 1 .�e3 �xe3t 22.�xe3 g6
followed by .. .f5, opening more lines on the kingside.
18.lDg3 l2Jh4 19.Wfe2 g6!

The situation is remarkably similar to a few of the previous games. White's pieces are stuck on
the kingside, so Black starts preparing to open the center with ... f5.
20.�fl Wfe7 21.�gl i.£4 22.�el c5 23.�dl �he8

Despite being a pawn up with a stable position, White has virtually no useful moves.
24.�d2
Mter 24.c3 Black can start probing with 24 ...'\We6! 25.a3 Wfb6 26.�fl Wfb5 27.d4 Wfa4!. The
queen is becoming annoying and White still lacks a useful plan.
24 ...Wfe6 25.c4 f5!

Finally blowing up the center.
32.fxe3 �f4 33.Wfg3 WfhSt 34.�el �f3 35.Wfg4 �exe3t

36J'!e2?
White's only chance was 36.�dl �xh3 (36 ...\WeS 37.�c2 \Wa4t 38.�b l �xd3 is also good)
37.\Wxh5 �xh5 38.�dg2 �e5+ with some chances to grovel for a draw.
36...'Wf7?!
The players must have been in time trouble. Here Black misses a pretty straightforward win
with 36 ... \Wh7! (36 ...\Wg6! is similar) 37Jlxe3 �xe3t 38.�f2 �xd3 when White's material
disadvantage and exposed king make his position hopeless.
37.�gg2
Missing a golden opportunity in 37.\Wxg5! �xe2t 38.�xe2 �f2t 39.�el �xb2 (39 ...\Wf3
40.\We5!) 40.\WgSt! \Wxg8 4 l .�xg8t �a7 when White has fair chances to hold the endgame.
37...�xd3 38.�gfl �f4 39.'Wxg5 �xf2 40.�xf2 'Wxc4 4I.�e2 �xh3 42.'Wd8t �a7 43.'Wxc7
�f3 44.�d2 'Wd3t 45.�el 'Wbl t
0-1
•!• Black's most effective method of development involves playing the moves ... \Wh4, ... g6-g5,
and .. .lbe7-g6 as early as possible.
•!• Having said that, Black should be ready to adjust his move order in order to avoid a
disruptive \Wf3-f5 move.
•!• The shuffiing of Black's queen and rook on the h-file with ...\Wh7-g8, ... �h6 and ...\Wh7 is
as unorthodox as it is effective.
•!• Once again, we saw that even when White survives the opening with a seemingly safe
position, he continues to suffer from the same problems of piece coordination and king
safety.
Conclusion
The Hector Gambit is a fresh, ambitious and, according to the latest theory and practice,
theoretically sound method of fighting against the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. It has
proven to be a highly effective practical weapon all the way up to grandmaster level, mainly due
to the fact that Black's compensation is based on long-term positional factors rather than short
term threats and tricks. The illustrative games and notes highlighted a recurring pattern whereby
White successfully consolidates his extra pawn and reaches a seemingly safe middlegame, only
for the nagging problems of king safety, piece coordination and kingside weaknesses to cause his
undoing.
Chapter 3
The Traxler Counterattack
a b c d e f g h
l.e4e5 2.tlJf3 tlJc6 3. .ic4 ttJf6 4. tlJg5 .ic5!?

Introduction
l .e4 e5 2.tLlf3 tLlc6 3.i.c4 tLlf6 4.tLlg5
4...i.c5!?
This daring idea was introduced by Karel Traxler, a chess player and problem composer from
the old Czechoslovakia. According to the database he first played it as early as 1 890.
With his last move Black completely ignores the threats against f7, and at beginner level it
might appear that he has made a horrible blunder. However, when we look at 4.Ct:Jg5 more
carefully we may note the obvious problem that White has moved the same piece twice in the
opening, and is about to spend additional time capturing on f7 and possibly again on h8. In an
attempt to take advantage of this irregularity, Black develops in gambit style and leaves the f7-
pawn to its fate.
For many decades the Traxler has been a subject of immense fascination amongst amateurs and
especially correspondence players. Most top grandmasters consider it too risky, although there
have been some exceptions such as Alexander Beliavsky who used it to draw with Karpov in 1 983
and later to defeat Anand in 1 99 1 .
Why am I recommending such a sharp opening line? In theoretical terms, the Traxler certainly
does not enjoy the same reputation for soundness as the Benko or Marshall gambits. Still, my
advice throughout these three volumes has been that one should never shy away from sacrificing
material in order to obtain a lead in development and threats against the enemy king. Here the
risk factor is greater than normal, but so are the rewards!
Before moving on to the Traxler proper, I would like to show you a couple of games involving a
rare and rather silly sideline. I would not recommend that you play this way, but it certainly leads
to entertaining positions.
The Traxler Counterattack 91
The insane 4... etJxe4?!!?

Game 12
V. Den Behaerdt - David Gedult
Merignac 1 97 1
l .e4 e5 2.ctJf3 ctJc6 3 ..ic4 ctJf6 4.ctJg5 ctJxe4?!!?
This crazy-looking move is certainly not sound, but it has considerable surprise value, and
could be worth considering in rapid and blitz encounters. In this game we will see White being
punished for his greedy reaction.
5.ctJ:xf7?
5.ctJxe4?! also cannot be recommended, as after the simple 5 ... d5! Black regains the piece with
a better game.
Correct is 5.�xf7t!, as featured in the next game.
5 .. JWh4!
Already Black has the advantage.
6.0-0
6.'Wf3? lt:J d4! is already hopeless for White, Yanchev - Kulesh, Nikolaev 2009.
Also 6.g3 lLlxg3! 7.fXg3 'We4t 8.mf2 .ic5t gave Black a decisive attack in Kempe - Hamacher,
Willingen 2008.
6 ..J.c5!
.
Black does not bother safeguarding his rook, but instead plays for a deadly counterattack!
7.tLlxh8
7.'Wel :!l:f8-+ is no good for White, and other moves give him no relief either, for instance:
7.d4 lt:Jxf2! 8.:!l:xf2 .ixd4 9.'Wf3 'Wxf2t 1 0.'Wxf2 .ixf2t l l .mxf2 :!l:f8-+
7.'Wf3 lt:J d4 8.'Wh3 'Wxh3 9.gxh3 :!l:f8-+ Mahia - Morrin, Dos Hermanas 2004.
7... ctJxf2!
7 ...ii.xf2t? squanders Black's advantage, and after 8.Elxf2 '1Wxf2t 9.'tt> h l iWd4 l O.ii.f7t 'tt> d8
1 1 .'\Wfl he had to settle for a draw in Engelen - Karlsson, e-mail l 998.
8.Ei!xf2
8.iWh5t iWxh5 9.ii.f7t '1Wxf7 1 0.ti:Jxf7 'tt>xf7-+
8 .. J&xf2t 9.hl
9 ...d5!
The most energetic continuation, and a typical theme which we will encounter frequently in
the main section on the Traxler Counterattack. Black wins a tempo to bring his light-squared
bishop into the attack, and the loss of the d-pawn is a distant afterthought.
IO.J.xdS
l O.ii.e2 li:Jd4! wins.
1 0.ti:Jc3!? was White's last chance to prolong the game, but then 1 O ...ii.g4! l l .ii.e2 ii.xe2
12.li:Jxe2 0-0-0-+ will leave Black with an extra pawn and a dominant position.
a b c d e f g h
10....tg4!
Exploiting the weakness of the first rank.
n ..tf3 hf3 12.gxf3 ltld4 13.ltlc3 ltle2!

0-1
A neat finish, although 1 3 ... ttJxf3 was equally effective. White resigned as it will be mate on
the very next move.
!
•• 5.ttJxf7? was a greedy move motivated by material, and White paid the price.
!
•• Black won by developing quickly and going after his opponent's vulnerable king.
•!• The ... d7 -d5 pawn sacrifice enabled Black to accelerate his development and bring more
pieces into the attack.
The above game was a perfect advert for the 4.tLlg5 tLlxe4 variation, as White reacted badly and
was quickly crushed. The following game shows the other side of the coin.
Game 13
F. Lang - Gerhard Antoszkiewicz
Correspondence 1989
l.e4 e5 2.ltlf3 ltlc6 3.i.c4 ltlf6 4.ltlg5 ltlxe4 5.h£7t!

This is much stronger that taking with the knight. Instead of going after material, White turns
the tables by making his opponent's king the target of his attack.
s ...@e?
6.d4!
The most energetic, opening the center to get to the juicy prize on e7.
6.tLlxe4 Wxf7 7.�f3t eS may give a slight plus for White, but Black's position is playable and
his two bishops might count for something later. White can do better than this.
6.d3!?
This is a decent move which should also give White the better chances. Play may continue:
6 ... tLlf6 7.�b3
7.�h5? g6 8.�e2 h6 9.tLlf3 Wf7 is pleasant for Black.
7.tLlc3!? d5 8.�f3 tLl d4 9.�g3 �d6 1 0.f4 e4 l l .dxe4 dxe4 is messy but should be somewhat
better for White with accurate play.
7 ... d5 s . o-o h6 9.tLlf3 Wf7!
9 ...�g4 1 0.tLlbd2! Wf7 l l .c4!± is excellent for White.
The present position was reached in Perna - Genttner, Brno 1 907, and here White could have
obtained a clear advantage with:
1 0.c4!
Black has some difficult problems to solve. Summing up, 6.d3!? would be enough of a reason
not to play this line with Black, but it just so happens that 6.d4! is even more energetic and
dangerous. Let us return the game to see just how effective it might be.
a b c d e f g h
6...d5?!
Black should certainly not be opening up the center of the board with his king in such a
position.
6... h6 is the best chance to make his position playable, although he is still in trouble after
7.ctJxe4 <j;>xf7. White has a pleasant choice. The simple 8.dxe5 wins a pawn, as 8 ... ctJxe5?? loses
on the spot to 9.'\Wd5t. Another promising option is 8.d5!? ctJd4, which occurred in Kuegler
- Eremenko, Frankfurt 2009, and now after 9.0-0 d6 1 0.f4 <j;>g8 l l .ctJbc3 Black's clumsy
development and exposed king are more significant than his bishop pair.
7
6
3
2
1
7.lDc3!
An excellent move, maximizing White's lead in development and continuing to exploit Black's
inability to take on g5, which would cost him his queen.
7 ... ltJxc3 8.hxc3 '1Wd6
a b c d e f g h
9.a4!
Preparing to bring the bishop into action with lethal effect. 9.'Wf3! was an equally strong
alternative, as 9 ... e4 is refuted by 1 o.tt'lxe4!.
9 ...Wff6
Another game continued 9 ... \t>ds 10.�g8 lt>eS 1 1 .'Wh5t g6 1 2.'Wf3 'Wd7, Knorr - Simchen,
corr. 1 990, and now 1 3.�f7t lt>dS 1 4.tt'le6t would have won easily.
1 0.ixd5 t2Jd8 1 1.0-0 .ifS

Black is not offering much resistance but his position was already beyond repair, for instance
1 l ...c6 1 2.dxe5 is winning.
12J�e1 Wfg6 13.�xe5t �d7 14.Wff:3

1-0
What a massacre! Definitely an example of how not to conduct the opening from Black's side.
•!• The 4.tt'lg5 tt'lxe4 line might be fun to play in blitz, but it is not really appropriate for a
serious game as 5.�xf7t! followed by 6.d4! puts Black under serious pressure.
•!• If you do end up in this position, at least remember that 6 ... h6 is Black's best chance.
•!• Always keep in mind that just because one side offers a material sacrifice, it doesn't mean
that the other side has to take it! Sometimes a far more effective response is to ignore the
offer, and perhaps even make a counter-sacrifice to turn the tables.
•!• If your opponent's king is stuck in the center, it may be worth investing some material to
open the position before the enemy pieces can get themselves organized.
Mter that brief foray into fantasy land, let's return to the serious stuff.
The Traxler
l .e4 eS 2.tt'lf3 tt'lc6 3 ..ic4 t2Jf6 4.tlJgS .icS!?
As we discussed in the introduction, the basic idea behind this move is to give up the pawn
on f7 (and possibly the rook on h8) in return for a lead in development and attacking chances.
The rest of the chapter will be divided into three sections covering 5.d4!?, s.Cl:\xf7 and s.i.xf7t .
No other move is worth considering seriously. If White does not do something forcing, Black
will have time to castle and White will not be able to justifY the position of the knight on g5.
The only point worth briefly noting is that 5.b4? is strongly met by 5 ... d5! when Black is already
better.
5.d4!?
Game 14
Kenth Sandehn - Wolfgang Ottenweller
E-mail 200 1
l.e4 e5 2.ctJf3 ClJ c6 3.i.c4 ClJf6 4.ClJg5 i.cS 5.d4!?

This move is rare but it should not be underestimated. Black must walk a narrow path, but if
he plays correctly he should either equalize effortlessly or obtain excellent attacking chances if
White plays too ambitiously.
a b c d e f g h
s ds!
.•.
Only this move will do!
5 ...�xd4? would be a mistake, as after 6.c3 �b6 7.ctJxf7 Black has an inferior version of the
normal 5 .C2:J xf7 lines. White has a pawn less, but the absence of the d-pawn only helps him to
develop his queenside pieces more quickly, while the c3-pawn prevents any ... tt:J d4 ideas. White
should be winning with accurate play.
6.i.xd5
6.exd5 ctJxd4 7.c3 tt:Jf5 is comfortable for Black.
White's safest continuation is 6.dxc5 dxc4 which should lead to dry equality, although in the
following game things went badly wrong for White: 7.'�xd8t tt:lxd8 8.tt:la3 h6 9.tt:lb5? (9.tt:lf3
tt:lxe4 10.tt:lxe5 c3=) 9 ... hxg5 1 0.tt:lxc7t r:Jle7 1 1 .tt:lxa8 tt:le6 12.il.d2 il.d7 1 3.il.b4 il.c6 1 4.tt:lb6
axb6 1 5.cxb6t r:Jle8+ Ravot - B. Wagner, Lyon 2003.
6 lLlxd4!
•.•
Black should commit to the sacrificial path, but he must do it in the right way. The following
alternatives are all insufficient:
6 ...il.b4t?! 7.c3 tt:lxd5 8.exd5 '1Wxd5 9.cxb4 '1Wxg2 1 0.'1Wf3 '1Wxf3 1 1 .tt:lxf3 tt:lxb4 1 2.tt:la3 left Black
without enough for the piece in Trompeter - H. Muller, corr. 1 996.
6 ... tt:lxd5?! 7.dxc5 tt:ldb4 8.a3! (8.'1Wxd8t tt:lxd8 9.tt:la3 f6 1 0.tt:lf3 il.g4 1 l .il.e3 tt:ldc6 1 2.0-0
0-0-0 gave Black enough compensation in H. Newton - Soldini, e-mail 2000.) 8 ...'1Wxd1 t
9.r:Jlxd1 tt:l a6 1 0.b4 f6 1 1 .tt:lf3 Black was a pawn down for nothing in Karpatchev - Gozzoli,
Saint Affrique 2008.
Finally, 6 ... exd4?! 7.tt:lxf7 '1We7 8.tt:lxh8 tt:lxd5 occurred in Nguyen T Hoang - Ho Thi Anh, Dong
Thap 1 999, and now 9.'1Wh5t! r:Jlf8 1 0.'1Wxh7 would have more or less refuted Black's play.
a b c d e f g h
7.lLlxf7
The alternative is 7.ixf7t r:Jle7 8.il.c4, and now 8 ... b5! 9.il.d3 h6 1 0.c3 hxg5 1 l .cxd4 '1Wxd4
gave Black promising play in Grott - W Schneider, corr. 1 989.
7 Wfe7 8.lLlxh8 .ig4 9 .if7t

••• •
Preventing castling seems logical, although it is not clear if this is White's best.
9.'1Wd2 allows Black to choose between 9 ... 0-0-0!? with an ongoing initiative and 9 ... tt:lxd5
1 0.exd5 il.f5 regaining the sacrificed material. And 9.'1Wd3 tt:lxd5 1 0.c3 ( l O.exd5? il.f5 1 l .Wig3
tt:lxc2t 12.r:Jle2 tt:lxa1 1 3.ig5 Paulig - Giertz, corr. 1 966. 1 3 ... '1Wd7-+) runs into a powerful
reply: 1 0 ... tt:lb4!
a b c d e f g h
l l .cxb4 i.xb4t 12.i.d2?! ( 1 2.tiJc3 was better although 12 .. .1Mfd7 1 3.<j;>fl i.xc3 14.f3 i.xf3
1 5.gxf3 iWh3t 1 6.<j;>f2 i.a5 still gives Black a dangerous initiative for the exchange, after he picks
up the knight on h8.) 1 2 ... 0-0-0 13.'1Wg3 h5 1 4.f3? Wc5 0-1 Groemailtt - Leisebein, e-mail
2000.
9.f3 tiJxd5!
Here too White is in danger, as shown by the following examples.
1 0.fxg4
1 0.h4 blocks the check, but after 1 0 ... tiJb4 1 1 .tiJa3 as occurred in I. Szabo - Lehmann, corr.
1 984, Black can win with:
1 2.c3
1 2.exd5 �g2 1 3.2:m ctJxc2t wins.
1 2 ...�g2 1 3.cxd4 �xh1 t 14.md2 �xe4
White's extra piece is irrelevant and he soon succumbs to the mating threats.
1 5.ctJc3 i.b4 16.�c2 i.xc3t 1 7.bxc3 �e3t 1 8.md1 ctJxc3t
0-1 Kunze - Giertz, corr. 1 976.
9 . <;t>f8 10.f3?!
. .
This allows Black to launch a frightful attack. After the superior 10.�d3! i.e2 1 1 .�h3 i.g4
12.�d3= the game ends in a surprising move repetition.
10. lbxe4!
..
Threatening a deadly check on h4.
l l.h4 lbf5! 12.�d3

1 2.�d5 i.f2t 1 3.md1 :r'!d8-+ Harrison - Kuijpers, corr. 1 998.
1 02 The Alterman Gambit Guide
12 ...�f2t!
1 2 ... tt'lf2 only led to a draw in the following game: 1 3.\Wd5 tt'lxhl 14.�g5 �f2t 1 5.me2 \Wb4
1 6.tt'ld2 tt'l d4t 1 7.mdl �g3 1 8.a3 tt'lf2t 1 9.mcl Yz-Yz Sandehn - Krensing, e-mail 200 1 .
13.@dl �d8 14.�d5 tLlf6

Black continues to leave the bishop on g4 hanging. White is temporarily a rook up, yet the
quality of his position is so bad that it is Black who has the upper hand.
15.tLlc3
1 5.c4 is well met by 1 5 ... e4!.
15 ... tLlg3
1 5 ... e4!? was excellent here as well, for instance 1 6.�xe4 �xd3t 1 7.cxd3 tt'lg3 and Black's
material advantage is decisive.
16.fxg4
16.\Wxh7!? is a nice trick, but Black can refute it with 1 6 ... tt'lxd5! 1 7.tt'lg6t mf7 when White
does not have time to take the queen because of mate, and 1 8.\WgSt mxg6! 19.tt'lxd5 \Wd6 is
winning easily for Black.
Another plausible line is 16.�g5 �f5 17.\Wd2 ( 1 7.�xf6 \Wxf6 1 8 .tt'le4 [1 8.\Wb5 b6-+] 1 8 ...�xe4
1 9.fXe4 tt'lxhl 20.tt'lf7 �c5 2 1 .\Wc4 1Wf2-+) 1 7 ... \Wc5 when it is unlikely that White will survive.
Note that 1 8.�xf6?! gxf6 19.\Wh6t? me8 is hopeless for him.
16...e4!
Black is using every attacking unit at his disposal, and even the lowly pawn plays a key role.
17.\Wc4 tLlxd5 18.tLlxd5 Wfe5

For a short time White has an extra rook plus an extra knight, but he is forced to sacrifice all
that and more in order to deal with the numerous threats.
19.c3 Wfxd5t!
The Traxler Counterattack 1 03
Simplifying to a winning endgame. 1 9 .. -EhdSt? 20.�c2 would risk undoing all of Black's
previous good work.
20.'\Wxd5 gxd5t 21.<j{c2 etJxhl 22.c4 gd7 23.i.f4 etJg3
a b c d e f g h
24.gdl
After 24.ibxg3 ibxg3 25.Ei:fl t �gS Black wins easily, as long as he refrains from capturing the
knight too quickly.
24... gxdl
0-1
Black will pick up the knight on hS and - rather ironically given the course of the game - win
with his extra material.
•!• 5.d4!? is a tricky sideline but one which Black should not fear - although even this minor
line requires a certain level of theoretical knowledge.
•!• When you are sacrificing a serious chunk of material (a rook and more in the above
game!) you must attack with great vigor and avoid giving your opponent a moment's
respite.
•!• Include as many pieces as possible in the attack.
•!• When a sacrifice is implemented and followed up correctly, superior pieces can overcome
huge material deficits.
Let us now move on to the first of White's main tries against the Traxler.
Forking the two heavy pieces is the most materialistic and obvious answer. Let's begin by looking
at the first available example from practical play.
Game 15
J. Reinisch - Karel Traxler
Hostoun 1 890
Traxler's stunning opening innovation met with great success in its first outing. This was not
only thanks to the quality of the opening itself, but also to the great talent and imagination of
its inventor.
l.e4 e5 2.CLJf3 CLJc6 3.�c4 CLJf6 4.CDg5 �c5!?

Traxler gave the following comments about his invention: ''An original combination that is
better than it looks. A small mistake by White can give Black a decisive attack. It is not easy to
find the best defense against it in a practical game and it is probably theoretically correct."
He also stated that "It somewhat resembles the Blackmar-Jerome Gambit: l .e4 e5 2.ctJf3 ctJc6
3.�c4 �c5 4.�xf7t?! lt>xf7 5.ctJxe5t?" although fortunately he was referring to its optical
appearance rather than its correctness.
7
6
3
2
1
5.CLJ:xf7
This is the most obvious attempt to refute Black's opening. Now Black is faced with a potentially
deadly fork, so he needs a good reply.
5...�xf2t!
With a rook and queen already hanging, Black offers up a bishop as well! Reinisch must have
been shell-shocked, as his next move is completely illogical.
6.@e2?
This move cannot be recommended. The king is exposed to a knight check on d4, as well as a
potentially lethal skewer from a bishop on g4.
6...llJd4t
Theory recommends 6 .. .'�e7! as even stronger, but Traxler's move is good enough.
7.�d3?
This leads to an immediate disaster. 7.mxf2 is also bad, as 7 ... ti:lxe4t leads to an improvement
for Black over the more normal 6.mxf2 ti:lxe4t (more on this later), since Black has won a free
tempo with ... ti:Jc6-d4.
7.mfl was the best chance. Compared to the immediate 6.mfl , which will also be examined later,
Black's knight is already posted on the strong d4-outpost. The importance of this point can be
seen after 7 ...V11e7 8.ti:lxh8 d5! when 9.exd5? (9.j,e2 is essential although Black is still doing well)
9 ...j,g4 wins the queen.
7... b5!?
Unbelievable but true! Black can afford to leave his queen hanging as White's king is caught in
a mating net.
In fact 7 ...V11e7! was the safer winning line: 8.ti:lxh8 d5

8.i.h3
Taking the queen also leads to a rapid demise for White:
8.Ct:Jxd8 bxc4t 9.mc3
9.mxc4 .lia6t 1 0.mb4 E1b8t 1 l .a5 Jie2! traps the queen. In the resulting position Black will
have an extra piece in addition to the mating threats.
9 ... Ct:Jxe4t 1 0.mb4
I O.mxc4 is no better, and after 1 0 ... Jia6t 1 1 .<;t>d5 Ct:Jf6t 1 2.mxe5 0-0! White's king is thrown
to the wolves.
1 0 ... !::1 b 8t 1 l .ma3 Ct:Jb5t 1 2.<;t>a4 Ct:Jc5t 1 3.ma5
1 3 ... 0-0!
1 3 ... Ct:Jd4 is also good enough, but the text is the cleanest.
White has no defense against the mating threats, the main ones being ... !::1f6 and ... Ct:Jd4.
8. tLlxe4!
..
Once again Traxler does not bother saving his queen, as there are bigger fish to fry.
9.ttlxd8
Allowing a forced mate, but White was already doomed.
9 ... ttlc5t IO.�c3 ttle2t!

Freeing the d4-square for the bishop.
l l.�xe2 i.d4t
The rest is pretty obvious: check, check, check, check, check and finally mate!
12.�b4 a5t 13.�xb5 i.a6t 14.�xa5 he2t 15.�b4 ttla6t 16.�a4
16... ttlb4t!
The final knight sacrifice is pretty, although 1 6 ... tt:lb8t! would have ended the game just as
efficiently.
1 7.�xb4 c5#
0-1
•!• Development and king safety are more important than material. Traxler was even able to
sacrifice his queen in order to lure the enemy king into a desperate situation.
•!• In the game we saw Black execute a series of checks which lead directly to a forced mate.
But sometimes a better idea is to pause for a moment in order to bring another piece into
play. See 1 3 ... 0-0! in the note to White's 8th move.
Thus Traxler enjoyed a successful debut with his invention, but the theoretical significance of
this game is minimal, as White made a grave error at an early stage with 6.<;t>e2?. Both of the
alternatives are more challenging and we will consider each of them in turn, beginning with the
obvious 6.<;t>xf2.
Taking the Bishop

Game 16
Jean Andre - Robert Currie
E-mail 2001
l .e4 eS 2.ltlf3 ltlc6 3.i.c4 ltlf6 4.ltlg5 i.cS S.ltlxf7 i.xf2t
if""�%% �� -��"�
� �
8
�-.i� ��-
j_�· "'�
7
¥� � .t. �
" % .t. �� 'ZJ�� .t.
%%.""%
llll
" '� �
ll ll �
6
llll.�llfJ&
ll . l1llllll
�
5
� � � �
� � %� t;"•% •%
�
3 �-/ �-� �-;; �-�
2 8 �!1 8 �[j � [j �[j
1 ��-
�""� - fL�iV��f" "�-�
LJ �, 6
a b c d e f g h
It is hard to think of any other sensible opening in which the f2- and f7- pawns both get
captured on their original squares within five moves of the start of the game. This courageous
bishop sacrifice is an essential feature of the Traxler Counterattack; without it, Black's attack
would lose its momentum without even getting started.
6.�xf2
The most obvious answer, and a clear improvement over the previous game. Still, according to
current theory Black's attack should be enough for at least a draw. The most challenging option
is 6.�fl !, which will be examined later.
6... ltlxe4t
Black's strategy is reminiscent of checkers - he is offering more and more material to lure
the enemy king away from his camp where he will come under fire from Black's forces. This
unpleasant psychological turn forces White into a defensive mentality from the outset.
7. 'it>el?
This move loses quickly, but it is a typical reaction amongst bewildered beginners. The
alternatives are:
7.�f3? is refuted by 7 ... \Wf6t! 8.�xe4 d5t when the white king will not survive for long.
7.�e2?! \Wh4 threatens 8 ...\Wf2t with mate to follow (see the note to White's 8th move in the
main game), as well as the unpleasant ... d5 and ... .tg4t skewering White's king and queen.
7.�fl ? \Wh4 8.'1Wf3 (or 8.'1We1 ctJg3t!) 8 ... ctJg3t! followed by capturing on c4 and f7, when Black
remains at least a pawn up.
White's best moves are 7.�g1 and 7.�e3!?, which will be examined in games 1 7 and 1 8
respectively.
7.. .'1Wh4t
Black was intending to play this attacking move anyway, and doing it with gain of tempo makes
it even more effective.
8.g3
8.�fl allows mate in one, and 8.�e2 is hardly any better due to 8 ...'1Wf2t 9.�d3 ctJc5t (or
9 ... lt:Jb4t 1 0.�xe4 \Wf4#) 1 0.�c3 '1Wd4#.
8 ... llJxg3
With this elementary trick Black exploits the hanging rook on h l . Another tactical point,
which is less relevant here but can prove important in similar positions, is that the c4-bishop is
also under fire.
9.hxg3
Other moves are no better, for instance 9.li:Jxh8 li:Je4t 1 0 .<;t>e2 iMff2t with mate to follow, as
shown above.
9..J1Nxh1 t 10.i.fl
10.<;t>e2 li:Jd4t wins the queen.
10...0-0!
A few moves ago Black's rook seemed to be doomed, so it would have been easy to forget that
castling was still an option. Now the rook joins the attack and White's position is in ruins.
l l .c3 d5!
l l ...B:xf7 is also completely winning, but after 12.1Mfe2 followed by iWg2 White can at least
stagger on for a few more moves. In fact there is no need to take the knight yet, and by altering
the move order Black can kill the game immediately.
12J1Ne2 i.h3
White is not even allowed the mercy of a queen exchange, so he resigned.
0-1
!
•• The acceptance of the bishop sacrifice exposes White's king and makes it vulnerable to
attack.
!
•• Introducing the queen will add considerable power to an attack - especially if it can be
done with gain of tempo.
So far we have seen Black score two easy victories against poor play from his opponent. Now it is
time to get a bit more serious and see what happens when White defends more stubbornly.
Game 17
Steven Sabean - Wolfgang Ottenweller
E-mail 2001
l.e4 e5 2.tLlf3 tLlc6 3.i.c4 tLlf6 4.tLlg5 i.cS S.l£lxf7 ixnt 6.<it>xf2 tLlxe4t
7.i>gl
The most reliable answer. The king hides behind what little cover remains on the kingside.
7 J1Mh4
••
Again we see this typical attacking move. This time it does not come with check, but Black is
still threatening mate.
8.g3
Blocking the queen's path to f2 is the only reasonable defense.
8.'Wf3 and 8.'We2 are both crushed by 8 ... tLl d4, while if 8.'\Mffl :Sf8 the black rook escapes the
noose and is about to wreak havoc along the open f-file.
8 ... CDxg3!
Black has already sacrificed too much material to slow down, so he offers the knight to fuel the fire.
9.CDxh8
This is the move which is most consistent with White's previous play. He has already moved the
knight three times so he needs to do something with it. Besides, he is not only adding to his bank
of material, but also eliminating a potentially deadly attacker.
9.'1Wf3? is useless due to 9 ...'\Wxc4 (9 ... Elf8 is also good) when 1 0.hxg3 0-0 and l O.ti:JxhS li:J d4! are
both just winning for Black.
9.'\We l ? is met by 9 ... '\Wd4t followed by capturing the bishop, when Black will remain at least a
pawn up, as both knights will perish after capturing the respective rooks in the corner. White's
troubles could get even worse if he tries 10.'\We3? '1Wxc4 l l .ti:JxhS? '\Wfl#.
9.hxg3?!
This move is also ill-advised.
9 ... '\Wxg3t 1 0.\t>fl ElfS
1 0 ...'\Wf4t? 1 1 .\t>g2 gets nowhere as 1 1 ...'\Wxc4 leaves the rook on h8 hanging.
1 1 .'\Wh5
This move is consistent, but the complications turn out in Black's favor.
l l .d3 d5 1 2.Jixd5 occurred in Mahia - V. Franco, Dos Hermanas 2003, and now 1 2 ... ti:Jd4!
would have left White facing the difficult threat of ... Jih3t.
The computer suggests l l .tLl c3 but after 1 1 ...'\Wf4t 1 2.\t>g2 '\Wxc4 1 3.ti:Jg5 li:Jd4 Black has close
to equal material and a dangerous attack.
l l ...d5 12.Jixd5
Now Black must find the right path.
12 ... ti:Jb4!
The incorrect 1 2 ... ti:J d4? occurred in the exhibition game Pravda Readers - Tal, Moscow 1 968,
and here 1 3.ti:Jc3! would have left Black struggling to demonstrate sufficient compensation.
13.i/,c4
No better is 13.i/,b3 l2'lxc2 1 4.:gh4 g6 1 5.\Wxh7 i/,f5 1 6.l2'lc3 i/,d3t 1 7.l2'le2 as in Jarhelle - Kiss,
corr. 1 978, at which point 1 7 ...'1Wf3t 1 8. lt>g1 il,xe2 would have been hopeless for White.
1 3 ... b5! 1 4.i/,b3 l2'lxc2 1 5.d4 i/,b7!
The introduction of the bishop brings unstoppable threats.
16.'1Wxe5t '1Wxe5 17.dxe5 l2'lxa1 1 8.:gxh7 l2'lxb3
0-1 Shatunov - Garin, corr. 1 973.
9 ltJd4!!
...
Only this important resource enables Black to maintain the initiative. It seems amazing that
Black can attack with just a queen and two knights - one of which is en prise - but it works!
Alternatives are less effective, as shown by the analysis below.
9 ... l2'le4? 1 0.'1Wf3 is no good for Black.
The following is trickier, but White can repel the assault:

9 ... d5? 1 0.'1Wf3!
1 0.hxg3 '1Wxg3t 1 1 .\t>fl �h3t 1 2.:gxh3 '1Wxh3t 1 3.\t>g1! '1Wg3t 14.\t>h 1 ! '1Wh3t 1 5.\t>g 1 =
l O .. .'�'lxhl
1 0 .. .'�m'd4t l l .'Mfe3 ctJxh l 12.i.b5 The queens will soon come off and White should win easily
with his extra piece.
l l .'Mff7t
I I .i.xd5 'M!el t 1 2.'Mffl is also good enough.
l l ...mds 12.'Mfxd5t i.d7 1 3.'Mfg8t me?
1 3 ...i.e8 14.'Llc3+-
1 4.'M!xg7t md6 1 5.'Ll f7t mc5 1 6.'Llc3
White is winning.
9 ... 'Llxh l ?!
I once decided to experiment with this move in an online blitz game. It is not easy to refute,
but it still puts Black's initiative at risk and cannot be recommended.
l O.'M!fl !
Defending both c4 and f2, as well as threatening mate in two.
In the blitz game my opponent continued with the less accurate I O.'Mff3 'Mfxc4 I l .mxh l ?! d6
and I eventually won. Even in this line White could have posed some problems with l l .d3
( l l .ctJa3!? also deserves attention) l l .. .'M!g8 1 2.'Llc3! fighting for the initiative.
I O ... 'M!d4t I I .mxhl 'M!e4t 12.mg1
1 2 .. .'�d4t
At first the computer evaluates the position as equal, but in my opinion White can fight on.
12 .. .'�g4t has also been played in a few games, but after 1 3.'1Wg2 '1Wxc4 ( 1 3 ...\Wd4t 1 4.�hl )
1 4.tt'lc3 Black still has some problems to solve.
1 3.�g2!
1 3.'1Wf2 '1Wxc4 14.tt'la3 ( 14.tt'lc3 d6 1 5.d3 '1Wg4t 1 6.�hl \Wf5!+) 14 ...\Wg4t 1 5.�fl was agreed
drawn in Sabean - Krensing, e-mail 200 1 .
1 3. . .\Wg4t 1 4.�hl \We4t 1 5.'Wg2 \Wei t
No better is 1 5 ...\Wxc4?! 1 6.d3! '1Wg8 1 7.tt'lc3 '1Wxh8 1 8.tt'ld5 when Black is in trouble.
1 6.�fl 'IWxcl 1 7.'1Wf3!
By now the tide has turned and it is White who is attacking!
1 0.hxg3
This leads to a forced draw, but White does not have anything better.
1 0.�f7t �e7 (or 1 0 ... �f8) does not really alter the situation. White still can and should take a
draw with l l .hxg3! '1Wxg3t etc. If White tries to go for more with l l .c3?:
a b c d e f g h
1 1 ...CLJe4! gives Black a decisive attack, as shown in the 1 0.c3? line below.
Any other attempts by White to continue the game are likely to end in tears for him:
1 0.d3? takes the e4-square away from Black's knight, but allows an even deadlier knight move:
1 0 ... lt:Jge2t 1 l .�fl and now 1 l ...d5, freeing the c8-bishop with gain of tempo, is devastating.
10.CLJc3?
Covering the e2- and e4-squares, but this is not good enough.
1 0 ... d5!
Unleashing the bishop.
1 1 .CLJxd5
Mter 1 1 .Jixd5 Jig4 Black is a full rook and bishop down, but his development advantage
is decisive: 1 2.'\Mfel (12.hxg3 '1Mrxg3t 1 3.�fl Jixd1 14.lt:Jxd1 0-0-0-+ Rebaudo - Spagnoli,
e-mail 2006) 1 2 ... CLJge2t 1 3.CLJxe2 '1Mrxe1 t 1 4.�g2 '1Mrxe2t 1 5.�g3 CLJf5# Bellator - B-Alterman,
Internet (blitz) 2004.
For a brief moment the computer evaluates 1 1 .hxg3 '1Mrxg3t 1 2.�fl as equal, but it soon
becomes apparent that Black does not have to take the perpetual, and after 12 ...Jih3t 1 3.:9:xh3
'1Mrxh3t 1 4.�g1 dxc4-+ White is powerless against the threat of ... '1Mrg3t and ... 0-0-0.
1 1 ...CLJe4! 1 2.CLJxc7t
1 2.'\Mffl '1Mrg4t 13.'1Mrg2 '1Mrd1 t followed by ... CLJf3t mates in the same way as in the 1 0.c3? line
below.
1 2 ... �d8 13.'\Mffl '1Mrg4t 14.'1Mrg2 '1Mrd1 t 1 5.Jifl CLJf3t 1 6.'1Mrxf3 '1Mrxf3 1 7.CLJxa8 '1Mrf2#
0-1 Virgili - Bol, e-mail 2005.
1 O.c3?
Attacking the knight is a natural idea, but it is a serious error as it allows Black to execute the
threat behind his last centralizing knight move.
1 0 ... lt:Je4!
With this powerful retreat Black shifts the focal point of his attack back to the f2-square, which
was what caused White so many headaches in the first place.
1 1 .Wh5t!
The only way to prolong the game.
1 1 .Wfl ? leads to a forced mate: l l ...Wg4t! 1 2.Wg2 Wdl t 1 3.Wfl ( 1 3.i.fl 'Llf3t-+)
s i_ m.!.. m
� -� � � ...
� <@�
• w�P�•m
'""%-'""%- �/::-w�pF""';
�i
'""%
��
7
�
6
- �%� �. /:: t
5
�� . . '/ .%""
-�-41)m m �
� �}l��L � ��
4
3 �0p0 �� "'"' ";
2 �jl!fa�f/J�� .Jt)
% ,
1 �� "v�.:
a b c d e f g h
1 3 ... 'Llf3t! White can only shield his king from fl and g2, so Black can crack the defense by
transferring his knight to h4. 1 4.cj{g2 'Ll h4t! 1 5.cj;Jh3 ( 1 5.cj{gl Wg4t 1 6.Wg2 Wxg2#) 1 5 ... d5t
1 6.cj;Jxh4 and now Black has the luxury of choosing berween 16 ... Wg4# and 16 ... g5#.
l l ...�xh5 12.i.f7t
White recoups the queen, but the endgame holds no joy for him.
12 ...Wxf7 1 3.'Llxf7 'Llc2!
Black may have passed up the chance to take the rook on h i , but he can go for the one on al
instead.
1 4.'Llxe5 'Llxa1 1 5.d3 'Llf6 1 6.'Lla3
Trying to keep the cornered knight trapped.
1 6 ... d6 1 7.'Llf3 i.f5
Supporting the knight's escape.
1 8 .d4 'Llc2
Black remains a pawn up in the endgame.
13.�h3??
The game should have ended in a perpetual check, for instance after 1 3.Wh2 '\Wh4t 14.Wgl
'1Wg3t 1 5.Wf1 1Wf4t 1 6.We1 1Wg3t 1 7.Wfl '\Wf4t and so on. Black does not have enough pieces in
the game to achieve anything more, while White has no reasonable way of avoiding the repetition.
13... d5t 14.�h2

Now we have an identical situation, expect that Black's bishop can join the attack and his
d-pawn can eliminate the enemy bishop at any moment. This enables him to obtain a decisive
material advantage.
20.liJa3 rJle7 21.rJlf2 �xhS 22.d3 cxd3 23.i.xf4 i.d5 24.cxd3 �fS 25.rJle3 c5 26.b4 lD e6
27.i.e5 cxb4 28.lDb5 �f5 29.i.d6t rJld7 30.i.xb4 a6 31.lDc3 �f3t 32.rJld2 lDf4 33.�gl
g6 34.�el �xd3t 35.rJlc2 �h3 36.�dl �h2t 37.rJlci i>c6 38.�d4 g5 39.i.e7 h6 40.a4 b5
4l.axb5t axb5 42.i.f8 h5 43.i.e7 �h3 44.rJlc2 i.c4 45.�d6t rJlc7 46.�d2 i.d3t 47.rJlb2
�g3 4S.i.f6 rJlc6 49.liJa2 rJld5 50.liJb4t rJle4
0-1
•:• The f7- and f2-squares are the most sensitive points on the board in the early stages of the
game, and no opening highlights this truth as vividly as the Traxler.
•:• A material advantage can be outweighed by development and king safety. (In some of
these variations Black can give up a rook and two minor pieces, but still obtain at least a
draw.)
•:• Remember the vital move 9 ... lLJd4! in this variation!
•:• Always remain vigilant for tactical possibilities, such as 1 1 .'1Wh5t! after 1 O.c3? ttJe4. In this
particular case it was not be enough to solve all White's problems, but at least it saved him
from being mated.
Let us now turn our attention to the more daring king move to e3.
Game 18
Glenn Johnstone - Benjamin Finegold
Dearborn 1 992
l.e4 e5 2.lDf3 lDc6 3.i.c4 lLJf6 4.lDg5 i.c5 5.lDxf7 i.xf2t 6.mxf2 lDxe4t 7.rJle3!?
a b c d e f g h
The king takes his safety into his own hands, fending for himself while gobbling all the Black
pieces on offer in the center. Based on such logic and the fact that there is no direct winning
attack, this can be considered one of the most principled attempts to refute the Traxler, especially
with computers on hand to reassure White that he is not walking into a forced mate.
7...VNh4
The strongest reply. The more modest queen move does not quite work:
7 ...'1We7?!
After this move White's position is still dangerous, but if he plays precisely he should be able to
refute the attack as follows.
a b c d e f g h
8.lt'lxh8!
8. mxe4? There is a high price to pay for greed, and in this instance White will be totally
annihilated along the open files and diagonals: 8 ... d5t! A standard pawn sacrifice in the Traxler.
9 ..txd5 (or 9.mxd5 .tf5 with mate to follow) 9 ... \Wh4t 10.me3 1Wd4t! Forcing the enemy king
to an unfavorable square. l l .me2 '!Wxd5 White has no good defense against the murderous
threats which include ....tg4t, ... '!Wxg2t and ... lt'ld4t.
8 ...1Wg5t
This is possible now that the knight has vacated the f7-square.
9.mxe4!
The fearless king continues fattening himself on the enemy pieces.
9 ... d5t
Freeing the light-squared bishop and opening the d-file. Obviously it involves the sacrifice of
another pawn, but by this stage, who's counting?
1 0 ..txd5 .tf5t 1 Lmf3 .tg4t 12.mf2 .txdl
8
7
�
6 ;::
�
"'
5 t:: ·
'-i
�
4 ,
.
l><i
�
3 �
2
1 �
a b c d e f g h
1 3.ixc6t!
White must eliminate as many attackers as possible.
1 3 ...bxc6 1 4.%l:xdl '1Wh5 1 5.%l:fl !
Even more accurate than 1 5.ctJc3.
15 ...'1Wxh2 1 6.d3 0-0-0 1 7.'2ld2 %l:xh8 1 8.ctJf3±
Black has no more attack, and White's rook and two pieces will eventually overpower the black
queen.
8.g3
The only plausible move, since Black was threatening a familiar checkmate. For example after
8.ctJxh8 '1Wf4t 9.�e2 '1Wf2t, I am sure you can recall how Black can catch the king.
8... ctJxg3! 9.hxg3

9.ctJxh8?? '1Wf4t I O.�d3 '1Wd4 is mate.
9...�d4t!
This is much stronger than 9 ...'1Wxc4? 1 0.'2lxh8 when White has a huge material advantage, and
is threatening a counterattack with '1Wh5t.
10.@f3
Generally the king would like to avoid the open f-file, but here there is no choice as I O .<;t>e2??
'1Wxc4t l l .d3 '1Wxf7 wins easily for Black.
10... d5! l l.�h4!

Combining defense against the check on g4 with a counterattack against the black queen.
l l. ..e4t 12.@g2 0-0

But not 1 2 .. J'l:f8? 1 3.ctJc3! (Even stronger than 13.'1Wh5 Elxf7 14.Elf4 .ie6 1 5 ..ib5 g6 16.'\Wg5
Elxf4 1 7.'1Wxf4 0-0-0± when Black had some chances to fight on in Golinski - Walkusz, Gdansk
2009.) 1 3 ...'\Wxc4 1 4.C/Jg5 when White is winning.
a b c d e f g h
13JWh5
Settling for a draw. White could consider playing on with 1 3.ctJc3, but after 1 3 ...dxc4 14.'\Wh5
ctJe7! 1 5.'\Wxh?t <;t>xf7 1 6.Elxe4 '1Wf6 Black has no cause for complaint.
13 ...�xf7 14.hd5
1!2-l/2
The players agreed a draw in view of the imminent perpetual check beginning with 14 ...'1Wf2t.
So far we have seen the Traxler defying all attempts at refutation after 6. <;t>xf2. Indeed, after
6 ... C/Jxe4t followed by 7 ...'\Wh4(t) Black's attack gathers considerable momentum. For this
reason, there are many players who prefer to decline the bishop in the hope that Black's attack
may stall before it leaves the starting blocks. In the next section we will see how we can keep the
engine running.
Declining the Bishop

In the next two games we will see when happens when White declines the bishop on f2. The
resulting positions are some of the most complicated in the Traxler, which is saying something...
Game 19
Georgui Castaneda - Alexey Gubajdullin
Moscow 2009
l.e4 e5 2.�f3 �c6 3.i.c4 �f6 4.�g5 i.cS S.�xf7 i.xf2t 6.<.t>fl!
White refuses the bait and avoids having his king drawn into the open. He also ensures that
he will be able to capture the rook on h8 on the next move, after the black queen goes to e7 as it
must do. Taking the rook is not only a significant material gain, it also eliminates an important
attacking piece which might otherwise come into play along the open f-file.
On the flipside, White's king is still not in a great position on fl , and Black's dark-squared
bishop has the potential to become a powerful attacking piece.
6 Wfe7
•••
Clearly Black has no choice about this move.
7.�xh8
White cannot afford to leave the rook alive.
7.d3? Elf8!
Not only saving the rook, but also making it into a powerful attacker which embarrasses White's
pieces on the f-file.
8.�xf2
White has no choice, as 8.'Llg5? i.e3 is nasty for him.
8 ... d5!
Gaining a tempo to bring in reinforcements.
9.exd5
This untested move is a better try than 9.i.xd5 'Llxd5 1 0.exd5 �xf7t l l .�f3 �xd5-+ as played
in Sawadsky - Hatarik, Passau 2000.
Mter the text move I analyzed a beautiful winning line for Black.
9 ... 'Ll g4t
Time to call in the cavalry.
l O.�el �xf7
Threatening mate on f2. Black is way ahead in development and he has only sacrificed a single
pawn.
l l .�d2 'Lld4! 1 2.c3
8 ....
7
6 �
;:!
�
;:::..
5 ....
�·
4 �
�
�
3 ;;1
2
1
a b c d e f g h
12 .. .lt'le3!
Black does not bother moving his attacked knight, but instead moves his other knight into an
exposed yet at the same time invulnerable position.
1 3.cxd4
1 3.1Wxe3? li:Jc2t wins the queen.
1 3 ...exd4
White is a piece up but his position is completely hopeless.
1 4.h3
The only chance.
1 4.li:Ja3 iWfl t! 1 5.E1xfl E1xfl t 1 6.1ff e2 i,g4 is mate.
The attempt to defend with 14.1We2 is refuted easily by 1 4 ... i,g4.
1 4 ...1Wf4!
Black is winning. There is no way to stop ... 1Wg3 followed by ... E1f2.
1 5 .1We2 1Wg3t 1 6.1ff d2 E1f2-+
Let's return to the game after the far superior 7.l2Jxh8.
7 ...d5!
Once again we see this standard method of activating the c8-bishop in the Traxler.
7 ... li:Jxe4? is feeble and after 8.'\Wh5t g6 9.li:Jxg6 Black is just lost.
8.exd5
Other moves are nothing to worry about:
8.i,xd5? i,g4 traps the queen.
8.'1Wf3?! is also inadvisable as after 8 ... dxc4 9.1Wxf2 i,e6! followed by ... 0-0-0 Black has great
compensation.
Finally, after 8.li:Jc3 dxc4 9.1ffxf2 i,g4 1 0.'\We l ti:J d4 Black is doing fine.
8 ...�g4
Developing with gain of tempo. There is a serious alternative in 8 ... tt:Jd4, which will be examined
in the following game.
9.�e2
It is too early for 9.d6?!. Black has a few promising replies, but the simplest is 9 ... cxd6 10.�e2
i.xe2 1 1 .Vf1xe2 i.b6 followed by castling, when Black will pick up the knight on h8 and enjoy
excellent compensation for a mere exchange.
9...he2t
IO.Wfxe2
1 0.Wxe2?! is less precise, and should lead to a forced draw: 1 0 ... tt:Jd4t 1 l .Wxf2 ( l l .Wfl ?! 0-0-0
1 2.c3 tLlxd5 1 3.cxd4 �f8! puts White in some danger, for instance: 1 4.Vf1g4t Wb8 1 5.g3 Vf1f6!)
1 l . ..tt:Je4t 12.We3 ( 12.Wg1 Vf1c5 13.Vf1h5t Wd7 1 4.\i?fl �f8t 1 5.tt:Jf7 Vf1xd5 1 6.tLlc3 Vf1xf7t
1 7.Vf1xf7t �xf7t 1 8.Wel tLlf2 1 9 .�gl tLlxc2t 20.We2 tt:J d4t=)
1 0... llJd4
1 O ... �b6? 1 l .dxc6+- is hopeless for Black. Instead he must keep the knight which is a more
potent attacker.
1 1 .'1Wxf2 0-0-0
Black has sacrificed a huge amount of material, but the plan of ... l'i:f8 and ... tt:le4 is not easy
to meet. According to the database this position has been reached in around 30 games, and
amazingly 1 1 different moves have been tried. We will check the more sensible ones along with
the game continuation.
Before going any further, I would like to make one general point. I have already noted that
Black's rook is heading for the f-file, but one might find it appealing to spend a move capturing
the knight on h8 first. Please resist this temptation! Black needs to progress his attack with
the greatest possible urgency, and spending a tempo taking the knight is a luxury he cannot
afford.
a b c d e f g h
12.llJc3
This natural move is not bad, but it is not the best either. The most important alternatives are:
12.1Wg3?! should be met by 12 ... CLlxc2!�, rather than 1 2 ... l'i:f8? 1 3.me l !± as in Gabor - Calancea,
Timisoara 1 995.
1 2.d3 l'i:f8 1 3.me1 tt:le4! led to a quick draw in the following game: 14.dxe4 l'i:xf2 1 5.mxf2 '\Wh4t
16.me3 '\Wg5t 1 7.mf2 '\Wh4t Y2-Y2 Capurro - Rezzuti, Salsomaggiore Terme 2005.
1 2.tLla3 l'i:f8 1 3.mel occurred in Ullrich - Beyer, corr. 1 957, and now Black should have played
1 3 ... tLlh5! 1 4.'\WxfSt '\Wxf8 with a double-edged position, rather than the game continuation of
1 3 ... tt:le4 when 1 4.'\WxfSt! '\Wxf8 1 5.l'i:fl would have been favorable for White.
1 2.c3 l'i:f8!
Once again Black refuses to be distracted by the trifle on h8.
He should also remain flexible and avoid committing the f6-knight to an unfavorable square.
For instance, after the inaccurate 12 ... Ct:Jg4? 1 3.1Wg3! Ei:f8t 14.�el lt:Jf2 1 5.d3! lt:Jxh l 1 6.1Wg4t
White's material advantage is decisive.
1 3.�gl
1 3.�el lt:Je4 1 4.\WxfSt 1Wxf8 1 5.cxd4 1Wf2t 1 6.�dl 1Wxg2!t
1 3.cxd4 lt:Jg4 1 4.\WxfSt 1Wxf8t 1 5.�el 1Wf2t 1 6.�dl exd4! leaves Black in a strong position.
After the text move Black can force victory. Can you see how?
1 3 ... lt:Jg4!
After 1 3 ...1Wc5? 1 4.b4 Black had nothing and soon lost in Pawlick - Skriwanek, Mecklenburg
200 1 .
1 4.1We1 1Wh4!-+
1 4 ... 1Wc5 is equally crushing, but it is more pleasing to conclude the game with a queen sacrifice.
1 2.d6!
This excellent move is the computer's recommendation. The main idea is to destroy Black's
harmony and block the queen's path to the c5-square.
1 2 .. J''i:xd 6!
The best chance.
1 2 ... '1Wxd6?? 1 3J2jf7 is clearly a disaster.
12 ... cxd6? 1 3.lbc3 )"\f8 ( 1 3 ... )"\xhS 1 4.\t>g1 )"\f8 1 5.'1Wh4!+-) 1 4.\t>g1 ttJ g4 1 5.'1Wg3+- White
easily thwarts the attack.
1 2 ...'1We6 is trickier but is also ultimately inadequate: 1 3.lba3! Defending the c2-pawn and the
c4-square. ( 1 3.d3 lbg4 1 4.'\W£7 '1Wxd6 1 5.'1Wxg7 is less convincing after 1 5 ...'1We6!) 1 3 ... lbg4
( 1 3 ... )"\xhS 1 4.\t>e1 +-) 1 4.d7t )"\xd7 1 5.'\WfSt )"'dS 16.'\Wf7 '\Wd6 1 7.'1Wxg7 )"\f8t 1 8.\t>e 1 +-
1 3.lba3!
This precise move is the most convincing route to a clear advantage.
1 3.lbc3?! lbg4! 1 4.'1Wg3 )"\f6t 1 5.\t>e1 lZlf2 1 6.lZld5 lZlxc2t 1 7.\t>e2 lbd4t is a perpetual check.
1 3.d3 occurred in Miettinen - Crnilovic, e-mail 200 1 , and here Black should have tried
1 3 ... lbg4! 1 4.'1Wg3 h5! ( 1 4 ... )"\f6t? 1 5.\t>e 1 +-) 1 5.lZld2 )"\f6t 1 6.lZlf3 e4! when he may be
objectively worse, but is still very much in the game.
1 3 ... lbe4!
Launching a dangerous attack which, unfortunately for Black, just falls short.
1 4.'1We3 '1Wh4
1 5 .'1Wh3t!
1 5 .<j;lg1 )"lf6! 1 6.d3? )"\f2-+
1 5 ... '1Wxh3 1 6.gxh3 )"\f6t
Even with reduced material, White's king is still in danger. Nevertheless the computer
confidently leads it out of the woods to safety.
1 7.\t>e1 lZlf3t 1 8.\t>e2 ttJ d4t 1 9.\t>d3 lZlf2t 20.\t>c4 )"\c6t
20 ... lbxh 1 2 l .d3 lbf2 22.�e3 lbxh3 23.�xd4 exd4 24.)"\e1 ±
2 1 .\t>d5 )"ld6t 22.\t>xe5 lZlf3t 23.\t>f4 )"lf6t 24.\t>e3 lbxh1 25.b3
White's material advantage should decide the game.
Unless an improvement can be found, the conclusion must be that the plan starting with 8 ...�g4
is not fully sound, although we should bear in mind that not many human players are likely to
find all these precise moves over the board. Still, if the reader wants an alternative then 8 ... lbd4!
should fit the bill, as shown by the next main game. For now, let us get back to the present
struggle, where Black now committed an error.
12.. J�xh8?!
As I mentioned in the note to move 1 1 , it is rarely a good idea for Black to spend time on this
move.
Much more incisive was 1 2 ... ctJg4! 13.iWg3 l::l fSt 14.\t>e1 ( 1 4.\t>g1 is well met by 1 4 ... h5! when
White has a hard time meeting the threat of ...iWc5) 1 4 ... ctJf2 1 5.iWxf2 ctJxc2t 1 6.\t>d1 l::lxf2
1 7.1t>xc2 iWfS and although White has a lot of material for the queen, his poor development
makes it a wide open contest.
13.d3!
Despite Black's inaccuracy, it is not easy to determine White's best continuation, and the
following lines demonstrate some of the pitfalls that still lie in wait for him:
1 3.h3 l::l fS 14.\t>g1 ctJh5! 1 5.iWe3 iWh4 1 6.ctJe2 CLlg3! 1 7.ctJxg3 ctJf3t gives Black at least a
perpetual check.
1 3.lt>g1 ?
Though it may look sensible to vacate the f-file, the king is far from safe on gl .
1 3 ... ctJ g4! 1 4.iWg3 h5!
Protecting the knight and setting up mating motifs.
1 5 .iWd3
1 5 .h3? fails to address the primary threat of 1 5 ... iWc5!. White has nothing better than 1 6.\t>fl ,
and after 1 6 ... l::l f8t 1 7.1t>e1 ctJf2 Black is winning.
1 5 ... l::l f8
Black brings his last reserves into the game.
1 6.h3?
Best is 1 6.tbe4! '\W£7! 1 7.h3 ctJf2 1 8 .'\We3 ctJxe4 when the outcome is still unclear.
The text move allows a deadly tactical volley.
1 6 ...'\Wh4! 1 7.g3
1 7.hxg4 loses to 1 7 ...'\Wf2t 1 8 .�h2 hxg4 with mate to follow on the h-file.
8 T
7
6 �
1::·
;::!
�
"'
5 ...,
�·
4 �
3 �
;::;
a b c d e f g h
1 7 ... ctJe2t!!
The fantastic point of the combination. Black is ready to sacrifice all his pieces to force a
checkmate. The point of this amazing move is to lure the white knight to a poor position where
it blocks the queen while moving away from the e4-square.
1 8.ctJxe2 '\Wf6! 1 9.ctJf4
Otherwise the queen delivers mate on fl or f2.
1 9 ... '\Wb6t!
The queen uses all the angles on the board.
20. �g2 'Wf2 mate!
In some ways the above variation is quite characteristic of the Traxler. If White plays with the
accuracy of a computer then he will avoid being mated, but will your opponents be able to find all
the right moves? Of course this point works both ways, as Black must demonstrate great tactical
alertness to find such spectacular winning combinations. In the game it was all hypothetical, as
White played the strongest move and Black quickly faltered.
13 J�f8?
..
Now we will see the lost tempo come into play as a consequence of Black's decision to capture
the knight on h8.
1 3 ... tt:lg4!
This would have kept some practical chances alive.
1 4.'\Mfg3 h5!
14 ... 1"\fSt is less challenging after 1 5.<j;>e l ! ( 1 5.mg1? h5 1 6.h3 tt:lf5! 1 7.'We 1 'Wc5t 1 8.�e3
tt:lfxe3 1 9.tt:le4 'Wb6 20.hxg4 tt:lxg4t 2 l .ctJf2 1"1xf2-+) 1 5 ... h5 1 6.1"\b l ! tt:lxc2t 1 7.md1 tt:ld4
1 8.1"\gl! when White should realize his material advantage, for instance: 1 8 ... ctJf2t 1 9.me1 h4
20.'Wg6 e4 2 l .�e3 tt:lxd3t 22.md 1 +-
1 5.1"\b l ! 1"\fst 1 6.me1

White should be able to survive the attack and win with his extra material, but there will still
be a few more banana skins to avoid.
14.i.g5!
This may not be the computer's top choice, but any human playing White here would be glad
to develop some pieces and simplify the position.
a b c d e f g h
14... �g4?
A blunder, but even after better moves the game is slipping away from Black:
1 4 ... '1!Mb4 1 5 .'tt> e l ! 'I!Mxb2 1 6.l"kl 'I!Mxc3t 1 7.'1!Md2 'I!Mc5 1 8 .c3 tt:lf5 1 9.'1!Mf2! White forces the queens
off and should win the ending.
1 4... h6 is a logical move, but after 1 5.'tt> e l! hxg5 16.l"i:fl ! 'I!Mb4 1 7.2"1b l Black's initiative is not
enough to make up for his material deficit.
15.i.xe7 Ei:xf2t 16.'�gl

And not 16.'tt> e l ?? tt:lxc2t.
16.. J!xc2 17.i.g5 �f2 lS.Ei:bl

1-0
•!• The Traxler is not a 'halfWay' opening. Black must be willing to sacrifice substantial
amounts of material and attack relentlessly!
•!• It is rarely a good idea to spend time taking the knight on h8. Instead Black should leave
the knight, put his rook on the f-file and go for broke!
•!• Sometimes the desperado d5-d6 move can be used to disrupt Black's coordination.
•!• In positions where the white king has taken refuge on d l , the black queen can produce
powerful mating threats along the a7-gl diagonal, usually from the c5-square but
occasionally from b6 or d4.
Game 20
Joszef Forgacs - Daniel Fernandez
Balaton 2008
When I play through this game I still find it difficult to believe that it was played by my thirteen
year-old (at the time) student from Singapore, Daniel Fernandez, who has since become an IM.
His opponent is an experienced Hungarian FIDE Master, who played the opening well and
chose the strong 9.d6! which demands an accurate response. Amazingly, after checking the game
in detail with a strong analysis engine, I was hardly able to find an improvement on either side.
Detailed analysis indicates that 9 .. .'®xd6!? is probably better than Daniel's 9 ...cxd6, which allows
White to fight for an advantage with the help of l l .c3! as analyzed in the notes.
Apart from these small inaccuracies in the opening, the consequences of which would have
been too much for any human to calculate over the board, I was unable to find a significant
improvement for either side. Both players navigated the complications with great skill and
judgment, and the game was agreed drawn on move 24. It must be one of the most action-packed
'quick draws' I have ever seen!
l .e4 eS 2.ttJf3 ttJc6 3.�c4 ttJf6 4.ttJg5 �cS S.ttJxf7 �xf.lt 6.�fl Vfie7 7.tlJxh8 dS 8.exd5
In the last game we saw that 8 ...i.g4 led to an extremely complicated position in which White
could have obtained a clear advantage with the accurate 1 2.d6!. In the present game Black chooses
a different option with a better theoretical reputation.
8... ttJd4!
9.d6!
Echoing the 1 2.d6! move seen in the notes to the previous game. This is presently considered
the most promising way of countering Black's attack. White is opening the diagonal for his
bishop in order to extricate his knight from the corner.
White has tried numerous alternatives. Some of them are just bad, and even the better ones
allow Black to claim fine compensation.
9.d3? i,g4 10.11Qfd2 i,h4 l l .ti:Jc3 11Qlf8! 1 2.Wgl i,e2! gives Black a decisive attack.
9.Wxf2? li:Jg4t! l O.Wel 11Qff6 l l .!'i:fl 11Qfh4t 1 2.g3 11Qfxh2
a b c d e f g h
Black has a huge attack, and White's only sensible defense is to give up the queen with 1 3 .d3
li:Jxc2t 1 4.11Qfxc2 11Qfxc2. Amazingly White still has a material advantage here, nevertheless he is
worse as his exposed king remains a worry.
9.ti:Jc3? is also bad. 9 ...i,g4 10.i,e2 li:Jxe2 1 l .li:Jxe2 Can you find a strong idea for Black here?
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1 1 ...11Qff8! ( l l ...li:Je4!?+ should also be good enough but the text is even stronger.) 1 2.c3 ( 12.h3
i,h5 1 3.g4 li:Jxg4 0-1 Jenkins - De Cort, e-mail 1 995; 1 2.d4 li:Jxd5 1 3.11Qfd3 i,xd4t 1 4.Wel
i,f2t 1 5.Wd 1 0-0-0 1 6.!'\fl ti:Jb4 0-1 Coulange - Macias, carr. 1 974) 12 ... ti:Jd7!-+ Ensuring
that White's next move does not come with check. 1 3.11Qfa4 i,d4t 14.We1 11Qff2t 1 5.Wd1 i,xe2t
1 6.Wc2 11Qff5t 1 7.Wb3 b5 1 8.11Qfa5 i,c4t 0-1 Sarkisian - Shahtahtinsky, Baku 1 966.
9.c3? i,g4 1 0.11Qfa4t ti:Jd7!

White is already in a critical position.
l l .�xf2
Other moves lead to an even quicker defeat:
l l .cxd4 'Wf6 12.i.e2 ( 1 2.dxe5 'Wf4-+) 1 2 ...i.xd4t 1 3.i.f3 i.xf3 1 4.�el 'Wh4t 0-1 Carrascoso
Morales - Garcia Fernandez, Cullera 2005.
l l .i.e2 i.xe2t 12.�xf2 'Wf6t 1 3.�el 'Wh4t 1 4.g3 'We4 1 5.cxd4 i.f3t 0-1 Torres Pavo - Rios
Gonzalez, San Fernando 2003.
l l .d6 'Wf6 1 2.i.f7t �f8 13.tt'lg6t hxg6 1 4.i.d5 i.e2# 0-1 Pottier - Brailly Vignal, Rochefort
1 998.
l l ...'Wh4t!
Strongest, although Fritz also gives a thumbs up to 1 1 ...0-0-0 1 2.l::i: fl ( 1 2.�g3 'Wg5! is mate in
eight) 1 2 ... l::i:f8t 1 3.�gl i.e2! 14.l::i:f3 l::i:xf3 1 5.gxf3 'Wg5t 1 6.�f2 'Wh4t 1 7.�g2 i.xf3t 1 8.�fl
'Wh3t 1 9.�el 'Wxh2 20.cxd4 'Wgl t 0-1 Zvan - Petek, Kranj 1 999.
12.g3
12.�e3 0-0-0-+
1 2.�gl ? 'Wei t 0-1 Killane - Coates, Cork 1 97 1 .
1 2.�fl 0-0-0 1 3.tt'lf7 l::i: f8 1 4.d6 ( 14.g3 i.h3t 1 5.�gl 'We4 0-1 Kalichkin - Tahirov, Tula
2002) 1 4 ... l::i:xf7t 0-1 Sandhu - Petek, Stockerau 1 992.
1 2 ...'Wf6t 1 3.�el
1 3.�gl tt'le2t wins.
1 3 ... \Wf5!
Black has had success with other moves, but this is clearly strongest.
1 4.cxd4
1 4J::m tt'lc2t-+
14 ...\We4t 1 5.Wf2 1Wf3t
15 ... \Wxh1 is also good enough.
1 6.We 1 \Wxh 1 t 1 7.�fl 0-0-0-+
Maasen - Stadler, corr. 1 954.
9.h3
This move prevents an enemy piece from landing on g4, but costs White an important tempo.
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Safeguarding the important bishop and keeping the g3-square free for the knight.
9 ... tt'le4? 1 O.tt'lc3! is good for White.
9 ...\WfS!? is interesting though, and after 1 0.d6! �g3! 1 1 .�f7t Wd8 1 2.dxc7t Wxc7 1 3 .c3 tt'lf5
14.d4 there were huge complications in Schemmann - Offenborn, e-mail 2008.
1 0.c3 tt'lf5
Black keeps a persistent initiative. The computer prefers White, but based on my experience
and understanding of chess, I would regard his position as quite undesirable.
1 1 .d3
1 1 .b3 tt'le4! gives Black a strong attack.
1 1 ...\Wc5 12.g3 tt'lxg3t 1 3.Wg2 tt'lxh 1 t
With an ongoing initiative.
9.�e2
This is an improvement over the above lines, but it should not worry Black.
9 ... �h4!
At this stage the computer evaluates the position heavily in White's favor, but this is set to
change.
1 0.c3
1 0.d3 CLlxe2 1 l .�xe2 �g4 1 2.�d2 CLlxd5 13.CLlc3 CLlxc3 1 4.bxc3 0-0-0 gives Black strong
compensation.
1 0.CLlc3 �f8! 1 1 .<;t>g1 �f2t! 1 2.�fl �h4 is a draw.
1 0.g3 �h3t 1 l .<;t>e1 ctJe4! 1 2.�b5t <j;>fg 1 3.�h5 ( 1 3.d3? CLlxg3 14.hxg3 �xg3t 1 5.<;t>d2 �f4t-+)
1 3 ... CLlxc2t 14.<;t>e2 l2ld4t 1 5.<;t>e1 �f6! White is in trouble, and will have to return his extra
material at the very least.
1 0 ... CLlxe2 1 l .�xe2 �g4 1 2.�b5t ctJd7
13.�xb7?? �f6t wins.
1 3.<;t>g1
1 3.g3?! is worse: 13 ... �f6t 1 4.<;t>g1 ( 1 4.�e1 �f3 1 5.Elfl �e4t 1 6.<;t>f2 0-0-0-+) 14 ...�h3
1 5.�e2 ( 1 5 .�d3 �g5) 1 5 ... 0-0-0! 16.d3 ( 16.d4 Elf8 1 7.ctJd2 exd4 1 8.ctJf3 �xf3-+) 1 6 ... Elf8!
1 7.�f4 ( 1 7.CLld2 e4! 1 8.dxe4 [ 1 8.d4 �g5-+] 18 ...�b6t-+) 1 7 ... exf4 1 8.ctJd2 �b6t 1 9.d4
Elxh8+
1 3 ... 0-0-0
1 4.h3
1 4.g3? !'i:f8-+
1 4.d3? '\Wf6-+
1 4 ... '\Wf6!?
1 4... !'i:f8 might lead to a perpetual check after 1 5.hxg4 'Wf6 1 6.'1We2 ii.f2t 17.';t>fl ii.g3t 1 8.1±>g1
ii.f2t=.
14 ... ii.f5!? 1 5.d3 !'i:xh8 also looks playable.
1 5.'\Wfl
1 5.hxg4? '1Wf2t 1 6.1±>h2 ii.g3t 1 7.1f?h3 h5!-+
1 5 ...ii.f5 1 6.1±>h2
1 6.g4?! is met by 1 6 ... '\Wb6t 1 7.d4 and now both 1 7 ...exd4 and 1 7 ...ii.e4 give Black excellent
chances.
1 6 ... !'i:xh8
The position has stabilized to some degree. White has avoided being mated, while Black has
regained most of the sacrificed material and is now 'only' the exchange down. Meanwhile he has
retained enough of an initiative to be able to claim approximate equality.
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Setting a small trap.
1 7 ...ii.d3!? 1 8.iWxf6 ii.xf6� is also interesting.
1 8 .d3
1 8.gxh4?? '1Wxh4-+
1 8 ... ii.g5
The position remains unclear and roughly balanced.
Let us return to the game after the more challenging 9.d6!. It is worth pointing out that the
great majority of games with this move have taken place in correspondence and e-mail events.
Such contests usually feature a high degree of accuracy and thus many of them have theoretical
significance which enables us to draw quite accurate conclusions.
9 cxd6
...
The other capture is also playable, and might actually be stronger than the text move.
9 ...1&xd6!?
Now it is worth paying attention to three moves: a) I O.tt:Jf7, b) 1 0.c3!? and c) I O.d3.
a) I O.tt:Jf7 l&c5 1 l .d3 i,g4!

1 1 ...b5? 1 2.1t>xf2! tLlg4t 1 3.1t>e1 bxc4 1 4.c3 1&d5 1 5.cxd4 1&xg2 1 6J::m ctJxh2 1 7.ctJxe5 1&xfl t
1 8.1t>d2+-
l l ...e4?! is more complicated but 1 2.b4! is still good for White. My main line runs as follows:
1 2 ...1&f5 1 3.dxe4 ctJxe4 1 4.g4 l&g6 1 5.h3 i,e6 ( 1 5 ...1&c6 1 6.ctJg5!) 1 6.i,xe6 ctJxe6 1 7.\Wf3
l&xf7 1 8.1&xf7t \t>xf7 19.\t>g2±
1 2.1&d2 i,h4 1 3.ctJc3 b5 1 4.b4 1&e7 1 5 .i,b3
Now Black has a strong tactical trick:
b) 1 0.c3!? �g4 l l .'®a4t
l l .. .lll d7!
l l .. .�d7? 12.'®a3! spoils Black's attacking momentum.
1 2.Wxf2 '®f6t 1 3.Wel 0-0-0!
Despite having a huge material advantage plus the chance to take yet another piece, White's
position is critical.
1 4.tt:lf7
Mter 1 4.cxd4? exd4 1 5 .tll c3 tll c 5! White resigned in Girardot - Spagnoli, e-mail 2006. The
continuation might have been 1 6.'®b5 dxc3 17.�e2 '®e7!-+ when White has no defense.
14 ... tll c 5! 1 5.cxd4 tt:lxa4 1 6.t2Jxd8
White has almost no pieces in play, while Black has almost no pieces left on the board! It is
important to find the right way of continuing the attack.
1 6 ...'®h4t!
This seems to be the most convincing move, forcing a kingside weakness.
16 ...exd4? 1 7.1"lfl '®e5t 1 8 .Wf2 Wxd8 1 9.Wg l ± was too slow in Sandehn - Subramanian,
e-mail 200 1 .
16 ... mxd8!? 1 7.ltlc3 exd4 1 8 .ltl e4 'iWc6 1 9.d3 b5 20 ..ib3 ltlc5 2 l ..ig5t mc8 occurred in Bopp
- Van Vugt, e-mail 2002. Despite his material advantage White is under some pressure here,
although his position should be tenable and indeed the game was later drawn.
1 7.g3 'iWxd8!
It looks like Black is going backwards, but we should not forget that his queen can use the
d-file.
1 8.d5
1 8 ..ie2 'iWxd4+
1 8 ... b5 1 9 ..ie2
1 9.h3 .ih5 20 ..ib3 ltlc5 2 l ..ic2 'iWxd5 22.Ei:gl 'iWf3-+
1 9 ....ixe2 20.mxe2 'iWxd5 2 l .Ei:fl 'iWg2t 22.Ei:f2 'iWe4t 23.mdl iWhl t 24.mc2 'iWc6t
24 ... ltlc5!? 25.ltlc3 b4+ is also good.
2s.md1
From this position there was a game which ended 25 ...iWh l t 26.mc2 'iWc6t 27.mdl iWh l t
Yz-Yz Knoeppel - Bascetta, e-mail 2006.
Instead of taking a draw, Black had a stronger continuation available.
25 ... ltlc5!-+
The game goes on, but White does not have a satisfactory defense.
c) 1 0.d3
This natural developing move gives rise to some immensely complicated variations.
1 0 ....ig4 l l .ltlf7!
l l .iWd2? .ie2t 1 2.mxf2 ( 1 2.'iWxe2 ltlxe2 1 3.mxe2 .ib6+) 1 2 ... lt:Jg4t 1 3.1t>el ( 1 3.mgl iWb6)
1 3 ...iWf6+ is no good for White.
Mter the main move it is worth analyzing cl) l l . ..'iWc5?! and c2) l l ...'iWb6!.
cl) l l ...�c5?! 12.�d2!

1 2.b4 �b6 13.�d2 �e2t 1 4.Wxf2 li:Jg4t 1 5.Wel �f6 1 6.�xe2 li:Jxe2 1 7.!"1fl li:Jf4 1 8 .ti:Jc3
ti:Jxg2t 1 9.We2 li:Jf4t 20.�xf4 exf4 2 I .li:Je4 �h4 22.!"1xf4 �xh2t 23.Wf3 �h3t 24.li:Jg3 ti:Jh2t
25.Wf2 li:Jg4t 26.!"1xg4 �xg4 27.Wg2 Yz-Yz Schueler - Leisebein, corr. 1 998.
1 2 ...�h4
The best chance, but it is still not good enough.
12 ... li:Je4?! 1 3.dxe4 �xc4t 14.'thf2 �xf7t 1 5.Wg3 0-0-0 1 6.Wxg4 g6t ( 1 6 ...�h5t 1 7.Wg3
1-0 Petters Merino - Palkovics, e-mail 2000) 1 7.Wh3 �h5t 1 8.Wg3 li:Je2t 1 9.Wf2 !"1xd2
20.�xd2 ti:Jd4 2 I .ti:Jc3+- T. Gonzalez - Moline, e-mail l 998.
1 3.ti:Jc3 b5 1 4.b4 �e7 1 5.�b3
1 5.li:Jxb5? li:Je4 1 6.dxe4 �f6t 1 7.�f4 exf4 1 8 .�b2 f3 1 9.g3 �c6 20.ti:Je5 �h3t 2 1 .Wf2 �h6
22.!"1adl ti:Jxc2 Yz-Yz Ottenweller - Subramanian, e-mail 200 1 .
1 5 ... ti:Jd5
1 6.�xd5!
1 6.ti:Jxd5?! �xf7t 1 7.ti:Jf4 �f6! 1 8 .c3 li:Jxb3 1 9.axb3 exf4 gave Black full compensation in
Budzyn - Kireev, e-mail 2006.
16 ...\Wf6t 1 7.\t>g1 j,e2 1 8.j,f3 j,xf3 1 9.'1We3 \t>xf7 20.gxf3 '1Wg6t 2 1 .\t>fl '1Wf5 22.:1:lg1 ti:lxc2
23.'1We2 ti:lxa1 24.\t>g2±
Sabean - Subramanian, e-mail 200 1 .
c2) 1 1 ...'1Wb6!
By moving to b6 instead of c5, the queen retains the option of switching to the kingside quickly.
a b c d e f g h
1 2.'1Wd2 j,e2t 13.\t>xf2 tLlg4t 1 4.\t>e1 \Wf6!
Forcing White to give up his queen.
1 5.\Wxe2 lLlxe2 1 6.E:lfl
After 1 6.\t>xe2 '1Wf2t 1 7.\t>d1 '1Wxg2 1 8.Ele1 ti:Jf2t 1 9.\t>d2 lLle4t 20.Ii>e3 '1Wf2t 2 1 .\t>xe4 '1Wxe1 t
22.j,e3 \t>e7 White has four pieces for the queen, but his queenside pieces are stuck and his
'centralized' king is less than comfortable.
1 6 ... ti:lf4 1 7.ti:Jc3 ti:lxh2 1 8.j,xf4 exf4 1 9.Elf2 tLlg4 20.Ele2t
W Schiller - Uhlig, e-mail 1 996.
20 ... \t>fSoo
The position is tricky for both players, but roughly equal overall.
10.�xf2
The best try, eliminating an important attacker while freeing up some escape squares for the
queen.
1 0.c3 �g4 leads to a forced draw: 1 1 .'\Wa4t 'tt> f8 1 2.cxd4 ( 1 2.ctJf7? ctJe4-+) 12 ... exd4 1 3 .'tt>xf2
ctJe4t 14.'tt>g 1 '\Wf6 1 5.h3 '\Wf2t 16.'tt>h2 '1Wg3t=
1 0.�e2 '\Wf8! ( l O ... ctJxe2?! 1 1 .'1Wxe2 �b6 12.h3 �e6 13.d3±) 1 l .c3 ctJxe2 1 2.'\Wxe2 �b6 1 3.d4
�g4 14.'\Wf2 '\Wxh8 gives Black full compensation.
10... d5!
1 0 ...�g4 is worse due to 1 1 .'\Wfl ! d5 12.h3 �d7 13.�b3 0-0-0 14.'tt>g 1 when the white king
has found a safe shelter.
l l .d3
1 l .�e2? ctJe4t 1 2.'tt> g 1 loses to 1 2 ...'\Wc5! 1 3.�h5t 'tt>e7! 14.'tt> fl �e6! with an unstoppable
attack.
However, the following alternative might cast a shadow over Black's opening play:
1 1 .c3! �g4
12.'\Wfl !
The lame 1 2.'\Wa4t? �d7 1 3.'\Wd1 occurred in Syssin - Neklurov, corr. 2000, and now
13 . . . ttJg4t 14.'tt> e 1 '\Wf6 1 5.Elfl '\Wh4t 1 6.g3 '\Wxh2 1 7.cxd4 '1Wxg3t 1 8.'tt> e2 ttJh2! would have
been winning for Black.
12 ... ctJc2
After 1 2 ... ctJf5? 1 3.�b5t Black had already seen enough and resigned in Bennedik - De Jongh,
corr. 1 999.
1 3.�b5t �d7 1 4.�xd7t 'tt>xd7 1 5.'\Wb5t 'tt> c7 1 6.ctJa3 ctJxa1 1 7.Ele1
Black's initiative is not enough to make up for his trapped knight. White went on to win in
Schnabel - Fechner, e-mail 2007.
Unless Black can find a serious improvement in this line, the conclusion must be that 9 ... cxd6 is
not quite sufficient and 9 ...Wxd6 should be preferred. In any case, let us now return to the game.
a b c d e f g h
l l . .. ltJg4t!
l l ...dxc4? is refuted by the calm 1 2.h3! cxd3 1 3.cxd3 .id7 1 4.Ei:e1 0-0-0 1 5.Wg1 Ei:xh8 16 ..ie3
when the attack is dead and White keeps a decisive material advantage. 1 6 ...Wd6 1 7.ltJd2 .ic6
18.ti:lc4 Wd5 1 9.Wd2 b6 20.Ei:acl Wb7 2 I ..ixd4 Wxd4t 22.Wf2 1-0 Ninov - Marzolo, La Fere
2008.
12.'j;lgl
1 2.We 1 ?! is more dangerous: 12 ... dxc4 1 3.c3 Wf6 1 4.Wd2 ( 14.Ei:fl Wh4t keeps up the pressure.)
14 ...Wh4 t 1 5 . Wfl .if5!? ( 1 5 . . . ti:Jf5 16.Wg1 cxd3 1 7.h3 ti:lg3 also gives Black a good position.)
1 6.cxd4 .ixd3t 1 7.Wg1 0-0-0! 1 8.ti:Jf7 Ei:f8 1 9.g3 Wf6! White's position is difficult, despite his
extra rook. 20.We1 Wb6! (20 ... Ei:xf7 2 l .h3 Wfl t is only good enough for a draw.) 2 I ..ie3 Ei:xf7
22.ti:Jd2 Wxb2+
12 .. .'11*/cS!
Again the strongest. The computer evaluation is still in White's favor, but that will not last for
long.
13.ie3 lDxe3 14.'\WhSt
14...md7!
The safest place for the black king is the queenside.
1 5.c3
1 5 .ltlc3 ltlxc4 16.'®f7t �c6 is dangerous for White.
15 ...dxc4 16.cxd4 Wl'xd4 17.WI'f7t mc6 18.WI'f3t mb6 19.WI'f2
19 ...l1Jc2!
After the huge complications Black simply wins back the sacrificed material and equalizes the
game.
20.llJa3 lDxal 21.lDxc4t mcs 22.lDxe5 lDc2 23.lDf3 Wl'xf2t 24.mxf2 l1Jb4
a b c d e f g h
1/2-l/2
The players agreed a draw, as after 25.d4t Wd5 26.'2lf7 �g4, both 27.ctJ7e5 �xf3 and 27.ctJ3e5
Ei:f8 leave Black with full compensation for a pawn.
•!• The Traxler is an incredibly complicated opening, and it is hardly surprising that the
5.lLlxf7 lines in particular have been more popular with correspondence than over-the
board players.
•!• Although I have done my best to draw accurate theoretical conclusions, it would be
hopelessly impractical for most players to try to memorize every line of analysis.
•!• If you intend to venture this opening from Black's side, you should know a bit of theory,
but more importantly you must possess good calculating skills as well as intuition (as you
will never be able to calculate everything) and a willingness to take risks!
Most over-the-board players are understandably afraid to venture into the complications of
5.'2lxf7, and when they encounter the Traxler they instead prefer the more modest capture with
the bishop. It is to this move that we will now turn our attention.
s .ixf7t
By using his bishop to take on f7, White does not aim for a huge material gain, but instead
settles for one extra pawn along with the misplacement of the enemy king. By playing this way,
he denies Black the chance to launch an immediate attack based on an early ...�xf2t. Instead
the second player must rely on his slight lead in development along with the open f-file to obtain
counterplay.
Game 21
Patrick Coffey - Brian Pott
E-mail 2003
l .e4 e5 2.Cbf3 Cbc6 3.�c4 Cbf6 4.lbg5 �c5 5.�xf7t

This is considered the main line, especially in over-the-board play where most players are not
comfortable having their kings subjected to a vicious onslaught in the early stages of the game.
The text move keeps the position relatively stable and establishes a modest material advantage
without taking many risks as after 5.lt:Jxf7. Mter playing through the games in the previous section
- where Black could often be found lagging by a rook plus at least one minor piece - a sacrifice
of a single pawn may seem insignificant. Nevertheless we should keep things in perspective and
remember that an advantage of a single pawn will usually be enough to decide a game between
players of roughly equal strength, so Black must play just as resolutely here as in the 5.tt:lxf7 lines.
a b c d e f g h
s ... �e7
5 ... mf8? would be a mistake. The king may look more exposed on e7, but Black's prospective
initiative is largely based on the open f-file, and so he should leave the f8-square free for the rook.
Mter the text move White is threatened with the loss of a piece after ... h7-h6, so he must spend
time moving his bishop for a third time in six moves. The knight on g5 may also be forced back
in the near future. Black's plan is to put his rook on f8, activate the light-squared bishop with
... d7-d6, and then play for a kingside initiative with some combination of the moves ... h7-h6,
...Jig4 and ...Wfe8-h5.
White is now at a crossroads, as he must decide where to put his bishop.
6.�b3
The most obvious retreat. Being a long-range piece, the bishop runs as far away from danger as
possible. This move also has the advantage of leaving the d5-square clear for a knight.
The main line of 6.Jid5 will be considered in the next illustrative game.
6 J!:f8
..
The rook wastes no time occupying the open file, while incidentally preventing a knight fork
on f7.
7.0-0 d6
The bishop threatens to appear on g4, harassing White's queen. On top of that, the knight on
g5 would have no good retreat square.
7 ... We8 is also possible, although the most frequent outcome is a transposition to the main game
after 8.lt:\c3 d6.
7 ...h6!?
This move deserves attention here, for reasons that become clear when you check the note to
Black's next move in the main game, in the line beginning with 8 ... h6.
8.lt:\f3 d6
White has a few ideas here. I will deliberately focus on an inferior option in order to highlight
the kind of attacking prospects available to Black.
9.h3?
White should prefer one of the following options:
9.c3!? J.g4! (9 ... lt:\xe4? 1 0.d4 J.b6 l l .l'Iel is too dangerous) 1 0.h3 J.h5 l l .d3 '<&lid? Black has
reasonable compensation for his small material deficit.
Mter 9.d3 J.g4 1 0.J.e3 lt:\h5! the knight is heading for the f4-square and White must be careful.
The following game shows how quickly his position may collapse. l l .lt:\bd2 lt:\f4 1 2.J.xc5 dxc5
1 3 .Wel Wd6 I4.We3 lt:\d4 1 5.c3?
9 ... g5!? is interesting but I believe the main line is stronger.

1 0.d3
1 0.c3 is too slow and meets with a strong counter: 1 0. . .ttJxf2! 1 1 .:9:xf2 Jtxf2t 12.Wxf2 Jtxh3!
1 3.gxh3 e4 1 4.'\Wel :9:xf3t 1 5.Wg2 d5+
a b c d e f g h
1 0 ... lt:Jd4!!
A lovely attacking idea, although White should still be okay.
1 l .ttJxd4
l l .dxe4 ttJxf3t 1 2.gxf3 '1Wd7! with a powerful attack.
The safest option seems to be 1 l .ttJbd2! ttJxb3 when White has no advantage but he is not
getting killed on the kingside either.
1 1 ... lt:Jxf2!---t
8
7
8.tlJc3!
This strong move threatens a check on d5 and reminds Black that his own king is less than
ideally placed.
8.h3?! '1We8! (8 ... h6 9.CtJf3 CtJxe4 transposes to the previous note, but the queen maneuver may be
even better.) 9.c3 (or 9.d3 '1Wg6 1 0.�h1 h6 1 1 .CtJf3 '\Wh5! and White's position looks suspicious)
9 ...'\Wg6! 1 0.d4 exd4 1 1 .e5 dxe5 1 2.cxd4 �xd4 1 3.CtJc3 �d8! 14.'\Wf3 h6+ Kuzmin - Simagin,
Moscow 1 982.
The following natural move is playable but a bit on the slow side:
8.d3 �g4!
Developing with tempo, while preparing to embarrass the knight on g5.
9.CtJf3
9.'1We1 h6! (Mter 9 ... CtJd4 1 0.h3! �h5 1 1 .�e3! [ 1 1 .g4 h6!+] 1 l ...CtJxb3 1 2.axb3 h6 1 3.�xc5
dxc5 14.'\We3!? hxg5 1 5.'1Wxg5 White has managed to give up his lousy knight for two pawns
plus the initiative.) 1 0.h3 hxg5 1 1 .hxg4 '1Wd7! Black has unpleasant threats on the kingside.
9.'1Wd2 lLld4! (9 ... h6 1 0.h3! is annoying) 1 0.c3 CtJxb3 1 1 .axb3 h6 1 2.d4 �b6 1 3.CtJf3 �xf3
1 4.gxf3 gives Black a pleasant choice between 14 ...'\Wd7 and 1 4 ... CtJh5!?, both of which give
him promising kingside play.
9 ...'\Wd7!?
Black can also consider 9 ... ltJd4 I O.lLlbd2 ( I O.�e3 '1We8 l l .�hl '\Wh5 1 2.CtJbd2? CtJxe4! was
good for Black in Paoli - Wagman, Reggio Emilia 1 965) I O ... lLlh5 l l .c3 CtJxb3 1 2.CtJxb3 �xf3
1 3.gxf3 CtJf4 with decent compensation.
lO.�e3 CtJ d4 l l .CtJbd2 CtJh5
Black has fair compensation, for instance:
1 2.c3 �xf3 1 3.gxf3 h6!?
With complex play.
a b c d e f g h
8 .'\WeS!
••
Preparing to activate the queen, while also creating an escape square for the king on d8. The
following variations show that Black must take care, as White has numerous tactical resources
connected with the unfavorable position of the king on e7.
8 ...�g4?? 9.CtJd5t!+-
The premature 8 ... tt'lg4? allows a powerful counterattack: 9.d4!! tt'lxd4 1 0.tt'lxh7! tt'lxb3 l l .il.g5t
E'lf6 1 2.axb3 and White should be winning.
8 ... h6?!
This allows a spectacular counter.
9.tt'lh7!!
9.tt'ld5t!? tt'lxd5 1 0.exd5 tt'ld4 l l .tt'le4 il.b6 1 2.d3 �e8! is rather unclear.
9.tt'lf3? il.g4 1 0.tt'ld5t? ( l O.h3 il.h5 l l .il.c4 tt'l d4! 12.il.e2 was the last chance) 1 0 ... tt'lxd5
l l .il.xd5 tt'l d4-+ was the course of 'roperclan' - Alterman, Internet (blitz) 2004
9 ... tt'lxh7
9 ... tt'l d4 1 0.tt'lxf8 �xf8 l l .h3 �e8 1 2.d3 �g6 1 3.\t>h2 c6 ( 1 3 ...il.g4 1 4.tt'ld5t! tt'lxd5 1 5.�xg4
forces a queen exchange) 1 4.tt'la4! Black does not have enough compensation for his material
disadvantage.
1 0.tt'ld5t lt>e8 l l .�h5t E'lf7
l l ...lt>d7? 1 2.'1Wg4t lt>e8 1 3.�g6t+-
6 ::...
;:!
�
;:::.
5 ._,
1:;·
�
4 �
3 ;:!
;::;
2
1 !::,.
a b c d e f g h
1 2.ctJb6! ctJg5 1 3.Jtxf7t ctJxf7 1 4.ctJxa8 Jtd7 1 5.d3 �xa8

We have reached a position with an unusual material imbalance ofWhite's rwo rooks and pawn
versus Black's three minor pieces. On another day the pieces might prevail, but here Black's
poor coordination counts against him.
16.Jte3!
Intending to exchange bishops and open the f-file. Black's problems are considerable.
9.ti:ld5t mds IO.c3

Preparing to advance in the center.
l O.ctJxf6 is possible, although after 1 0 ... gxf6 White must retreat with l l .ctJf3 rather than snatch
a hot pawn with l l .ctJxh7? Ei:h8 1 2.ctJxf6 �g6, when Black is winning in view of 1 3.�f3? ctJd4
and 1 3.ctJd5? Jtg4.
IO ...h6 l l .d4
l l .ctJf3 Jtg4! gives Black full compensation.
l l...exd4
l l ...i.b6? 1 2.tLlxf6 :t'1xf6 1 3.d5 tLle7 1 4.tLle6t is not what Black wants.
12.ttlxf6 E:xf6 13.e5!

1 3 .tLlh7? :t'1g6 14.i.d5 dxc3t 1 5 .Wh5?? :t'1xg2t 0-1 Taner - Petters Merino, e-mail 2000.
After the move played in the game we reach a wild-looking position, with pieces hanging left and
right and neither king looking particularly safe.
13 ... E:f8!?
This rare move may well be Black's best.
1 3 ...Wxe5? 1 4.tLlf7t :t'1xf7 1 5.i.xf7 is good for White. And so is 1 3 ... dxe5 1 4.l2Je4.
13 ... :t'1f5 has been a more popular choice, but the problem with this square is that the rook
obstructs the c8-bishop and may be exposed. Obviously the rook has some advantages here as
well, such as its influence along the fifth rank, but overall I consider it less promising. A likely
continuation is 14.tLlf3 lLlxe5 (or 1 4 ... dxe5 1 5.i.c2 :t'1f6 1 6.b4! i.b6 17.b5) 1 5.tLlxd4 :t'1f6 1 6.i.e3
when White's chances are higher.
14.ttlf3?
This sets White up for a troublesome pin. Let's review the other plausible moves:
1 4.tLlh7? :t'1f5! leaves the knight looking stupid.
1 4.l2Je4 allows Black to choose between 1 4 ...i.b6 and 1 4 ...Wxe5, with a good game in either case.
1 4.exd6! looks critical. Play continues 1 4 ... hxg5 1 5.i.xg5t :t'1f6! ( 1 5 ... <;t>d7? 1 6.:t'1e l +-) 1 6.i.xf6t
gxf6oo when Black's king position is a little shaky, but his minor pieces have the potential to
become extremely strong - if he can finish developing without hitch.
14...il.g4 1 5.il.d5 ltlxe5

1 5 ... dxc3 16.exd6 il.xd6 1 7 .Ei:e 1 'Wh5 is also favorable for Black.
a b c d e f g h
16.gel?
Too slow. White could have kept the game competitive with 1 6.cxd4! ctJxf3t 1 7.gxf3 il.h3
1 8.il.g5t! ( 1 8.dxc5? 'Wg6t wins) 1 8oo.�c8! ( 1 8oo.hxg5? 1 9.Ei:el !) 1 9.dxc5 'Wg6 20.f4 il.xfl 2 l .cxd6
'Wxd6 (2 l ...hxg5 22.'Wg4t �b8 23.dxc7t �xc7 24.Ei:cl t �b8 25.il.xb7) 22.'Wb3 il.a6 as analyzed
by Alvarez. Black keeps the upper hand here, but the position remains complicated. Mter the
game continuation White's position is more or less a lost cause.
16 dxc3 17.bxc3 c6
..•
1 7 .il.xf3 1 8 .il.xf3 Ei:xf3! is also winning.

00
18.il.e4 cJlc7 19.h3?!

White should have brought another piece into play with 19 .il.e3 although Black is still winning
after 1 9 .il.xf3.
00
8
7
a b c d e f g h
2o .. .'lWg6
20 ... :§:xf3 2 l .gxf3 'Llxf3t 22.Wfxf3 Wfxel t 23.'kf:lg2 :§:eS would have been easier, but the text does
not spoil anything.
2I.c;i?fl l:!ae8 22.�e3 �xf3 23.gxf3 �xe3 24.l:!xe3 l:!xe3 25.fxe3 '1Wg3
0-1
•!• In the 5.Jixf7t variation Black relies on his lead in development and the open f-file to
provide compensation.
•!• A pin on the f3-knight can cause great problems for White.
•!• Black's king is not ideally placed in the center, and he must watch out for counterattacking
ideas.
In the next game we will look at the main line with 6.Jid5.
Game 22
'bobbymcgee' - Boris Alterman
Internet (rapid) 2003
l .e4 e5 2.�f3 �c6 3.�c4 �f6 4.ctJ g5 �c5 5.�xf7t c;i?e7 6.�d5
First played in 1 96 1 , this move is currently considered White's best try for an advantage. The
bishop defends the e4-pawn, prevents Black from breaking in the center with ... d5, and also gives
White the option of exchanging the knight on c6 at an appropriate moment.
7
6
2
1
6 .. 1:!£8
.
Just as in the 6.Jib3 line, Black's first task is to deploy his rook on the open file. Now White
must do something about the threats of 7 ... 'Llxd5 and 7 ...Jixf2t 8.'kf:lxf2 'Llxd5t .
7.0-0
This natural move is clearly best.
7.Ei:fl ?
This move was once played against a young Alexei Shirov. There is some logic behind White's
refusal to castle, but the risks outweigh the benefits as we will soon see.
7 ...'\WeS!
Immediately targeting the weak g2-pawn.
7 ... d6 would be less accurate as after 8.d3 '\We8 White can neutralize the strong enemy bishop
with 9.�e3!.
8.li:lc3 '1Wg6 9.d3 d6
It is a little too early for 9 ... h6 1 0.li:lf3 '\Wxg2, as White can reply with 1 1 .li:lh4 followed by a
fork on g6.
8
.i:B ..t
�%?{% B
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;;{" "' :!,� '%m
7
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� '%
%� :jl%·'i
� · it�----- � it�·
% i� % /. � %
6
� �"' W' ":w11' f
�� mj,w�
�
-----�� li%� ��/------�

;:!
;::,
5 � ,
,,
1:::; ·
� �
<..,
�
�
4
��wffm!� � �w"'�
;::, ·
�wra i:l
3
2
1
,�ll� �w,•!e
�� lW-
:%1
" � �
:;;
Y.: :::� M
In· /�
h,% �
.,/';; "
a b c d e f g h
1 0.h3?
White is worried about a piece landing on g4, but this move is much too slow.
1 O.f4?! has the point that 1 O ... h6? 1 1 .f5!± is good for White, but Black can do much better with
1 0... �g4! 1 l .li:lf3 li:l d4! when he has a strong initiative.
White's best chance may have been 1 0.li:la4!? intending to exchange the powerful bishop. In
this case Black maintains adequate compensation for a pawn, but lacks a decisive breakthrough.
1 0 ...h6 1 l .li:lf3 '\Wxg2 1 2.li:lh4
White was obviously pinning his hopes on this idea. Unfortunately for him, compared with the
note to Black's 9th move above, Black has a devastating reply.
1 2 ....ixf2t!
The bishop lands a decoying blow on the square it had been targeting since the fourth move.
1 3J"hf2 1Mfg1 t 1 4J::m
14.We2 tt:Jd4t is even worse.
1 4 ...1Mlg3t
White's 1 Oth move not only failed to develop a piece, it also weakened the g3-square.
1 5 .Wd2 1Mfg5t
0-1 Efimov - Shirov, Gausdal 1 99 1 . White resigned. 1 6.We2 tt:Jd4t 1 7.Wel 1Mfxh4t is fatal.
7 d6
...
Opening a path for the c8-bishop. Now White has to watch out for ideas involving ... .ig4 or
... tt:Jg4.
s.i.xc6
White decides to get rid of the strong knight. He can also consider the following alternatives:
The most popular move has been 8.h3, covering the sensitive g4-square. This will form the subject
of the next game.
8.d3 should be met either by 8 ....ig4, developing with gain of tempo, or even the untested
8 ... tt:Jd4!? 9.c3 .ig4! with good compensation for the pawn in both cases.
The other significant option is:

8.c3
Not only preparing to build a pawn center while guarding d4 against a knight invasion, but also
opening a new path for the white queen.
8 ....ig4 9.1Mfb3
9.'1Mfe1 h6 1 0.d4 .ib6 1 1 .h3 hxg5 1 2.hxg4 1Mfd7 1 3.ctJa3 1Wxg4 1 4.f3 '1Mfh5 1 5.ctJc4 g4+± Shabalov
- I. Ivanov, Parsippany 1 996.
9 ... h6 1 0.1Mfxb7
The alternative is 1 0.d4 .ib6 1 l .h3 hxg5 1 2.hxg4 1Mfd7 when the computer still prefers White,
but Black has strong counterplay and has made an excellent score from this position.
1 0 ... �b8 1 1 .\Wxc6 ibd7 1 2.lt:'le6

12.\Wa6 would have been met by 1 2 ... ilb5 with double-edged play.
1 2 ...ibxc6 1 3.tt:lxd8 ibxd5 1 4.exd5 �xdSoo
Van Vugt - Garlant, corr. 1 998.
8... bxc6
9.d3
Intending ile3 to neutralize the menacing bishop on c5.
Another valid move order is:

9 .tt:l f3 ilg4
9 ... �f7!? 1 0.c3! ( I O.d4 exd4 1 1 .tt:lxd4 �g8!� resembles the Schliemann against the Ruy Lopez)
1 0 ... �g8 1 l .d4t
1 0.d3
1 0.c3 \We8 ( I O ... d5? 1 l .d4! dxe4 1 2.tt:lxe5+-) 1 l .d4 ibxf3 1 2.gxf3 ilb6�
1 0 ... \WeS 1 1 .ile3
We have transposed to the game.
9 JWe8
••
A typical maneuver to shift the queen to the kingside. Black can also consider 9 ...ilg4 when
1 0.tt:lf3 \We8 l l .ile3 leads to the game.
IO.i.e3 i.g4
1 0 ... ibxe3 is rarely a good move in the Traxler, and this is no exception: 1 l .fxe3 tt:lg4 1 2.�xf8
\Wxf8 1 3.\Wd2 \Wf6 1 4.tt:lf3 \Wh6 1 5.h3! \Wxe3t 1 6.1Mixe3 tt:lxe3 1 7.tt:la3± Black will have to give
up the trapped knight for insufficient compensation.
l l.ctJf3
Stepping into a pin is not ideal, but the alternative was no better for White: 1 1 . \Wd2 h6 (in this
position Black could even consider l l ...ibxe3!? 1 2.\Wxe3 h6 1 3.tt:lf3 ibxf3 14.\Wxf3 tt:lh5 1 5.\We3
'2:lf4�) 1 2.Jixc5 dxc5 1 3.h3 Jih5 White is more or less forced to give up a piece, since 1 4.'2:lf3
.lixf3 1 5.gxf3 '2:lh5 would be too dangerous for his king.
l l .CLld7!
..
This rare move seems to be best. Black reinforces the bishop on c5 and clears the f-file for the
rook.
l l ...Wh5?!
This has been the most popular choice, but it can be more or less refuted by the following
concrete line:
1 2 ..lixc5!
One of the few all-grandmaster games in the Traxler continued 1 2.'2:lbd2 Jib6 ( 1 2 ... '2:ld7!
is better, transposing to the game.) 1 3.a4 Jixf3? 1 4.1Wxf3 'Wh4 1 5.Jixb6 axb6 1 6.'Wg3 'Wxg3
1 7.hxg3 '2:ld7 1 8.b3 g5 1 9.'2:lc4 d5 20.'2:le3 '2:lc5 2 l .exd5 cxd5 22.'2:lxd5t �d6 23.'2:lc3 1-0
Asrian - Minasian, Yerevan 2007.
1 2 ... '2:lxe4
1 2 ...Jixf3 1 3.'Wxf3 'Wxf3 1 4.gxf3 dxc5 1 5.'2:ld2±
1 3.dxe4 Elxf3
This looks dangerous, but White can repel the attack with a couple of precise moves:
14.'1We 1 !
1 4.lt:ld2? l"lh3! 1 5.f3 l"lxh2 1 6.ibe3 l"lf8 1 7.'1We1 ibxf3 1 8.lt:lxf3 l"lhl t 0-1 Noble - Sharma,
Griesheim 2006.
1 4 ... l"lh3
14 ... l"lxf2 1 5.ibxf2 ibxd1 1 6.l"laxd1 gives White too much material for the queen.
1 5.f3! l"lxh2 16.'1Wg3
White will emerge with a decisive material advantage.
12.CDbd2
1 2.ibg5t <j;>f7 is possible. Black will have to spend another tempo moving his king out of the
way, but once he has done so he will be able to continue his attack without worrying about his
king becoming a target in the center.
12 .. .'\WhS?!
This natural move is inaccurate.
1 2 ... '1Wg6! was the right choice, preparing an unusual tactical blow. 1 3.c3 l"lxf3! 1 4.lt:lxf3 l"lf8
1 5.lt:lh4 ( 1 5.<j;>h1 is met by 1 5 ...'1Wh5 when White cannot stop the forthcoming rook sacrifice on
f3.) 1 5 ...'1Wh5 16.'1Wd2! ibxe3 1 7.'1Wxe3 '1Wxh4 1he complications resulted in a double-edged but
roughly balanced position in Ekenberg - Hjorth, Eskilstuna 1 97 1 .
7
6
5
2
1 L
a b c d e f g h
13.l"lel
White could have broken the pin immediately with 1 3.h3! ibxh3 ( 1 3 ... ibxf3 1 4.lt:lxf3 ibxe3
1 5.fxe3±) 1 4.gxh3 '1Wxh3 and now just a couple of accurate moves are needed to take the sting out
of Black's intended rook lift: 1 5.lt:lh2! l"lf6 1 6.<j;>h1 (16.ibg5?? '1Wg3t!) 16 ...ibxe3 1 7.fxe3±
13... l"lf'7
1 3 ... l"lf6! would have been a better way of preparing to double rooks, as the rook could move
along the third rank if needed. Note that 1 4.ibg5? would be a mistake due to 1 4 ...'1Wxg5!.
14.ibxc5?!
Again White could have broken the pin with 1 4.h3!.
14... ctJxc5
The exchange on c5 helps Black's knight to get closer to the e6-square, from which it might go
to d4, f4 or g5.
15J�e3 �af8
White defends the f3-point, so Black attacks it again.
16.V9el?
White desperately wants to escape the pin, but this was not the way to do it.
1 6.h3!
This brave move would have led to a slight plus for White.
1 6 ...ii,xf3
1 6 ...ii,xh3 looks tempting, but after 1 7.gxh3 ctJe6 1 8.Ct'lh2 V9h6 19.ctJg4 �h4 20.ctJf3 �h5
2 l .ctJ e l ! Black's attack is difficult to continue.
1 6 ...ii,d7 is well met by 1 7.d4! exd4 1 8.ctJxd4, with the point that 1 8 ...�xdl t 1 9 .l:hdl Elxf2?
is refuted by 20.ctJf5t!+-.
1 7.2:'1xf3 Elxf3 1 8.ctJxf3 ctJe6t
Black still has a certain amount of pressure on the kingside, but in the long run White has
chances to make his extra pawn count.
16... ctJe6!
Bringing another piece into an aggressive position.
17.c3
Preventing the knight from using the d4-square. Perhaps White was also dreaming about a
central counterattack with d4, but this illusion is quickly shattered.
a b c d e f g h
19.. J'hf3!
An obvious but nonetheless pleasing positional exchange sacrifice. White's kingside structure is
shattered and the knight obtains a dominant and unassailable outpost on f4.
20.gxf3
20.1M'dl li:Jg5!-+
20.. lLlf4
.
Occupying the outpost and threatening a quick mate, while also hitting the d3-pawn.
21.�fl
White cannot allow the queen to reach h3 or g2. For instance, 2 1 .1M'e3? can be refuted easily by
2 1 ...1M'h3 winning the queen, or 2 1 ...1M'g5t winning the rook in a few more moves.
21...�xf3
In fact he could have continued the game with 22.h4!, although I should add that after 22 ...'1Wg4t
23.Wh2 '1Mfxh4t 24.Wg1 '1Wg4t 25.Wh2 '1Mff3 Black should be winning. He is still technically
behind on material, having one pawn for the exchange, bur this hardly tells the whole story.
His knight is hugely powerful and he has an obvious plan of advancing his kingside pawns.
Meanwhile White is almost paralyzed, his rook has no prospects and the d3-pawn is weak.
0-1
•!• Yet again we saw the power of the pin.

•!• Black implemented a three-step plan: 1 ) Pin; 2) Overwhelm the pinned piece with
multiple attacks; 3) Execute the pinned piece!
•!• The thematic exchange sacrifice on f3 shattered White's kingside and gave the black knight
a monstrous outpost on f4.
•!• The typical positional exchange sacrifice on a castled king's position exposes the king and
weakens the castled pawn structure.
Game 23
Pierre Alain Bex - Ivo Hristov Donev
Biel l 995
l.e4 e5 V�jf3 lDc6 3.i.c4 lDf6 4.lDg5 i.cS S.Lf'lt cJ;e7 6.i.d5 gm 7.0-0 d6 8.h3
This has been the most popular move in the position. We have already seen how much damage
a black bishop or knight can inflict from the g4-square, so it is hardly surprising that many
players have opted to take early countermeasures. On the other hand, the text move does not help
White's development and the pawn move might lead to a weakening ofWhite's castled position
later in the game.
Strangely enough we have already reached a critical position for the opening, as explained on
the following move.
8...�e8?!
The queen maneuver seen in the game is absolutely thematic, it has been Black's most popular
choice in the position, and it has achieved a healthy statistical score in excess of 50% for Black.
So what's the problem?
Unfortunately White has an unusual but strong option on the next turn. For this reason, I think
Black may do better to put his faith in the following line:
8 ... h6 9.ctJf3 ctJxd5!?
Amazingly, this natural move has never been played according to the database.
1 0.exd5 ct:J d4! 1 l .ctJxd4 i,xd4 1 2.c3 i,b6
We have reached an interesting position where I believe Black is doing okay, despite his
unorthodox king position and one-pawn deficit. The king can reach a safe home on g8 and the
two bishops and open f-file will offer active play.
1 3.d4
This seems like the critical try to open the center. 1 3.a4 a6 does not change much.
1 3 ... exd4 1 4.Elel t
1 4.'\WhS Elf5! repels the attack.
1 4 ... <;�1£7 1 5.cxd4 g8
Black has fair compensation for a pawn, with two bishops and a weak pawn on d5 as a long
term target.
9.d3?!
This slow move allows Black to obtain a promising attacking position.
The following line presents a problem for Black, and is the reason why I chose to recommend
8 ... h6 on the previous move:
9.c3!
This has been White's most popular choice, intending to fight for the initiative in the center.
9 ...1Wg6 1 0.d4 i,b6 1 l .a4!
This strong move has almost never been played.
1 l .f4 has been the usual choice, but Black is doing fine here: 1 l . .. exf4 1 2.i,xf4 h6 1 3.'Llf3
'Llxd5 14.exd5 ( 14.'Llh4? \Wxe4 1 5.1'1e1 1'i:xf4 1 6.1'\xe4t 1'i:xe4+) 1 4 ... 1'\xf4 1 5.dxc6 bxc600
1 l ...a5
1 1 ...h6 1 2.'Llf3 i,xh3? 1 3.'Llh4 \Wg4 1 4.\Wxg4 i,xg4 1 5.'Llg6t+- is hopeless.
12.'Lla3!
Now that the b6-bishop has been destabilized, the knight maneuver to c4 causes Black serious
problems.
1 2 ... exd4
1 2 ... h6 1 3.'Llf3 does not help.
1 3 .'Llc4±
White went on to convert his advantage in Marcotulli - Derouineau, e-mail 2002.
From a theoretical perspective, we have already passed the critical point in the game. However,
the present game illustrates some important motifs for this variation in general, so it will be useful
for us to study it until the end.
9. .1Wg6
.
Also tempting was:

9 ... h6 1 0.'Llf3
Perhaps White should flick in 1 O.i,xc6!? to prevent what follows.
1 O ... 'Llxd5 1 l .exd5 \Wh5! 1 2.i,e3 i,xh3!
A dangerous sacrifice.
1 3.gxh3 Wxh3
1 3 ... Ei:xf3?! does not necessarily force a draw as after 1 4.lt:ld2 Wg6t 1 5.\ilh2 ibxe3 1 6.lt:lxf3
ibf4t 1 7.<±>h1 Wf5 White can consider playing on with 1 8.lug1 !?.
1 4.lt:lh2 ibxe3 1 5.fxe3 Ei:xfl t 1 6.lt:lxfl Ei:f8
White has to defend precisely, but if he does so he can force a draw.
1 7.lt:lc3 Ei:f6 1 8.Cue2 Ei:g6t 1 9.<±>f2 Ei:f6t 20.\ilg1 =
lO.hl !
The king wisely steps away from the gaze o f the bishop o n c 5 and queen on g6.
1 0.lt:lf3? ibxh3 1 1 .lt:lh4 does not work due to 1 1 ...'1Wg3! 1 2.lt:lc3 (or 1 2.lt:lf5t ibxf5 1 3.exf5 lt:l g4
with mate to follow) 1 2 . . .lt:l g4 1 3.lt:lf5t Ei:xf5 14.exf5 Wh2# 0-1 Bergmans - Thijs, Lommel
200 1 .
It is worth checking one other idea for White:

1 0.\ilh2?
Played with the same ideas as the game continuation, but the slight shift in the king's position
makes all the difference.
1 0 . . . h6 1 1 .lt:lf3
This position was reached in Naumovic - Garcia Diaz, e-mail 2000. In the game Black
played 1 1 ...'1Mfh5 and eventually prevailed, but he missed a chance to win immediately with a
devastating attack.
1 1 ... lt:lg4 t!!

Now we see why the h2-square was a bad choice for the white king.
1 2.hxg4
1 2.\ilg1 lt:lxf2! 13.Ei:xf2 '1Wg3 wins the exchange, since 1 4.'\Wfl ? Ei:xf3 is a lethal double pin.
1 2 ...ibxg4
Black has succeeded in setting up his familiar pin, at the cost of a mere knight - a bargain,
considering that his queen is about to join in the attack with gain of tempo.
1 3.li:Jbd2
Supporting the knight.
1 3.�xc6 \Wh5t 1 4.'kt>gl �xf3 1 5.gxf3 Elxf3 threatens ... Elg3#, thus forcing 1 6.\Wxf3 \Wxf3 when
White's king is too exposed for him to have any chances of surviving.
1 3 ...\Wh5t 1 4.'kt>gl li:Jd4
s ��
�.(if.�.��m�.(%�
� if.�� ;� if.��
&
7 i...% ... �.-.%
�y::: -� -----Y�
* .f%
�
6 " -"� ""' ".�"""� '" "-
�/. �.-.%
�
---
s �
�� pt� �"�� "e
m\ilii t
"
� w �.-.%
� �
�-
� ----��-8"� .i�
�if� 8 � �
4
3 � �� 8 � � �
��,% ��;n//��,% ��
2 [!:/�� 8 trJJ i;l
1 -----"·ji-'j� /// �
-a b c d e f g h
Black is directing every available fighting unit towards the knight on f3, and the defenses are
about to fold, for instance:
1 5.c3
Other moves meet with a similar fate.
1 5 ... li:Jxf3t 1 6.li:Jxf3 �xf3 1 7.gxf3
The king's protective cover has been ripped open, and all that remains is to bring a rook into
the attack.
1 7 ... Elf6! 1 8.Elel 1Wh3-+
Creating a mating net from which there is no escape.
Let us return to the game, where White wisely moved his king to the less exposed h i -square.
IO . h6
. .
The computer proposes the amazing 1 0 ...'@!h5!?. Generally we don't play the Traxler with a
view to exchanging queens after ten moves, but in this particular situation the idea is not stupid
as Black maintains plenty of activity. Food for thought!
1 1. ttJ f3 ttJ g4!?

A dangerous attacking move, but probably not the best. Compared with the weaker l O.c;t>h2?
variation the knight does not arrive with check, so White has some other defensive options.
Objectively Black's strongest continuation was:

l l ...'@!h5!
Now White will have to watch out for sacrifices on h3.
1 2.'Llbd2
1 2.ii.xc6 bxc6 1 3.'Llbd2 g5! gives Black a strong attack.
1 2 ... 'Llxd5!
1 2 ...ii.xh3 1 3.gxh3 '@!xh3t 1 4.'Llh2! is not so clear.
1 2 ... g5!? could be a good alternative though.
1 3.exd5 'Llb4!+
Black is dominating.
12.hc6?
This unfortunate move allows Black to display his pretty attacking idea.
1 2.hxg4? ii.xg4 loses in much the same way as the 1 Q.c;t>h2? line analyzed earlier.
White's only good defense was 1 2 .'@!e2! to defend f2, when play continues 1 2 ... 'Lld4! ( 1 2 ... 'Llxf2t
1 3.Elxf2 ii.xf2 1 4.'@!xf2 'Ll d4 1 5.'Llbd2;!;) 1 3.'Llxd4 ii.xd4 1 4.f3 'Llf6 when Black keeps a certain
amount of pressure on the kingside, but White still has an extra pawn and reasonable chances to
defend.
12... ttJxflt!
The bishop on c6 may have helped b y eliminating a potentially dangerous attacker, but apart
from that it is doing nothing to defend the kingside. Thus, in the present position Black has no
need to spend time recapturing on c6.
13.�xf2 i.xf2 14.J.a4

White should really have done something to defend his kingside, but in that case Black would
have kept an attack plus a material advantage after capturing the bishop on c6.
Can you see how Black concluded his attack after the move played in the game?
14...hh3!
Remember the earlier point about moving pawns in front of a castled position? The bishop's
first move of the game proves to be a devastating one, as it smashes the king's defenses wide open.
1 5.gxh3 �xf3
0-1
White resigned as he is about to be mated.
!
•• Pins! ( ...i,g4)
!
•• More pins! ( l O.ltJf3? ii.xh3 l l .ttlh4 '1Wg3!)
•!• And even more pins! ( l O.mh2? h6 l l .ttlf3 ttlg4t 1 2.mgl ttlxf2 1 3.l"i:xf2 '1Wg3 1 4.'\Wfl ?
Ei:xf3! with a double pin for good measure!)
!
•• The Traxler gives plenty of opportunities for attacking players to show their creativity, such
as with the ... ttlg4(t) sacrifices in the above game and notes.
!
•• Always think carefully before moving a pawn in front of your castled king. Sometimes
it can be beneficial, but never forget that every pawn move creates a potential weakness.
Conclusion
We have reached the end of our investigation into the Traxler Counterattack, and can make some
general conclusions about the various lines we have encountered.
At the start of the chapter we looked at the outrageous 4 ... lt:Jxe4?!. This move carries some surprise
value but objectively it is completely unsound, so I would only recommend it for occasional use
in blitz games or other games where you want to have a bit of fun and don't mind losing too
much.
The primary subject of the chapter was the much better 4 ... �c5, the move which defines the
Traxler. Then 5.d4!? is an interesting try, but 5 ... d5! is fully satisfactory for Black. IfWhite wants
to fight for an advantage then he needs to man up and take the f7 -pawn. The question is which
piece he should use.
The 5.lt:Jxf7 �xf2t line is in some ways the acid test of the Traxler Counterattack. White intends
to take a large chunk of material, return some of it to defuse the attack, consolidate his position
and win. In some cases this could mean capturing the bishop on f2, walking with the king to e3
and even using the king to capture the knight on e4 before scurrying back to shelter. A slightly
more refined idea is to refuse the bishop on f2 with 6. �fl , then grab the rook on h8. In several of
these variations Black will sacrifice multiple pieces in return for a raging attack against the white
king. The resulting positions are notoriously complicated, but according to my analysis Black is
doing okay everywhere.
It is hardly surprising that the more modest 5.�xf7t has been a more popular choice for White.
In this variation he settles for a smaller material gain but avoids having his king subjected to an
early onslaught. Here Black must build his attack more patiently, but we have seen that the open
f-file and especially the potential pin along the h5-dl diagonal can add up to a serious danger for
the white king.
Overall it seems to me that the Traxler remains a risky but playable opening. If you intend to use
it then you should study this chapter carefully, not just to memorize theory (although that might
be helpful in some of the critical lines) but also to ensure that you have a thorough grasp of the
typical attacking motifs.
Chapter 4
The Frankenstein-Dracula
Gatnbit
a b c d e f g h
l.e4e5 2.CDc3 CDf6 3..ic4 CDxe4!

According to Wikipedia it was Tim Harding who gave this system its name, on account of the
extreme bloodthirstiness of the ensuing battles. Indeed, the main line of the gambit gives rise
to some of the most hair-raising complications in all of chess theory. Let's begin by getting
acquainted with the opening moves of the Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit, which I will henceforth
abbreviate to "FDG".
Introduction
l.e4 e5 2.<�Jc3 llJf6 3.�c4
This is the most natural square for the light-squared bishop. From here it controls the d5-square
and eyes the f7 -pawn.
White's other options are considered in Chapter 7. The relevant section begins on page 3 1 9.
3... lDxe4!
Black immediately sharpens the game, offering a temporary piece sacrifice in order to take over
the center.
The other main line is 3 ... ctJc6. In that case White's usual response is 4.d3, delaying the
development of the king's knight in order to retain the possibility of f2-f4.
8
7
1 �
a b c d e f g h
4.Wfh5!
This is White's only real chance to put his opponent under pressure.
4.�xf7t?! cedes the initiative on the spot: 4 ... �xf7 5.ctJxe4 d5 6.1&!if3t �g8 7.CLlc3 (The tricky
7.CLlg5 should be met by 7 ...Wd7! [of course not 7 ...Wxg5?? 8.1&!ixd5t �e6 9.1&!fxe6#] 8.d3 h6
when Black was clearly better in Gal - Eismont, Gyula 1 993.) 7 ...�e6 8.d3 CLl c6 9.CLlge2 Wd7
Black was doing fine in Grbesa - Susovic, Split 2005.
4.ctJxe4?! is also uninspired: 4 ... d5 5.�d3 (After 5.�xd5 Wxd5+ Black has the two bishops and
control over the center; 5.�b5t also achieves nothing in view of 5 ... c6 and White still loses one
of the pieces.) 5 ... dxe4 6.�xe4 f5 and Black is better.
The Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit 175
4 .liJd6
•.
Black's choices are limited, as he must safeguard the knight while defending f7. It is worth
mentioning that 4 ... ttJ g5? is no good due to 5.d4! ttJ e6 6.dxe5 with a clear advantage to White.
a b c d e f g h
From this position the dull 5.'1Wxe5t is the subject of Game 24, and the remainder of the
chapter is devoted to the much more interesting 5.i.b3.
Game 24
Gilberto Milos Zong Yuan Zhao
-
Sao Paulo 2008
l .e4 e5 2.ttJc3 ttJf6 3.i.c4 ttJxe4 4.�h5 'Ll d6 5.�xe5t

This move regains the pawn but leads to a rapid trade of queens as well as the evaporation of
White's opening initiative.
5.Jib3 is the only ambitious move, and will be considered next.
s ...�e7 6.�xe7t i.xe7 7.i.h3

Black will need a few moves to unravel his queenside; on the other hand, after he plays his
intended ...c7-c6 and ... d7-d5, both of White's queenside pieces will be out of play. Overall the
position is equal, as indicated by the course of the present game as well as those featured in the notes.
a b c d e f g h
7 . ttJf5 8.ttJf3 c6 9.d4 d5 10.ttJe2

. .
White got no advantage after 1 0.j,f4 CUd7 1 1 .0-0-0 0-0 in Kabakov - Taranenko, Kherson
2008.
10...0-0
1 0 ... cuh4 also leads to equality, for instance: 1 l .CUxh4 j,xh4 12.CUg3 0-0 1 3.0-0 j,e6 14.c3
CUd7 1 5.j,c2 g6= Rogers - Yusupov, Germany 1 999.
1 1.0-0 ttJh4!
Better than 1 l ...CUd6 1 2.l:l:e 1 CU a6 1 3.CUg3± when White obtained a slight pull in Roeder
Autenrieth, Abensberg 1 987.
12.ttJxh4 i.xh4 13J�e1

1 3.CUg3 j,e6 1 4.c3 CUd7 1 5 .j,c2 g6 = Rogers - Shirov, Salamanca 1 998.
13 ...i.f5 14.ttJg3
V2-lf2
In this equal position the players agreed a draw.
•• ! It takes two to tango, and it will not always be possible to instigate a full-scale fight -
especially when playing with the black pieces.
•• ! When the opponent plays boringly, do not despair. Just play good moves, and if you
eventually have to take a draw, then so be it.
The Sharp S.ih3 Variation

Having got the boring stuff out of the way, it is time to move on to the fun part of the chapter!
We will begin with an example from more than a century ago, which nevertheless contains plenty
of ideas that remain relevant today.
Game 25
Apollon Viakhirev - Boris Verlinsky
St Petersburg 1 909
Verlinsky's name is not well known, but he was one of the strongest Russian players of his time
and he went on to become Soviet Champion in 1 929.
l .e4 e5 V!ljc3 tlJf6 3.i.c4 tlJxe4 4.Wfh5 tlJd6 5.i.b3

If White is at all interested in fighting for an opening advantage, then this is his only serious
attempt. For the moment he remains a pawn down, but he has a lead in development and the
knight on d6 is misplaced.
a b c d e f g h
5 ... tlJc6
This looks like a standard developing move which defends the e5-pawn, but in fact it initiates
a forcing sequence of moves leading to an extremely sharp gambit.
It is important to point out that Black can, if he wishes, forget about the e-pawn and play
5 ...i.e7!?, which leads to safe equality. Play continues 6.lt'lf3 tt'l c6 7.tt:lxe5 g6! (after 7 ... tt:lxe5
8.1Mfxe5 0-0 9.d3 c6 I O.h4!? White kept slightly better chances in Sulskis - Welling, Bad Wiessee
2003) 8.1Mfe2 tt:ld4 9.1Mfd3 tt:lxb3 I O.axb3 tt'lf5= Anand - Ivanchuk, Roquebrune 1 992.
The above line is a no-nonsense equalizer which ensures Black of a safe position with minimal
theoretical knowledge. Obviously this book is about gambits and so the gambit line will be my
main recommendation, but still it is useful to know that the safer option exists.
6.tlJb5!
Striking at the knight on d6, which is currently the only thing preventing mate on f7. White
has no viable alternative, as 6.tt:le4? g6 (6 ... 'iffie7 is also good) 7.1Mff3 f5 just kills the attack.
6...g6
The only way to defend f7.
7.Wff3
White must renew the threat. Black's position looks dangerous but he will soon turn the tables
by returning his extra pawn with a high rate of interest!
a b c d e f g h
7...£5!
The only fighting continuation.
The immediate 7 .. Y!le7? S.tt:lxc7t WdS 9.ctJxa8 just leaves Black with a vastly inferior version of
the main line from Games 26-29.
7 ... tt:lf5? 8.g4 is also poor for Black: S ... tt:lh6 (S ...a6 9.gxf5 axb5 I O.fxg6 does not really help Black
either) 9.g5! li:Jf5 l O.'Wd5 'We? l l .li:lxc7t WdS 1 2.ctJxaS b6 Black has a bit of compensation, but
compared with the main line his chances are clearly worse.
8.Wfd5
Attacking f7 is once again the only way to proceed. By now Black is fully committed: he must
use his queen to defend £7, thus leaving the pawn on c7 and rook on aS to their fate. However, it
is not easy to decide where to put the queen.
8...W!'f6!?
S ... 'We7 is the main line, and has been played much more frequently. We will cover that move
in due course, but I also want to show you the text move, which is not so well known.
9.tDxc7t 'it>d8 lO.tDxa8 b6

Black is temporarily a rook down, but he will soon pick up the knight on aS. (White may or
may not snag another pawn with tt:lxb6.) Apart from that he has a big lead in development and
powerful central pawns, which together may be used to launch a devastating attack against the
white king.
a b c d e f g h
l l.Wff3
White is trying to get away with his queen. Here are some other examples showing how difficult
it can be to contain Black's initiative:
Being a super-GM is no guarantee of safety, as shown after 1 1 .d3 il.b7 12.h4? ttle7! 1 3.g5 ttlxd5
1 4.il.xd5!? �xg5! 1 5.hxg5 il.xd5 when Black was winning in Larsen - Zwaig, Costa Brava 1 976,
although to his great credit Larsen was able to fight back and draw.
1 l .d4!? White returns a pawn in order to accelerate his development. 1 l . ..ttlxd4 ( I I ...il.b7?! leads
to interesting complications, but after 12.dxe5 ttlxe5 1 3 .il.g5 �xg5 1 4.�xe5 il.xg2 1 5.�xh8
�e7t 1 6.ttle2 il.xh1 1 7.0-0-0 il.xa8 White is better.) 1 2.ttlf3 il.b7 1 3.�xd4 exd4 14.il.g5 �xg5
1 5.ttlxg5 il.xg2 1 6.Ei:g1 il.xa8 1 7.0-0-0 il.g7
White can also try a similar idea after first collecting another pawn with his knight, which is
doomed anyway: 1 1 .ttlxb6 axb6 1 2.d4!? ( 12.�d3 il.b7t) 12 ... ttlxd4 1 3.ttlf3 il.b7
1 4.'Wxd4! A nice idea, but even this does not promise White an advantage. 14 ... exd4 1 5 .�g5
'Wxg5 16.lt'lxg5 �h6! Even with queens off the board, Black's active pieces provide plenty of
compensation for his material disadvantage. 1 7.f4 ( 1 7.h4 �xg2---+ ) 17 ...�xg2 1 8.Ei:gl Ei:e8t
1 9.�f2 �xg5 20.fXg5 �c6 And with .. Jt'le4t coming, Black has enough counterplay to maintain
the balance.
a b c d e f g h
l l ....th7 12.h4 lt:ld4
Black should be in no hurry to take the knight on a8. Apart from spending an important
tempo, it would also have the disadvantage of leaving the bishop unprotected, leaving the knight
on c6 pinned and thus inhibiting the progression of Black's attack.
13.'1Wh3 .th6!?
1 3 ...�xa8 made more sense here than on the previous move, as the bishop's lack of protection
is less of an inconvenience now that the white queen has vacated the diagonal. Nevertheless,
Verlinsky decides to go full steam ahead without delaying his attack. I will leave it for the reader
to decide which approach he prefers - not forgetting of course that we have yet to move on to
the main line of 8 ...'We7.
14.d3 �xcl 15J'!:xcl e4!?

Black still does not bother capturing the knight. Instead he concentrates all his efforts on
catching the enemy king.
16.ctJe2?
This natural move is a mistake. The computer has a few different suggestions which it rates as
better for White, but I will not go into full details as we are already past the opening and Black
had a possible improvement back on move 1 3 anyway.
16... exd3 17.ctJxd4?

1 7.ctJc3 was better, but it looks like White had completely overlooked Black's crushing reply.
17 d2t!
•..
This intermediate move decides the game.
18.�xd2 '!Wxd4t 19.�el

19.'Wd3 'Lle4t wins.
19 ... �e8t 20.�fl CLle4

Despite being a rook up White has no defense against the deadly assault.
21.'it>gl
2 1 .\We3 li:'ld2t wins the queen.
z1..JWxf2t zz.mhz "�Wr4t 23.g3

23.<;t>g1 \Wxcl t-+
26.'1Wxg2 �e3t 27.'1Wf3 �xf3t 28.mg2 '1Wg3#

0-1
!
•• In return for his material sacrifice, Black gains the initiative and chances to develop a
strong attack.
!
•• Often Black should not hurry to take the knight on aS, and in some extreme cases he may
ignore it altogether, as in the above game.
!
•• Watch out for the idea of a pseudo-sacrifice, where White gives up his queen but recoups
his investment with the help of the i.g5 pin.
!
•• In the notes to move 1 1 we saw that Black's compensation can sometimes persist even after
a queen exchange.
!
•• Even though Black's attack was not completely sound, one must also consider the practical
problems facing the opponent. In this game it was all too much for White to handle.
!
•• Always look out for intermediate moves. In this game 1 7 ... d2t! made all the difference.
The Main Line

We will start this section by looking at one of the earliest games with 8 ... \We7. It has since become
established as the main move, and has been tested in hundreds of games.
Game 26
Weaver Warren Adams - Harry Lyman
Boston 1 940
l.e4 e5 2.lLlc3 lLlf6 3.i.c4 lLJxe4 4.'1Wh5 lLJd6 5.i.h3 lLlc6 6.lLlb5 g6 7.Wff3 f5 8.Wfd5 Wfe7
Compared with 8 ...\Wf6, the queen on e7 sets up latent threats against the enemy king on the
e-file.
a b c d e f g h
9.lLJxc7t mds IO.lLJxa8 b6 l l.d3
White frees his bishop and hopes to set up the thematic .ig5 ideas. Alternatives will be
considered in Games 28 and 29.
l l i.h7! 12.h4
.•.
A tricky move, but it costs time. Of course White has some other ideas:
1 2.ti:Jf3?? ti:Jd4 1 3 ..ig5 li:Jxf3t-+
1 2.�f3 li:Jd4 1 3.1Wh3 .ixa8 1 4 ..ie3 .ig7 1 5.0-0-0 li:Jxb3t 16.axb3

16 ... g5! Black has promising compensation. (After the slower 1 6 ... J.d5? 1 7.CiJe2 White was better
in Machalik - Musil, Ricany 2008.)
1 2.CiJxb6
With this move White bags another pawn but effectively gives up a tempo as Black will no
longer have to take time out for ...J.xa8.
1 2 ... axb6
a b c d e f g h
1 3.h4
Another game continued 1 3.Wf3 tiJd4 1 4.Wh3 f4 1 5.f3?! ( 1 5.c3! is more challenging) 1 5 ... e4!
with a strong attack, Stoumbou - Nathanail, Chalkida 2009.
1 3 .. .f4!
It is too early for 1 3 ... tiJd4? 1 4.Wxb7 CiJxb7 1 5 .J.g5.
1 4.tiJf3??
1 4.Wf3 was the only way to save the queen.
1 4 ... tiJ d4
0-1 Prata - Andrade Ocana, Portugal 1 998. White resigned as his queen is trapped in the
center! (Perhaps 1 5.Wxe5 CiJxf3t is the point he had overlooked.)
a b c d e f g h
12...£4!
The most active and aggressive way to prevent i.g5. Black cannot play 1 2 ... ct'ld4?? due to
1 3.\Wxb7 ct'lxb7 1 4.i.g5 when White keeps a decisive material advantage.
1 2 ...i.g7 is playable but less energetic, although in the following game White failed to sense the
danger and lost quickly: 1 3.ctJe2?? ( 1 3.i.g5 i.f6 1 4.i.xf6 Wfxf6 1 5.tt'lxb6 axb6 1 6.\Wf3 would have
given White the better chances) 1 3 ... ct'lb4 1 4.i.g5 i.f6 1 5.i.xf6 Wfxf6 White's queen is trapped
and so he resigned in Reitinger - Rehak, Svetla nad Sazavou 1 998.
13.�f3 ClJd4
1 3 ...i.h6 is also interesting, and is featured in the next game.
14.�h3
Later 1 4. Wfg4 became the main move, and can be found in the final game of the chapter.
14...i.h6
14 ... e4? is premature in view of 1 5.i.xf4! exd3t 1 6.\ilfl when White is better.
However, the patient 1 4 ...i.xa8 1 5.c3 ct'l4f5 deserves attention. The white queen is out of the
game and all the black pieces are working together, so White's material advantage doesn't matter
too much.
15.i.d2?
It was better to drive the strong knight away with 1 5 .c3, and after 1 5 ... ct'l4f5 1 6.ct'lxb6 axb6
1 7.ctJe2 the position remains unclear.
15 ...e4!
Now Black's attack is difficult to stop.
16.0-0-0
It looks as though White's king has reached a safe haven, but Black still has plenty of attacking
resources.
a b c d e f g h
16... e3! 17.i.c3
A later game continued 1 7.il.e l exf2 1 8.il.xf2 ctJxb3t 1 9.axb3 il.xg2! 20.�h2 (20.�xg2? f3t
wins the queen) 20 ...il.xa8 and Black was much better, Naftalin - Estrin, Leningrad 1 959.
17...exf2 18.ctJf3 ctJe2t 19.�bl ctJxc3t 20.bxc3 ctJb5 2 1.�b2 '?Ma3t 22.�al
It looks as though the b3-bishop is holding White's position together, but Black's next move
shatters any such illusions.
22 ...'?Ma5!
The c3-square should be occupied by the queen rather than the knight.
23.ctJg5 '?Mxc3t 24.�b1 1'l:e8!

Bringing the last piece into play. The main threat is ... 1'l:e2 followed by ... ctJa3t.
Black was spoiled for choice: 24 ... Jl.g7 25.d4 il.xd4 was another route to victory, but perhaps the
nicest win of all was 24 ...il.d5! to eliminate the defender of the c2-pawn.
The Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit 1 87
25.'Wg4
Trying to cover the e2-square, but the defense is easily thwarted by Black's next move.
25 ...f3!
0-1
White resigned, as after 26.gxf3 ctJa3t 27. lt>c1 l"le2 mate is inevitable.
•!• From White's perspective, it is not enough merely to escape from the opening with his
material advantage intact. He must try to subdue Black's dynamic initiative, but this is
easier said than done.
•!• If the white queen does not retreat from d5 to f3, she will be in grave danger of being
trapped in the middle of the board.
•!• Even if the white king makes it to the queenside he may still be in danger.
•!• It is important to include all your pieces - especially when attacking!
The next game follows a similar path, with Black deviating on move 13.
Game 27
Jacob Ost Hansen - John Nunn
Teeside 1974
l .e4 e5 2.ttJc3 ttJf6 3.i.c4 ttJxe4 4.'Wh5 ttJd6 s.i.h3 ttJc6 6.ttJb5 g6 7.'Wf3 f5 8.'Wd5 'We7
9.ttJxc7t @ds lO.ttJxa8 b6 l l.d3 i.h7 12.h4 f4 13.'Wf3 i.h6!?
1 3 ... li:Jd4 was seen in the previous game. The point of the text move is to start pushing the
central pawns while resisting the temptation to put the knight on d4, as in some variations this
piece may wish to go to e5 instead.
a b c d e f g h
14.'Wg4?!
This move may not be outright bad, but it is certainly risky, as the queen is setting herself up
to be hit by ... li:Je5.
1 4.'Lle2 'Lld4 1 5.1Wg4 'Llxe2 1 6.<;t>xe2 e4 occurred in Roberts - Grimsey, corr. 1 985. Black's attack
is not yet conclusive, but it is certainly dangerous.
After 1 4.ii.d2 Black should switch back to the familiar plan with: 14 ... 'Lld4! (Mter 14 ... e4?!
1 5.dxe4 'Lld4 1 6.1Wd3 ii.xe4 1 7.1Wxd4!+- Black was unable to do anything with the discovered
check in I. Markovic - Podbrdsky, Czech Republic 2006.) 1 5.1Wg4 e4
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16.0-0-0 ( 1 6.<;t>dl !? deserved attention although after 1 6 ... :i"i:e8 we reach a position that any
FOG player should be delighted to take on.) 1 6 ... e3! Black has an enormous initiative as we have
already seen in the last main game. 1 7.ii.c3 exf2 1 8.'Llf3 'Lle2t 19.<;t>bl 'Llxc3t 20.bxc3 'Llb5-+
Hoolt - Dergileva, Walldorf 2006. Black is winning, just as in Game 26; the position of the white
queen on g4 instead of h3 makes virtually no difference.
White's best chance was:

1 4.c3!
Now if Black ever plays ... 'Lld4, White's queen will sidestep the attack along the diagonal and
Black will immediately be confronted with a threat to the knight, which limits his attacking
options. However, Black has another way to proceed.
14 ... e4!?
14 ...ii.xa8 is well met by 1 5.1We2! :i"i:e8 1 6.'Llf3±.
a b c d e f g h
1 5.dxe4 ctJxe4!
1 5 ... ctJe5 is less accurate: 16.1We2! (but not 1 6.\Wd 1 ? ctJxe4 16.\Wh3 �xe4+ when Black's attack
is difficult to stop) 1 6 ...�xe4 1 7.ctJf3 2::\ e8 1 8.�d 1 ! Black is under pressure to show the power
of his attack.
The text move leads to great complications which can be summarized in the following brief lines:
1 6.�xf4!
1 6.1We2 2::\ e 8! gives Black full compensation.
1 6 ... tt'lxf2t
After 1 6 ... 2::\fS 1 7.�xh6! l::lxf3 1 8.ctJxf3 White has two rooks and a piece for the queen, so Black
has to play energetically: 1 8 ... ctJ g3t 19.�e3 tt'lxh 1 20.0-0-0 ctJxf2 2 l .�g5 tt'lxd 1 22.�xd 1
�xa8 23.�d5 The complications have petered out to an endgame with equal material and a
slight edge to White.
1 7.'tt> fl �xf4 1 8.\Wxf2 2::\ f8 1 9.ctJf3 ctJe5 20.2::\ e 1 �xa8!
Black has a promising initiative in return for the exchange.
8
7
a b c d e f g h
14...e4
This standard attacking move is natural, but Black could also have considered the more patient
1 4 ...�xa8!?.
l S.ix£4?
After this feeble move Black's attack develops like a snowstorm.
1 5.ctJe2? exd3 1 6.cxd3 ctJe5 1 7.\Wh3 f3-+ is hopeless for White.
1 5.dxe4? \Wxe4t 1 6.ctJe2 2::\e8+ is not much better.
However, White could have kept the game interesting with 1 5.d4!, keeping the e-file closed and
thus attempting to exploit Black's avoidance of the typical ... tt'l d4 move. The only game in the
database continued as follows: 1 5 ... e3! 1 6.fxe3?! (Best was 1 6.ctJf3! exf2t 1 7.�xf2 tt'le4t 1 8.�g1
�xa8 1 9.c3 with a complicated position; the computer prefers White slightly, but in practice it is
probably just unclear.) 16 ... tt'lxd4 Now White's position is extremely dangerous. 1 7.ctJf3 tt'lxf3t
1 8.gxf3 fxe3 Black was dominating and went on to win in I. Markovic - Zavadil, Brno 2002.
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15 ...exd3t 16.�fl
1 6.Wdl 'Lle4 is also winning for Black.
16 ...i.xf4 17JWxf4 �f8!

White is temporarily a rook up, but just look at the state of his position! Only his queen and
bishop are in play, his king is a sitting duck on the f-file, and Black's pieces are poised to swarm
like an army of killer bees.
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18.'1Wg3
The tactical point behind Black's last move is that 1 8 .1lMg5? can be refuted instantly by
1 8 .. J'lxf2t! 19.Wxf2 'Lle4t.
Other moves are also hopeless, for instance 1 8 .1lMe3?? 1lMxe3-+ or 1 8.1lMd2 'Lle4-+. And finally,
1 8.1lMcl E%xf2t! 19.Wxf2 'Lle4t 20.Wfl d2 wins nicely.
18... ltJe4 19.'1Wc7t �e8

White's counterattack lasted all of one move, and now he faces insurmountable problems.
20.CLlh3
20.f3? '1Wc5! wins instantly, and 20.ctJf3 '1Wc5! (20 ... lLld2t?? 2l .Wg1 !+-) 2 l .Wg1 l:l:xf3 is
crushing.
20 lt:lxf2!
..•
Stripping away the king's protection.
21.CLlxf2 'We2t 22.<.t>g1 'Wxflt 23.<.t>h2 'Wxh4t 24.<.t>gl 'Wd4t

Black could also have won with 24 ...'1Wf2t!? 25.Wh2 l:l:f5 when White has only a few checks:
26.2::\h el t 'it>fs 27.'1Wd6t 'it>g7 28.'1Wxd7t 'it>h6-+
25.<.t>h2 CDe5 26.E:hfl lLlg4t

Beginning a long series of checks.
27 'We3t
.•.
The quickest win was 27 ...ilxg2t! 28.Wxg2 (28.Wg3 ilxfl-+) 28 ... ctJe3t 29.Wh2 (29.Wg3
'1Wg4t) 29 ...'1Wh4t 30.�g1 '1Wg4t and mate.
28.'it>xg4 hSt 29.'it>h4 gSt

29 ... We4t! was slightly more accurate: 30.Ifig5 We7t 3 I .Ifih6 (3 I .Ifixg6 ie4t 32.1fixh5 :1l:h8t
33.1fig4 Wh4#) 3 1 ...:1l:h8t 32.cJ?xg6 ie4t 33.:1l:f5 Wh7t 34.1fig5 Wxf5t 3 5.1fih4 Wg4 mate!
30.'it>xh5 �hst 31 .'it>g6 ie4t 32.�£5

32.1fig7 Wd4t 33.:1l:f6 :1l:h7t 34.1fig8 Wxf6 is the end of the road. After the text move Black has
only one winning continuation, but Nunn makes no mistake.
37.'it>hs Wfhst! 3S.'it>g4

38.cJ?xg5 Wf6t 39.1fig4 Wg7t 40.Ifih4 :1l:h8 is mate, as is 38.\flg6 :1l:f6t 39.1fixg5 Wh6t 40.Ifig4
Wg7t 4 I .Ifih3 :1l:h6.
38...Wfh4 mate
0-1
!
•• Black may wish to hold back from attacking White's queen with the tempting .. .l2'ld4, as
in some positions the knight may prefer to go to e5 instead.
!
•• Just as in the previous few games, the ... e5-e4 thrust was the key to Black's attack.
•!• White's extra material did him no good whatsoever, as most of his pieces were undeveloped
and his king was too exposed.
We will now turn our attention to White's most ambitious approach, where he gives up his knight
immediately in order to deposit another pawn in the bank.
Game 28
Zoltan Varga - Bogdan Lalic
Medulin 1 997
l .e4 e5 2.lbc3 lb£6 3.i.c4 lbxe4 4J1Nh5 lbd6 5.i.b3 lbc6 6.lbb5 g6 7JMff3 f5 sJMfdS 'We7
9.lbxc7t <;t>ds lO.lbxaS b6 I I.lbxb6
The kamikaze knight was already doomed, and in this final gallant gesture it takes a final enemy
pawn along to the grave. A noble act indeed, but the question is whether White can spare the
time for it.
l l .'!Wf3!? is a sensible move, although White will usually have to retreat his queen anyway at some
point, so the most likely outcome is a transposition to one of the main lines.
l l. .. axb6
a b c d e f g h
In the 1 950s Yakov Estrin, a well known Russian master and theoretician, who later become a
Correspondence Chess Grandmaster and even World Correspondence Champion, liked to play
and analyze gambit variations. He analyzed the present position in some detail, and one of his
games can be found in the notes to Black's 1 4th move below.
12.'Wf3
The queen will havJAO vacate the danger zone at some point.
1 2.d3
This natural move is White's other main candidate.
1 2 ... .ib7 1 3.1Wf3 'Lld4 1 4.1Wh3
Compared with games 26 and 27 White has not played h2-h4, which deprives him of some
active ideas but also avoids weakening the g3- and g4-squares. Black has tested a number of
ideas here, but the following is an especially interesting break from the norm:
a b c d e f g h
1 4 ... h5!?
With this move Black does not go for an immediate attack but instead gains space on the
kingside, while emphasizing the vulnerable position of the white queen.
The typical plan of 1 4 ... e4?! is less convincing, and after 1 5.�e3 �g7 1 6.0-0-0 White was
clearly better in Keller - Gollain, France 2006.
14 .. .f4 is better although White should keep an edge here too: 1 5.ctJf3! At the cost of weakening
his pawn structure, White takes most of the sting out of his opponent's attack.
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a b c d e f g h
1 5 ... ctJxf3t 1 6.gxf3 ctJf5 1 7.�d2 ctJd4 1 8.0-0-0 �xf3! ( 1 8 .. .'�c5 1 9.�b 1 ctJxf3 20.�c3±
Rzayev - Lengyel, Budapest 20 1 1) 1 9J'!he l ! White is fighting to reclaim the initiative.
1 9 ... 1Wc5 20.�c3 hdl 2 l .<±>xd l (21 .:9:xd l ? ctJ e2t ruins White's position) 2 l . .. �d6 22.�xd4!
1Wxd4 23.1Wf3± Material is level but Black faces a tricky defense, despite the opposite-colored
bishops.
1 5.f3
This move is directed against e5-e4. The downside is that it restricts the white queen still
further.
1 5.�d2 f4 ( 1 5 ... g5!? is also possible, and after 1 6.f3 f4 17.�b4 1Wf6! we have transposed to
the following note to White's 1 6th move) transposes to another game, which continued:
1 6.0-0-0?! (Better is 1 6 ..ib4! g5 1 7.f3 '®'f6! although Black has full compensation.) 1 6 ... g5
1 7.f3 Ei:h7! 1 8.g4 hxg4 1 9.'®'xg4 Ei:h4 20.'®'g2 g4+ Dobos - Zude, Wiesbaden 1 990.
According to the database White has tried 1 5.c3 in four games, scoring an impressive 1 00%!
Let's see where Black can improve. 15 ... lt:lxb3 1 6.axb3 f4 1 7.ttJe2 occurred in Zednik - Turin,
e-mail 2002. Here it would have been good for Black to play:
1 7 ... ttJ f7! Targeting the misplaced queen. 1 8. Wd1 White does not have much choice; he needs
to move his king so that ... lt:lg5 can be met by '®'h4 without allowing a check on f3. But even
here Black can create problems by: 1 8 ... g5! 1 9.d4 f3! 20.gxf3 g4 with excellent counterplay.
a b c d e f g h
1 5 ... f4!?
Contin,uing the 'positional' strategy.
The shkp and direct 1 5 ... e4 also deserved attention. 16.Wfl (after 1 6.dxe4 6ce4 1 7.f4 lt:J 6f5
White has no normal way to complete his development) 1 6 ... exf3 17.gxf3 g5! 1 8.'®'g2 f4 1 9.h4
g4! The kingside threats are quite unpleasant. One illustrative line is 20 ..ixf4?! .ih6 2 l .'®'h2?
.ixf4 22.'®'xf4 lt:lxf3-+ when it has all gone wrong for White.
1 6 ..id2 .ig7
16 ... g5 and 1 6 ... ttJ6f5 were good alternatives.
1 7.0-0-0 'Ll6f5 1 8 .l"i:e1 c:J1c7

Black slowly improves his position. Now he is ready to bring his rook into action.
1 9.'Lle2 'Llxb3t 20.axb3
We have been following the game Kaidanov - Lputian, Lvov 1 987. Here Black could obtained
a promising position with:
a b c d e f g h
20 ... Ei:a8!
After the game continuation of20 .. .'!Mfd6 Black got a reasonable game but later went down after
missing a draw.
2 1 .c:J1b1 Wfc5 22.c4 b5!
Black has fine attacking prospects, while the white queen remains far away on the kingside.
12 �b7
...
Black can also play 12 ... 'Lld4!? first. Then 1 3.1lffa 8? c:J1c7 1 4.'Llf3 i,b7+ was bad for White in
Kleszewski - Rizzitano, Boston 1 988, but both 1 3.Wih3 and 1 3.Wfd1 are likely to transpose to
lines considered elsewhere after Black plays ...i,b7.
It is worth mentioning that in one game after 1 3.Wih3 Black favored an independent approach
with 1 3 ... g5?!, but after 1 4.Wfh5 i,b7 1 5.d3 f4 1 6.h4! White was better in Seider - Machata,
Slovakia 2005.
a b c d e f g h
13JWdl
White has an important alternative in the form of:
1 3.'1Wh3
From this position it is worth analyzing two approaches for Black: a) 1 3 .. .C2Jd4 and
b) 1 3 ... h5!?.
a) 13 ... l2Jd4
Now it looks interesting for White to try:
1 4.c3!?
Instead 14.d3 transposes to 1 2.d3 in the note to White's 1 2th move above.
1 4 ... ctJe6
Black should avoid opening the a-file.
1 4 ... ctJxb3?! 1 5.axb3 g5 1 6.ctJe2 g4 17.'1We3 j,xg2 1 8 .2:g1 j,f3 1 9.d4!± was Van Son - Eschholz,
Germany 2008.
1 5.j,xe6!?
White gives up the beautiful bishop in order to remove a potentially dangerous attacker.
1 5 ...'1Wxe6 1 6.lLle2
1 6 ... g5!
Black has interesting compensation based on his pair of bishops, strong piece activity and
mobile pawn mass. In addition, it is not clear where the white king is planning to go.
1 7.d4 g4 1 8.'1Wh4t �c8 1 9.dxe5 j,xg2 20.2:g1 j,f3 2 1 .'1Wf6!?
Trying to swap pieces, but Black can keep his initiative alive.
Mter 2 1 .lLld4 '1Wxe5t 22.j,e3 j,e4 Black's strong initiative gave him ongoing compensation in
Zhao Jun - D. Schneider, Richardson 2007.
2 1 ...'1Wc4 22.lLlf4 '1We4t 23.j,e3 ctJc4 24.'1Wxh8 ctJxe3 25.'\WxfSt �b7 26.fxe3 '1Wxe3t 27.�fl 'IWxf4
Black has enough counterplay to force a perpetual.
b) 1 3 ... h5!?
Just as in the note to White's 1 2th move, Black can patiently expand on the kingside.
1 4.d3
a b c d e f g h
14 .. .f4!?
Black makes it a priority to go after the enemy queen.
1 4 ... tt:Jd4 transposes to the 1 2.d3 line noted earlier.
1 4 ... g5? was less effective due to 1 5.iWe3!± in Babujian - Hayrapetian, Tbilisi 2007.
1 5.f3
1 5.tLle2 g5 1 6.f3 '.Wg7! transposes to the note to White's next move.
1 5 ... g5 1 6.g4?
White had to play 1 6.tt:Je2 although 16 ...'\Wg7! keeps the fire of Black's initiative burning.
16 ... e4!
This thematic breakthrough is even stronger with White's queen offside and the long diagonal
weakened by g2-g4.
1 7.dxe4 lLlxe4 1 8.<lifl tt:Jd4 1 9.c3 i.a6t 20.\ilg2
We have been following the game Leroy - Anetti, France 2007. So far Black has played
excellently, and here he could have sealed victory with a lovely sacrifice. Can you find it?
a b c d e f g h
20 ... hxg4! 2 1 .'1Mixh8 lZ'lxf3
White has no good defense against the devastating threat of ... lt:Jh4t. For example:
22.lZ'lxf3 gxf3t 23.mxf3 lt:J d2t 24.mg4 ie2t 25.�f5 id3t 26.mg4 '1Mie2t 27.mxg5 '1Mig2t
28.mxf4 1Mie4t 29.�g3 '1Mig6t 30.mf2 '1Mif5t-+
13 ... lLJd4
It seems amazing that Black can still be in the game, considering that he is the exchange and
a pawn down and White has no apparent weaknesses. Nevertheless, in the spirit of Chigorin,
Black's activity and central domination tends to provide him with good practical compensation.
Even the notoriously materialistic computer programs tend to rate White's advantage at around
"plus one", suggesting that even after accurate defense White will not have an easy ride.
a b c d e f g h
14. 'it>fl f4!?
An interesting attempt to improve the old theory, which works well in the present game.
Previously this position had been reached in an over-the-board game of Estrin, the former World
Correspondence Chess Champion mentioned in the note to Black's 1 1th move. On that occasion
the Soviet master chose a different continuation.
I 4 ...Wg5
White's only real weakness is the g2-square, so Black targets it immediately.
1 5.f3
Of course 1 5.'Llf3?? leads to a disaster after 1 5 ... 'Llxf3 1 6.gxf3 Wh5! when 1 7.\t>g2 is met by
the simple 1 7 ...Wg4t.
1 5 .. .f4
Black is planning to bring a knight to f5 and later deploy the dark-squared bishop on c5. And
of course the thematic ... e5-e4 advance will always be on his radar.
1 6.c3
1 6 ... 'Ll4f5!
This is not the computer's top choice, but on this occasion I believe we should ignore the advice
of our electronic friend.
The supposedly 'best' continuation is 1 6 ... 'Llxb3 1 7.axb3. The problem here is that Black has
exchanged off one of his valuable attacking pieces and also allowed the white rook to become
active along the a-file. In some positions this may enable White to sacrifice the exchange to
eliminate the bishop on b7, which could help to nullify the attack while still leaving White with
a potentially decisive extra pawn.
1 7.'Llh3 Wh5 1 8.We2
1 8.d4!? is a critical move. One possible response is 1 8 ... 'Lle3t 1 9.j,xe3 fXe3 when the position
is messy but somewhat better for White. But 1 8 ... 'Llh4! looks scarier, intending to take on f3 or
g2. In this case it is doubtful that White has anything better than 1 9.We2, transposing to the
note to White's 1 9th move below.
1 8 ... 'Llh4
Eyeing g2 and f3.
1 9.'Llf2
It was better to play the aggressive 1 9 .d4! when the following sequence is more or less
forced: 1 9 ... 'Llxg2 20.Wxg2 j,xf3 2 1 .Wg5t Wxg5 22.'Llxg5 j,xhl 23.dxe5 j,h6 24.h4 j,xg5
25.hxg5 'Lle4 26.\t>gl j,f3 27.j,xf4 :gfg 28.j,e3 :gf5 The position remains sharp despite the
simplifications.
1 9 ... 'Llxf3!
20.gxf3!?
I decided to analyze this natural move in order to determine whether White could improve
over the game continuation, where Black maintained a promising initiative even after the
exchange of queens: 20.i,dl ctJh4 2 1 .\Wxh5 i,xg2t! 22.mel gxh5 23.l:l:gl e4 Chistiakov
Estrin, Leningrad 1 955. This sharp and unbalanced position eventually ended in a draw after
a tough fight.
20 ...i,xf3 2 l .Wi'a6
Black is a whole rook down and must decide how to proceed.
2 l ...mc7!?
It seems amazing that Black can get away with playing so calmly, but it seems to work.
2 l . ..i,xhl is uninspiring, and indeed it is White who should be thankful to exchange his rook
for Black's powerful bishop. Mter 22.ctJxh l Wi'h3t 23.mel Wxh2 24.ctJf2 White is better.
22.Wi'a7t
22.h4 i,e? 23.l:l:h2oo is another idea.
22 ... ctJb7 23.l:l:gl Wxh2 24.i,dl i,d5
Let us now return to the game after 14 ... f4!?.
2
1
15.£3?!
White should have preferred 1 5.c3, when it is doubtful that Black has anything better than
1 5 ... Wg5 1 6.f3 transposing to the above note.
1 S ... e4!
Thanks to White's inaccurate move order, Black can open the position with more force than
usual.
16.d3
The following sample variation shows how quickly things may go wrong for White: 1 6.fXe4
CLJxe4 1 7.d3 CLJc5 1 8 .c3? 'Wg5! 1 9.CLJf3 CLJxf3 20.gxf3 1Wh5-+
16...exf3 17.gxf3
Mter 1 7.CLJxf3?! CLJxf3 1 8.gxf3 'Wh4 19.'We2 tt:Jf5 20.1Wf2 'Wf6 2 l .c3 (2 l..�xf4? i.c5-+) 2 l ...i.c5
22.d4 i.a6t White is in a critical position.
17 ...�h6 18.c3 lD4f5 19.'1We2 �f6 20.�£2

20... c7
So far Black has built his position most purposefully, and here he could have posed serious
problems with the consistent 20 ... 'Lle3t!. I analyzed the following line, which leads to serious
problems for White: 2 1 .�xe3 fxe3 22.W'g3 �f4 23.W'h3 l:'i:e8 24.<j;Je2 (24.'Lle2 �g5 25.�el �xf3
26.2:fl �h4t 27.�d l �f2-+) 24 ... 2:e5+
21..id2 .igS
2 l . ..ctJe3t! was still powerful.
8
7
6
4
3
2
1
22.h4!
White finds the only way to escape from the kingside pressure.
22 ... .!tJg3t
22 ...�xh4 is met by 23.2:xh4 'Llxh4 and now both 24.a4 and 24.c4!? give White fair chances
for counterplay.
23.g2 hh4 24 ..txf4! .!tJxhl

Black could have considered playing for a win with 24 ...W'xf4!? 25.2:xh4 W'xh4 26.W'xg3 W'h6!,
when he still has good play for a pawn thanks to White's weak kingside. Still, this approach would
have carried a degree of risk, and having already squandered his best attacking opportunity, Lalic
decides to cut his losses and go for the safe drawing line.
25 ..ixd6t xd6 26.'1Wxb6t

Finally White opens up his opponent's king. Now he has enough counterplay and the draw is
just a matter of time or perpetual check. In a way, it seems that White's decision to play l l .'Llxb6
has been vindicated, as he has finally broken through to the unprotected b6-pawn.
26....ic6 27.xhl �e8 28.d4 .ifl 29.'1Wb4t c7 30.'1Wa5t b7 31.�b4t c7 32.�a5t <it>b7
33.�b4t c7
lf2-l/2
•!• When the white queen goes to h3 without a pawn already being on h4, Black can consider
a slow plan of ... h5 and ... g5, gaining space on the kingside and threatening to embarrass
the white queen.
•!• The ... f5-f4 advance is useful for cramping White on the kingside and supporting a future
piece invasion on the weak e3-square.
•!• Black's usual method of opening the kingside will be ... e5-e4, but in some positions ... g5-
g4 can work well.
•!• It is by no means impossible for Black to maintain good compensation for his material
deficit even after a queen exchange.
Other Lines
We will conclude the chapter by rounding up any significant variations that have so far been
missed, along with an instructive game featuring an especially striking ending.
Game 29
John Carleton - Gert Timmerman
Correspondence 1 996
l .e4 eS 2.ClJc3 ctJf6 3.i.c4 ClJxe4 4.Wl'hS ctJ d6 S.i.b3 ctJ c6 6.ctJbS g6 7.Wl'f3 fS 8.Wl'dS Wl'e7
9.ClJxc7t 'it>d8 10.ClJxa8 b6
a b c d e f g h
l l.d3
This is the main line and we have already encountered it in games 26 and 27. Let us now take
the opportunity to check White's less common alternatives.
l l .'Wf3 j,b? 1 2.ctJxb6 axb6 transposes to the previous game.
l l .ctJf3?!
Leaves White's queen too exposed.
1 1 ... �b7! 1 2.d4

The best chance, but Black can happily surf the wave of tactics to reach a favorable endgame.
1 2 ... tt'lxd4 13.�g5 'Llxf3t 1 4.�xf3 �xg5 1 5 .�d5 �xd5 1 6.�xd5 �f4! 1 7.0-0 �e4!
Forcing a queen exchange, after which the white knight's days are numbered.
1 8.Elad1 �c8 1 9.Elfe 1 �xd5 20.Elxd5 �b7 2 l .ctJxb6 axb6 22.Eldxe5 �c6 23.b3 �g7+
Black went on to win in Kuzin - Mromeev, Tula 2006.
1 1 .h4 'Ll d4!?

This untested move is an interesting alternative to the more normal-looking 1 l ...�b7 1 2.�f3
�xa8 1 3 .ctJe2 �g7 1 4.�h3 Elf8 1 5.tt'l c3 tt'l d4 1 6.0-0 f4, when Black had a strong kingside
attack in Simmons - Hector, Jersey 2003.
1 2.ctJxb6 axb6 1 3.d3 f4!
Preventing �g5.
1 4.�a8 �c7 1 5.�a4 �b7
White's pieces lack harmony and Black should have enough compensation.
1 1 .1Wd3
This retreat is playable although it certainly looks a little odd.
1 l ...�b7 1 2.ctJe2
1 2.�fl is too passive. 1 2 ... f4 1 3.c3 e4! Inhibiting White's development. 1 4.d4 exd3t 1 5.�d1
�h6 16.tt'lxb6 axb6 1 7.'Llf3 �a6 1 8.�d2 Ele8 1 9.�cl 'Lle4 20.�d1 �c5 2 l .a3 'Llxd2 22.tt'lxd2
f3-+ Scharnowski - Schmidt, Bielefeld 2005.
12 ...�xa8
As usual Black is not obliged to capture the knight immediately, but since White's queen is
obstructing the d-pawn he can spare the time for it.
1 3.0-0 �g7 1 4.�h3
1 4 ... h5!
We have already encountered this key idea which enables Black to grab some valuable space on
the kingside.
1 5.d4 g5 1 6.dxe5 tt'lxe5
White faced a strong attack in Cvek - Polak, Havlickuv Brod 2006.
l l. ..i.b7 1 2.h4 f4 13.WI'f3 lLld4
14.WI'g4
14.'Wh3 has already been covered in Game 26. The text move has been played much more
frequently, and has the advantages of keeping the h3-square free for the knight and enabling the
queen to retreat to d 1 if needed. Nevertheless Black still keeps enough of an initiative to cause
problems for his opponent.
14 ..i.xa8 1 5.i.d2 i.g7!

.
This seems to be Black's best option.
1 5 ... ltJ6f5 1 6.c3 ctJxb3 (even worse is 16 ... h5?! 1 7.'Wxg6 ctJxb3 1 8.axb3 ctJxh4 1 9.2:xh4! 'Wxh4
20.2:xa7+- Kuipers - Janssen, Dieren 2004) 1 7.axb3 d6 occurred in Alkaersig - Lindfeldt, Aarhus
1 998, and now after 1 8.ctJf3! White should be much better.
1 5 ...i.h6 1 6.0-0-0 ltJ6f5
a b c d e f g h
17.c3!
Getting rid of Black's most dangerous piece.
After 1 7.lbe2?! l2lxe2t! ( 1 7 ... lbxb3t 1 8.axb3 d5? 1 9.d4!+- Hudoba - Masar, Slovakia 1 994)
1 8.1Wxe2 f3 1 9.gxf3 l2l d4 20.'\Wfl �xd2t 2 l .E':xd2 l2lxf3 22.E':e2 tt:Jd4+ Black emerges with the
better game.
1 7.mb l !? is not bad though, and after 1 7... 1Wc5 1 8.l2lh3 ( 1 8.h5!? is also strong) 1 8 ... l2lxb3
1 9.axb3 lbd4 20.�c3 it was not so easy to develop Black's attack in Jacoby - Jarnuczak,
Pinneberg 2005.
1 7 ... tt:Jxb3t 1 8.axb3 1We6
Amrein - Hardicsay, Budapest 1 998. In this position White should have played:
1 9.tLlf3!?
With good chances to neutralize Black's initiative.
a b c d e f g h
16.Cll h3
Mter 1 6.0-0-0 both 1 6 ... l06f5 1 7.E':el '!Wc5 and 1 6 ...�c6!? (intending ... a5-a4) 1 7.h5 g5! are
playable.
16....if6 17 .ib4 �c7 18.c4?

•
White would like to open the queenside, but he has misjudged his chances. It turns out that
Black can keep himself safe and the bishop on b3 will be left resembling an oversized pawn.
18 ...a5! 1 9..ia3 V!fg7 20.Cll g5

20.c5 bxc5 2 l .�xc5 h5 22.1Wd1 �xg2+
20...h5 2 1.hd6t �xd6 22.'1Wh3 hg5 23.hxg5 V!fe7

Picking up the g5-pawn. Materially White is still slightly ahead, but positionally he is lost. The
untouchable knight on d4 will soon demonstrate its power.
24..ia4 E':h7 25.0-0-0 V!fxg5 26.f3 Wfg3 27.E':d2 h4 28.�hl g5 29..idl Wfxh3 30J':�xh3 �c5
3 1 .h3 Cll f5 32.E(hl �d4
33.a3 CDe3 34.b4 g4

The decisive break. White struggles on for a few more moves but is soon forced to resign.
35.fxg4 il.xg2 36Jl:xg2 CDxg2 37.Jl.f3 CD e3 38.Jl.e4 �h8 39.�cl axb4 40.axb4 �ffi
0-1
•!• If White sidesteps the main lines of the FOG, Black has little to fear and can usually
obtain promising compensation through the usual methods.
•!• Once White weakened the d4-square with 1 8 .c4?, Black was able to switch to an entirely
positional strategy and score a remarkable endgame victory.
•!• When your opponent is paralyzed, you can take your time to improve every piece before
executing the final breakthrough - and most importantly, executing your opponent!
Conclusion
The Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit is a dangerous gambit which is a lot of fun to play, provided
Black is comfortable with the idea of sacrificing a substantial amount of material without any
immediate return. The arrangement of Black's pieces - with knights on c6 and d6, bishop on b7
and king on d8 - is rather irregular, and this only adds to the gambit's appeal. Usually Black's
attack will be based on a timely ... e5-e4 break after suitable preparation, but in certain situations
a more patient space-gaining approach with .. .f4, ... h5 and ... g5 can work well.
Chapter 5
The Falkbeer Counter

Gatnbit
7
6
5
1
a b c d e f g h
l.e4e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5e4

Introduction
l.e4 e5 2.f4
The above diagram shows the starting position for the King's Gambit, an opening which has
been around since the 1 7th century, and remained popular all the way up until the 20th, by
which time defensive technique had improved to a point where the gambit no longer appealed to
most players. Nevertheless it still has its devotees and should not be underestimated.
During its heyday the King's Gambit produced some memorable and brilliant victories, the most
famous being the "Immortal Game" between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky in 1 85 1 .
With 2.f4 White offers a pawn sacrifice with the intention of building a strong pawn center and
opening the f-file for attacking purposes. Black can of course take the material and try to defend,
but I would instead like to draw your attention to a more aggressive counter-gambit. The hunter
is about to become the hunted!
2... d5!?
Two of the drawbacks of 2.f4 are that White fails to develop a piece and weakens the h4-el
diagonal towards his king. With this in mind, it is quite logical that Black should open the center
and fight for the initiative from the outset.
2 ... exf4 is a completely different topic which I will not discuss in any detail here, other than
showing one brief line to illustrate White's attacking potential: 3.li:'lf3 g5 4.i.c4 g4 Now White
simply ignores the attack on the knight and plays 5.0-0! gxf3 6.'�xf3 when he has an incredibly
strong attack for a mere piece.
3.exd5
This is the only decent reply, although we will briefly look at the inferior alternatives in
Game 30.
The Falkbeer Counter Gambit 211
According to the database the present position occurred in a handful of games prior to 1 850, but
in all of those encounters Black played the weak 3 .. .'®xd5?, allowing White to gain an easy tempo
for development with 4.ct'lc3. However, in 1 8 5 1 a new concept was introduced.
3 e4!?
...
a b c d e f g h
This gambit continuation was the invention of the Austrian master Ernst Falkbeer, who first
played it against no less than Adolf Anderssen. Although he eventually lost the game, Falkbeer
had much the better position out of the opening, which made the chess world sit up and take
notice. Anderssen himself took up the Falkbeer, as did Staunton, Morphy, Tarrasch and many
other notable masters. The idea of turning the tables on the gambit player clearly struck a chord,
and the Falkbeer Counter Gambit continued to develop and flourish.
Falkbeer's idea has a strong positional basis to it. Black seizes the opportunity to gain ground in
the center, dividing White's pawns and using his e-pawn as a wedge to cut the opponent's position
in two. Black gets the opportunity to develop his pieces quickly, and go after the enemy king in
the center. The f4-pawn looks distinctly out of place, and leaves several weak squares behind it
which would have been safeguarded by the pawn had it been standing on f2.
For several decades after its inception, the Falkbeer was highly regarded. The philosophy of
fighting fire with fire paid dividends, and many former King's Gambit practitioners were driven
to take up different openings after 1 .e4 e5. But gradually new methods were discovered on White's
side, as players began to incorporate more positional strategies into what had traditionally been
a cut-throat opening. After roughly the 1 930s the King's Gambit enjoyed a renaissance, and the
Falkbeer fell into disfavor. Nowadays it does not enjoy the best reputation, but I managed to find
some ways for Black to improve on mainstream theory and keep the game interesting.
We will kick things off by dealing with White's inferior third moves. This will not take long, and
the following game is the shortest of the book.
Game 30
Javier Hernanz Villoslada - Nicolas lerino
Moratalaz 2002
l .e4 e5 2.£4 d5
As stated previously, 3.exd5 is White's only good move here. In the present game we will review
the alternatives to see exactly why this is the case.
3.fxe5??
This is one of the worst moves on the board for White.
3.d3?! dxe4 is obviously good for Black and requires no detailed analysis.
3.CLJc3?! should be met by 3 ... dxe4 or 3 ... d4!? - both of which should enable Black to equalize
comfortably with chances to play for more - rather than 3 ... lt:Jf6, which rather lets White off the
hook by transposing to the Vienna Game of Chapter 7, coverage of which begins on page 3 1 9.
3...�h4t
Of course.
4.i>e2
4.g3 '\Wxe4t wins the rook on h l , but the text move loses even more quickly.
a b c d e f g h
4...�xe4t!
Black has more than one route to victory - for instance, there is 4 ...�g4 t 5.CLJf3 dxe4 winning
a piece - but the text move is the most conclusive.
S.i>f2 i.cSt
The king will not be able to escape the barrage of checks.
6.i>g3 �xeSt 7.i>f3

7.'kt>h4 �e7 is mate.
7.. �f5t
.
7 . '\Wh5t skewers the queen, but Black can do even better by forcing an immediate mate.
. .
s.@e2
s.li>g3 Jtf2 is the same outcome.
8...�e4 mate
0-1
Obviously this was not a high-level game, but it demonstrates the basic tactical justification for
Black's second move and shows why 3.exd5 is essential.
An Interesting Side- (or Main?) Line

Though the Falkbeer is the main subject of this chapter, it is not the only gambit available to
Black on the third move. 3 c6!? is known as the Nimzowitsch Gambit, although according to
•..
the database it was Marshall who first played it in 1 905. (We already became acquainted with
Marshall and his famous gambit in Chapter 1 .) Nimzowitsch's gambit never became as popular
as Falkbeer's, but nowadays it actually enjoys the healthier theoretical reputation of the two. Let's
take a look at it in more detail.
Game 3 1
Michael Schmid - Daniel Winkler
Bad Ragaz 1 994
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 c6
8
'.� �..ts•mlj)��
'" � � , -, �
LJ� � �
�LJ�
7
� � �
�
' - - - �% � �
�
: � Ji� � ." -
4 .-a-"n� "%-"a
3 %%
� �� %% ��
2 � '1� � '1� - � '1�
1 -�
�£r,:;w
�
��\ili;�
�
� ��
r.%�fii/ �
'§' £ : §
a b c d e f g h
It looks like Black is playing some strange variety of Danish Gambit with reversed colors. Just
as in that opening (which is covered in Chapter 1 of my White Gambits book), Black invites his
opponent to capture pawns in order to accelerate his development and open lines of attack.
214 Th e Alterman Gambit Guide
4.dxc6?!
Grabbing the pawn is risky. Instead White does better to decline the offer, as in Game 33.
Note that 4.fXe5?? loses to 4 ... Wh4t just as in the previous game.
4... tLlxc6 5.�b5

5 .lt'l f3 is considered in the next game.
5 ...�c5
Taking control of the exposed gl -a7 diagonal and thus preventing White from castling.
5 ... exf4 is playable but it is more aggressive for Black to concentrate on development.
6.tLlf3 �g4
Developing while threatening to win a piece with ... e4. Objectively speaking, a stronger
continuation would have been 6 ... e4 7.tt'le5 tt'lf6!, transposing to 7.�b5 tt'lf6! in the note to
White's 7th move in the next main game.
7.c3?
White attempts a tactical solution but falls flat on his face. Instead 7.fXe5! would have left Black
with a lead in development but no clear way to prove his compensation.
7 e4 8.Wfa4
•••
This was White's idea, but Black refutes it with ease.
8...exf3! 9.hc6t 'it?f8!

White was counting on 9 ... bxc6? I O.Wxc6t threatening the bishop on c5 and rook on aS. But
now his bishop on c6 is genuinely hanging and his king is in mortal danger.
a b c d e f g h
10.d4
Preventing ... �d3, but allowing another simple win.
1 0...Vffe7t
0-1
White resigned as l l .�f2 We2t 12.�g3 �xg2t 1 3.�h4 il.e7 is mate.
!
•• IfWhite gets greedy and accepts the Nimzowitsch Gambit, Black has every reason to feel
optimistic.
!
•• If you are behind in development with an exposed king, then take extra care when relying
on 'clever' tactical tricks, as under those circumstances they have a tendency to backfire.
!
•• When calculating tactical variations, remember that when one side captures a piece, the
other side may have a strong alternative to taking back immediately.
Game 32
Tamas Szekelyhidi - Zoltan Eberth
Fuzesabony 2003
l .e4 e5 2.£4 d5 3.exd5 c6 4.dxc6 tLlxc6 s.lLlf3

Here we see a different attempt to develop White's pieces.
s .. e4
.
Grabbing more space and forcing the knight to move again.
6.tLle5 i.c5
Once again Black wastes no time placing his bishop on its most active square. The immediate
threat is ...�d4.
7.c3
Covering the important d4-square, but this costs valuable time. 7 ..ib5 looks safer, although
Black can safely ignore the threat with 7 ... Ci:Jf6!, as 8.ctJxc6 bxc6 9 ..ixc6t .id7 l O ..ixa8? .ig4
wins the queen. White can avoid this with l O ..ixd7t 1Mfxd7, but even then Black's huge lead in
development gives him good value for his two-pawn investment.
The computer suggests 7.1Mfh5!? for White, although it is hard to imagine a human player
wanting to follow this example so I wouldn't spend my time worrying about this. 7 ... 1Mfe7 should
give Black decent chances.
7 Ci:Jf6 8.d4
•••
White has to get his queenside pieces into the game somehow, but opening the center carries
obvious risks.
8 exd3 9.ctJxc6?
•..
A terrible decision, exchanging one of White's few developed pieces. 9.Ci:Jxd3 was the only
chance.
9 bxc6 10.J.xd3 0-0

..•
0-1
It seems amazing that White resigned after only 1 0 moves, but a closer inspection reveals that
the decision was not premature. Black is threatening a deadly check on e8, and White cannot
even develop a minor piece on d2 as the bishop on d3 would hang.
A possible finish might be l l .�c2 l"1e8t 12.�fl (or 1 2.il.e2 il.g4 with a deadly pin) and now
1 2 ...lt:J g4 and 1 2 ...�e7 are both crushing.
•:• Development trumps material yet again.

•:• When you are behind in development and your king is unable to castle, opening the
central files is practically suicidal.
Game 33
Bertrand Weegenaar - Bjorn Knoppel
E-mail 2002
l .e4 e5 2.£4 d5 3.exd5 c6 4.lt:Jc3!

This is the main line and a much more challenging move than 4.dxc6?!. Instead of pawn
grabbing, White concentrates on development and fights for the initiative in a position with
equal material.
4.�e2?! is another greedy move which enables Black to obtain the initiative. Play may continue
4 ... cxd5!? (4 ... e4!? is also promising) 5.fxe5 (5.�xe5t il.e7! 6.�xg7?? ibf6 7.�g3 ii.h4 wins the
queen!) 5 ... lt:Jc6 6.lt:Jf3 il.c5! 7.c3 d4 with fine compensation for a pawn.
4 exf4
•..
4 ... cxd5!? is also playable: 5.fxe5 d4 6.lt:Je4 (6.ii.b5t!? is almost never played, but might be a
stronger move as White avoids having this piece shut in after d2-d3) 6 ... �d5! 7.V!ffe2 (7.d3 and
7.il.d3 should both be met by 7 ... lt:Jc6) 7 ... lt:Jc6 8.lt:Jf3 ii.f5 Black had reasonable compensation
in Perez - Aldrich, e-mail 1 997.
5.tLlf3 i.d6 6.d4 tLle7!

Better than 6 ... lt:lf6 when 7.'1We2t! is slightly awkward.
7.i.c4
Developing while keeping the central tension.
7.dxc6 lt:l bxc6 8.d5?! weakens the a7-gl diagonal, and after 8 ... lt:lb4 9.J.c4 (9.J.b5t J.d7
l O.J.xd7t '1Wxd7 1 1 .0-0 El:d8 is also pleasant for Black) 9 ...J.f5 1 0.J.b3 '1Wb6 1 1 .a3 ctJa6 1 2.�d4
ctJc5 1 3.0-0 0-0 1 4.�h1 J.d3 Black was better in Gallagher - Nunn, Bayswater 1 987.
7...cxd5 8.i.xd5
8.ctJxd5?? ctJxd5 9.J.xd5 '1Wa5t wins a piece.
8 ... tlJxd5 9.tLlxd5 '?BaS t!

Forcing the knight back to a passive position. Later the queen can swing to the kingside using
the fifth rank.
lO.tlJc3 0-0 1 1.0-0

Material is level, but the position contains numerous inequalities. Both sides have a 4-2 pawn
majority on their respective sides of the board. Black's f-pawns are doubled, but White's king has
lost some of its protective cover. White has greater control over the central squares, while Black
has the two bishops. The stage is set for a tough middlegame battle.
l l .. .lDc6
Sometimes Black plays 1 1 .. .�g4 first, but in this game he settles for a more modest bishop
development.
12.ctJe2
Targeting the f4-pawn. The main alternative is 1 2.etJe4 when Black should play 1 2 ...�c7.
12.. .'1Wf5
You should always be wary of positioning your queen on the same file as an enemy rook. On
this occasion Black is safe as there are no immediate tactical threats.
13.c4 ge8 14.ctJc3 �d7 15.a3

White hurries to mobilize his pawn majority, while Black focuses on piece activity.
15 ...gad8 16.b4 1.Wg6 17.c5 �b8 18.d5 �g4!

Preparing a trap into which White unwittingly falls.
19.d6?
1 9 .Ei:a2! would have kept the game unclear.
19...�xd6!
The bishop was practically dead on b8 anyway, so Black sacrifices it to unleash the full power
of his centralized rooks.
20.cxd6 gxd6 2 1.�d2

Stepping into a pin is hardly ideal, but White did not have much choice. 2 l .�b3? �xf3 22.Ei:xf3
lt'l d4 is disastrous for him, and 2 l .�a4?! �xf3 22.Ei:xf3 Ei:e1 t is not much better.
21...1'�ed8 22,:ga2
22 .. ,:gd3!
Threatening to take on c3, and possibly f3 in some variations. White is hampered by his lousy
coordination and has no good reply.
23.Wfc2
23.1We2? tt:Jd4 would only make things worse, and other queen moves would drop the knight
on f3. The knight on c3 also lacks a good escape square, as the reader can verify.
23...�xf3 24,:gxf3 :gxd2 25.Wfxd2 :gxd2 26.:gxd2

The endgame should be winning for Black with careful play, as White has weaknesses on both
sides of the board.
26...h6
26 ...\Wg5 was also good, but Black decides to give up the f-pawn and prevent any back rank
tricks.
27J'hf4 'We6 28.�d3 'Wb3 29.b5 ftle5

0-1
The game score ends here, though it seems rather early to resign. This was an e-mail!
correspondence game, so White may have either failed to move within the allotted time, or
concluded after deep analysis that his position was hopeless.
!
•• When White declines the gambit and plays the correct 4.CtJc3, Black still reaches a double
edged middlegame with a fair share of the chances.
!
•• In this game Black's tremendous piece activity triumphed over White's pawns, but only
thanks to the strong 1 9 ...i.xd6! sacrifice.
We can conclude that the Nimzowitsch Counter Gambit is a fully playable weapon against the
King's Gambit. IfWhite takes the gambit pawn then Black gains a powerful lead in development
and attacking chances. And even if White takes the wise decision to decline, Black will still be
able to develop harmoniously and reach a complex and roughly balanced middlegame.
With that topic out of the way, let us move on to the main subject of the chapter.
The Falkbeer Counter Gambit

The Falkbeer is ingrained as an integral part of the rich history of the King's Gambit, and as such,
we will have the pleasure of travelling back in time to witness some of the great champions of
yesteryear. Six years after Falkbeer first unveiled his idea, Paul Morphy used it to great effect in
the following blindfold game.
Game 34
John William Schulten - Paul Morphy
New York (blind) 1 857
l.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4

This is the defining move of the Falkbeer Counter Gambit. As early as the third move, Black
makes no secret of his intention to push White onto the defensive. The advance of the e-pawn
has numerous positional benefits. Most obviously, Black gains space and prevents the natural
development of the enemy knight on f3. Moreover, Black refuses to allow the opening of the
f-file and subsequent attack on f7, immediately thwarting one of the primary strategic aims of
the King's Gambit. Finally, the f4-pawn is left looking rather misplaced, as it leaves behind several
weak squares on the kingside, and may also prove a serious hindrance to the development of
White's dark-squared bishop.
4.�c3
This natural move is already a slight inaccuracy. The main line is 4.d3!, as discussed in games
39-42.
4... �£6 5.d3

Schulten is understandably keen to rid himself of the annoying pawn.
5 �b4!
...
Exchanging on d3 would only facilitate White's development. Instead Morphy develops

another piece and maintains the tension.
a b c d e f g h
6.�d2
A modest development of the bishop, bur it unpins the knight and thus renews the threat to
the e4-pawn.
Taking the pawn immediately is risky:

6.dxe4 CLlxe4
Threatening both ... Wh4t and ... CLJxc3.
7.Wd4
This multipurpose move defends c3 while counterattacking the targets on b4, e4 and g7.
Pinning the knight with 7.We2? is futile, as after 7 ... 0-0! 8.Wxe4? !:l:e8 the tables are turned and
it is White who succumbs to a fatal pin.
7 ...ilxc3t 8.bxc3 0-0

Black neatly safeguards his weaknesses without incurring any loss of time. Obviously the knight
on e4 is poisoned due to the pin along the e-file.
9.ctJf3
Developing a piece and guarding against a check on h4.
9 ... :r::le 8
Black has ongoing compensation. White is behind in development, his pieces lack harmony
and his king is not entirely safe.
Let us return to the game. We have reached an important crossroads where Black must decide
how best to develop his initiative. At this critical moment Morphy showed his genius and found
one of the most elegant and brilliant pawn sacrifices in all of chess history.
a b c d e f g h
6...e3!!
The kamikaze e-pawn valiantly throws itself onto the sword. The point is that 6 ...exd3 7.ilxd3
would merely aid White's development, so Black does better to leave the d3-pawn on the board
in order to create a logjam amongst White's kingside pieces.
It should be noted that Black has other playable options such as 6 . . . 0-0!? as featured in
Game 38. The decision to award Morphy's last move a double exclamation mark was based
on the originality and far-sightedness of the concept, rather than its absolute superiority to all
Black's other options.
7.�xe3
White has no choice but to accept the offer, but now his bishop is clumsily placed on the open
e-file and the pin on the c3-knight is renewed.
7. ..0-0!?
Black does not need to recapture the d5-pawn just yet, and it looks like Morphy's strategy may
have been to bait Schulten into hanging on to his two-pawn advantage.
The immediate recapture is also quite playable: 7 .. .C2Jxd5 (7 ...'We7!? 8.'We2 li.g4 is also interesting)
8.Ji.d2 ii.xc3 (Black can also consider 8 ... 0-0) 9.bxc3 0-0 1 0.'Wf3 l:l:eSt Black has adequate
compensation for a pawn. His pieces are more harmonious and White is still a few moves away
from short castling.
a b c d e f g h
s..td2
If 8.ii.e2 ii.xc3t 9.bxc3 l2Jxd5 1 0.Ji.d2 'Wf6 Black keeps the initiative and is about to restore
material equality by eating one of the weak pawns on c3 or f4.
After the move played, we have a curious situation whereby White's position is exactly the same as
it was two moves ago. Black on the other hand is without his e-pawn but has obtained the extra
move ... 0-0. It all comes down to one pawn versus one tempo for development.
8...J.xc3
Morphy follows his own rule which states that when you have a development advantage, you
should exchange your opponent's already developed pieces. It is exactly the same concept as the
rule of exchanging pieces when you have a material advantage. In the present position Black is
behind on the overall material count, but he has a material advantage in the area of the board
where the action is taking place.
9.bxc3 1:l:e8t 10.J.e2

White is just two moves away from castling, and Morphy takes drastic action to prevent this.
10 ...tg4!?
.
This move delays the capture of the d5-pawn, effectively doubling Black's material investment
from one pawn to two. On the plus side, White's job of castling is rendered more difficult, and
the e2-bishop now finds itself in a troublesome double-pin.
Although Morphy's idea worked out perfectly in the game, one could also make the argument for
the straightforward 1 0 ... l2Jxd5, reducing Black's material deficit and eyeing the outpost on e3. In
this case Black would have had perfectly satisfactory compensation.
l l.c4!?
White seems to be pushing his luck by pawn-counting instead of developing his pieces, but
modern analysis shows that it was objectively not a bad decision. This actually makes a good
deal of sense when you consider that capturing on d5 with the knight or queen would not only
reclaim one of Black's sacrificed pawns, but also continue the aggressive process of mobilizing
Black's pieces.
The above point can be illustrated by the line l l .h3?! '1Wxd5! when White dare not take the bishop
on account of the threatened invasion on g2.
l l .tLlf3? is no good, as after l l ...�xf3 White is forced to weaken his kingside structure with
1 2.gxf3. Then after 1 2 ... t2Jxd5 Black has fantastic positional compensation. White cannot even
derive any consolation from his pair of bishops, as they are both restricted by his unwieldy pawns.
However, White could have considered l l .mfl !? or I l .mf2!?. In both cases Black exchanges on
e2 and takes on d5, with fine compensation but no definite advantage.
l l...c6!
Attempting an immediate breakthrough using the pin against the e2-bishop would be futile, as
Black does not have sufficient forces in the attack. Instead Morphy calmly exchanges one of his
opponent's doubled (and extra) pawns to bring more of his pieces into play.
Let's just recall that Black could have quite comfortably captured the d5-pawn on the previous
move. However, after anticipating the course of the game, Morphy judged that it was worth
sacrificing a second pawn in order to accelerate his development and bring all his pieces into play.
In that respect Morphy was ahead of his time, as there were very few players in the world who
understood this point as well as the American legend.
12.dxc6?
This is really too much, as after Black's next move his attack gathers unstoppable momentum.
The correct continuation was:
12.h3!
This would have emphasized the true value ofWhite's previous move, as the reply ...'Wxd5 is no
longer available to Black.
1 2 ....txe2
There is nothing better.
1 3.tLlxe2 cxd5 1 4.cxd5 'Wxd5 1 5.0-0
White's king reaches a safe haven. Black has reasonable compensation for a pawn, although
objectively White is okay and might even be able to claim a slight edge.
12... ttlxc6
Sometimes two unspectacular moves can be enough to transform a position. Compared with
the position after move 1 0, Black has one extra piece in play, and White has weakened the d4-
square by advancing his c3-pawn. These differences are enough to change the evaluation from
unclear to completely winning for Black.
13.Wfl
Schulten moves his king away from the e-file, but he has already missed the boat.
It is too late to offer any other advice to White, as 1 3.c3 is met by 1 3 ... 'Wxd3, and 1 3.tLlf3 is
refuted by 1 3 ....txf3 1 4.gxf3 ttJd4 winning the pinned bishop.
Black to play! Can you find Morphy's winning combination?
13 .. Jhe2!
Now we see the significance of the "double-pin" described earlier. The rook is officially a higher
value piece than the bishop, but still Morphy is happy to exchange it. The bishop on g4 is the
piece that will really hurt White, by maintaining the lethal pin against the queen.
14.ttlxe2 ttld4
Winning the knight on e2, but material is only a small part of the story. Black is eliminating
another key defender, while bringing his pieces closer to the vulnerable white king. White faces
the additional problem of having to spend time moving his queen out of harm's way.
15.WI'bl �xe2t 16.Wfl

With Black's minor pieces posted on such commanding positions and White's heavy pieces
scattered along the first rank, the end is near.
I6... l!Jg4t 17.Wgl

1 7.<;t>g3 ctJf5t I S.<;t>h3 1Mfh4 is mate.
Mter the game continuation Morphy found an elegant way to conclude the game. Can you see it?
1 7... l!Jf3t!
Clearing the d4-square for the queen.
I8.gxf3 Wl'd4t I9.Wg2 Wl'flt 20.Wh3 Wl'xf3t

At this point Schulten resigned. Though it was a blindfold game, he had clearly seen enough.
The finish might have been 2 I .<;t>h4 tt:J h6! (2 1 ...CLle3! is equally effective, and 2 l . ..ctJf2 also wins
quickly) 22.h3 ctJf5t 23.<;t>g5 1Mih5#.
0-1
!
•• Pawn sacrifices such as 6 ... e3!! can help to speed up your development in the opening.
!
•• Being ahead in development is more important than having a material deficit, especially
when your pieces are dominating the center.
!
•• An uncastled king can be troubled by checks and/or pins along the open e-file.
!
•• At the same time, remember that if a queen rather than a rook is executing the pin, a
typical tactical counter-method lies in the act of castling itself (7.1Mfe2? 0-0!), ironically
utilizing the open e-file to turn the tables and embarrass the enemy king and queen.
!
•• When attacking, the respective value of the pieces is determined by their contribution
now rather than their academic value. In the above game Black's bishop was contributing
a deadly pin, which made it more valuable than the rook and thus justified Morphy's
1 3 . . . Ei:xe2!.
The previous game became a great advertisement for the Falkbeer, and it is hardly surprising
that other leading players jumped on the bandwagon. The following game is another historically
significant example.
Game 35
Jacob Rosanes - Adolf Anderssen
Breslau 1 862
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.�b5t

White develops with gain of tempo, while preparing to exchange a pair of minor pieces.
4...c6!
There is nothing wrong with 4 ...ii.d7, but Anderssen's decision to offer a real pawn sacrifice is
more spirited, and gives Black time to develop his pieces to their optimal squares.
5.dxc6 ltlxc6
Black has the makings of a powerful attacking position. His pieces will develop fluidly, with his
other knight coming to f6, bishops to c5 and f5 (or g4), and centralizing the rooks. White on the
other hand will have difficulty castling, and his pieces are restricted by the cramping influence of
the strong e4-pawn.
a b c d e f g h
6.ltlc3
Developing while attacking the e4-pawn. If White tries to eliminate the pawn forcibly with
6.d3 ctJf6 7.dxe4, there follows 7 . . . 1Wxdl t 8.<;hdl ii.g4t followed by ... 0-0-0 when Black's huge
development advantage and the exposed position of White's king provide more than sufficient
compensation.
6... ltlf6 7.�e2?!

The e4-pawn is undoubtedly a thorn in White's flesh, and it is natural that he wished to destroy
it. Unfortunately the benefits are outweighed by the drawbacks, namely the loss of time and the
vulnerability of the white king and queen along the soon-to-be-opened e-file.
Admittedly it is not easy to suggest an adequate scheme of development for White. 7.lDge2 is
of course met by 7 ... �c5, preventing castling. White can consider 8.d4 exd3 9.'W'xd3, but then
simply 9 ... 0-0 gives Black superb compensation even ifWhite chooses to exchange queens.
7 �c5!
••.
I'm sure Anderssen did not even contemplate defending the e-pawn. Instead he continues
his development without hesitation, preparing to castle on the kingside while preventing his
opponent from doing the same.
8.lLJxe4
a b c d e f g h
8...0-0!
This may well have been the move that came as a surprise to Rosanes, who probably assumed
Black would have to address the attack on his bishop, before realizing that capturing on c5 would
now cost him his queen.
9.i.xc6
Necessary to prevent ... lLJd4, but now the b-file and the a6-fl diagonal have become tempting
targets for Black's pieces.
9 ...bxc6 IO.d3
Black is two pawns down, but he has a big lead in development and a powerful bishop pair in
an open position. Now he must decide how to develop his initiative.
IO . J�e8!
.
Obvious and strong. Black puts the rook on the same open file as three enemy pieces, including
the king and queen.
Note that the attempt to 'develop with tempo' with 1 O . . .�g4? is a blunder due to the intermediate
l l .lDxf6t followed by 1 2.'W'xg4.
l l .�d2
Here of course l l .ttJxf6t? is refuted by l l ...gxf6! when White loses his queen. The game
continuation prepares long castling, but even on the queenside the white king does not find peace.
l l...ttJxe4!?
Trading the opponent's developed piece, although the pinned knight was also a liability that
White must have been relieved to get rid of. Tempting alternatives included l l ...iif5 and the even
more ambitious l l ...ttJg4!, with ideas of ... ttJf2, or simply ...iixgl followed by ... f5 winning the
knight outright.
12.dxe4 �f5
Developing with tempo.
13.e5
Safeguarding the e-pawn, but now the light squares are opened up for the mighty bishop on f5.
13 .. JWb6
Activating the queen with tempo.
14.0-0-0
a b c d e f g h
The Falkbeer Counter Gambit 23 1
White does not have much choice, since after 1 4.tt:lf3 �xb2 Black will soon regain all his
sacrificed material, while White's king remains stuck in the center. The trouble with the text
move is that the monarch is far from safe on the queenside due to the open b-file and Black's
strong bishops. White still has two dormant pieces on the kingside, and his other pieces are rather
clumsily placed. How can Black put all this together to launch an attack?
14...i.d4!
1 4 ... Ei:ab8 is less convincing due to 1 5.b3 when Black's pieces are not well placed to utilize the
weakening of the dark-squares.
1 5.c3
By blocking the bishop White defends against mate, but in doing so he weakens the h7-b l
diagonal for the other priest on f5.
1 5.b3 was also inadequate, as Black can take immediate advantage of the weak dark squares with
1 5 ...�c5, threatening checkmates via both c2 and a3. White's only defensive try is 1 6.i,e 1 , but
apart from 1 6 ...�a3t 1 7.md2 Ei:ad8 with a ferocious attack, Black can also simply take a piece
with 1 6 ...i,xg l .
15 ... Ei:ab8
Bringing the last undeveloped piece into the game with tempo.
16.b3
1 6.b4 looks incredibly shaky, and moreover it does not even prevent 1 6 ... �a5! as 1 7.bxa5
allows 1 7 ... Ei:bl #.
This is a good illustration of why Anderssen's 1 4 ...i,d4! was stronger than the immediate
1 4 ... Ei:ab8, as it provoked c2-c3 which in turn weakened the light squares and allowed the ... Ei:bl
mating motif.
8 ....
7
4
3
2
1
a b c d e f g h
16... Ei:ed8!?
This move is objectively not the strongest, but it still keeps a winning position for Black.
Moreover it is the prelude to a beautiful mating combination, so I will make no criticism other
than to point out the quicker route to victory:
1 6 ...1Wa5!
Threatening mate on a3 and attacking the c3-pawn. White's reply is forced.
1 7.�b2
It looks like White is defending all his weaknesses and the time has come for Black to signal
a retreat. In a way it is true, as Black does have to retreat. The only snag is that this particular
retreat creates a brutal threat which destroys White's resistance.
�� U.im•� T
l'f '• �. fl] l
8
7
6
sm %�• m%�;_�
m - -� �
'J�� Jllill 1/ JII

;:s
'
�
"'
5
w'0 JII
...,
�·
�-
�
Jll !�J�� lJII

4
!�"•'u:il•!�
3 ;:!
;:;
2 % � � � ;?;
JII �.
%
1 �
� � � 0_ _ _ _ _ ; If
a b c d e f g h
1 7 ...�c5!
With the terrible threat of ... 1Wa3t followed by ... l"i:xb3, as well as the even deadlier ... l"i:xb3t
immediately, which would lead to mate in a few short moves.
1 8.1Wc4
Defending the sensitive b3-pawn.
Mter 1 8 .b4 Black can smash through the defenses with the brutal 1 8 ...�xb4! ( 1 8 ... 2:xb4t!
1 9.cxb4 �d4t is also good enough) 1 9.cxb4 l"i:xb4t! 20.�xb4 '1Wxb4t 2 1 .�al l"i:b8 when White
cannot survive the onslaught along the open b-file supported by the bishop on f5.
1 8 ...�e6!
The second strong bishop retreat seals White's fate. The defenses are busted, for example:
1 9.'1We2 l"i:xb3t!
Even stronger than 1 9 ...1Wa3t 20.�al l"i:xb3.
20.axb3 1Wa3t 2 1 .�c2 �f5t 22.1Wd3 1Wa2t 23.�cl �a3#
The mighty bishops have the last laugh on the open diagonals.
17)Df3?!
A natural developing move, but it is too slow and allows Anderssen to demonstrate the brilliant
point behind his last move.
1 7.cxd4? was useless as after 1 7 ...1Wxd4 White cannot prevent mate.

The only real way to prolong the game was 1 7.g4!, driving the strong bishop away from its
preferred diagonal. After 1 7 ...ii.e6 1 8 .b4!? a5 1 9.lt:Jf3 Black should still be winning, but the
process is messier and less convincing than after 1 6 ... W'a5! as noted on Black's previous move.
We have reached the climax of the game. Can you find the winning continuation?
17.. .'�xb3!!
Smashing open the defenses to force mate on b 1. Black had some other routes to victory such as
1 7 ...W'a5, but Anderssen's move is immensely preferable in both the objective and artistic senses.
18.ax:b3 l:!xb3
Despite being a full queen up, White is powerless against the threat of mate on b 1 .
19.ii.el
Freeing the d2-square for the king, but now we will see why Anderssen positioned his rook on
d8 on move 1 6.
19...ie3t!
Taking away the d2-square. Faced with mate on the very next move, White resigned. Of course
he cannot even defend with 20.lt:Jd2, as 20 .. J::l b 1 is mate anyway because the knight is pinned.
0-1
!
•• The pawn sacrifice 4 ... c6! enabled Andersson to accelerate his development.
!
•• Once again, watch out for tactics on the open e-file whenever you and/or your opponent
have not castled.
!
•• Try to develop your pieces with gain of tempo.
!
•• When attacking a castled position, look for ways to provoke weaknesses in the protective
pawn shield. (In this game the key move was 1 4 ...ii.d4!, provoking 1 5.c3 which opened
up the diagonal towards b l .)
Game 36
lheodor Von Scheve - Siegbert Tarrasch
Breslau 1 879
l .e4 eS 2.f4 dS 3.exd5 e4

Tarrasch was another high-profile proponent of the Falkbeer. The German master reputedly
even stated, in his characteristically modest and understated manner, that the Falkbeer was a
complete refutation of the King's Gambit!
4.c4?!
This materialistic move costs time and creates additional potential weaknesses, and thus is not
to be recommended.
4 ...c6!
Just like Morphy and Anderssen before him, Tarrasch has no hesitation offering a pawn
exchange on c6 in order to speed up his development and unblock the d-file.
s.�c3
Developing a piece and maintaining the tension is definitely the right policy for White.
After the feeble 5.dxc6?! ctJxc6 Black already stands better. His plan of development will involve
... ctJf6, ... �c5 (after which ...'Wd4 may become a threat), ...�f5 (or ...�g4) and rooks to the open
central files. Meanwhile White has a position full of weaknesses, and no safe place for his king.
This type of gambit position bears some similarity to the Tal Gambit in the Sicilian Defense
( l .e4 c5 2.f4 d5! 3.exd5 ctJf6 4.c4 e6), which I covered in a two-part lecture on the Internet Chess
Club.
s ... �f6
Black responds in kind, by developing a piece and renewing the pressure on the d5-pawn.
6.d3
a b c d e f g h
Unlike the victims in the previous two games, Von Scheve resists the temptation to capture on
c6, which is what Tarrasch wants. Instead he wisely challenges the enemy pawn which so boldly
crossed the equator.
6. .�b4!
.
Just like Morphy in Game 34, Tarrasch defends the e4-pawn indirectly by developing another
piece and pinning the c3-knight.
7.'11*fb3
White tries to rid himself of the annoying pin. Once again, accepting the pawn sacrifice with
7.dxc6 l2Jxc6 would give Black fantastic compensation.
7.dxe4 lDxe4 would help Black to centralize his knight, while attacking c3 and also threatening a
nasty check on h4. 8.'1Wd4 can be met by 8 ... 0-0! when the knight is immune from capture and
... Ei:e8 is coming anyway.
7.i,d2 was a sensible move, although in this case Black can take a leaf out ofMorphy's book with
7 ... e3! 8.i,xe3 0-0 (or 8 ... cxd5 immediately) with superb compensation.
7....L.:c3t
Trading in order not to lose time retreating. This gives Black a good position although 7 ... l2Ja6!?
may have been even stronger.
8.bxc3 0-0
Black's lead in development is increasing. White is still several moves from castling and the
central files are liable to be opened at any time.
a b c d e f g h
9.dxe4
White should have considered 9.d4 to keep the center closed. Then the natural 9 ... cxd5 10.i,a3
Ei:e8 l l .cxd5 gives White some active play based on the vulnerable f7-pawn.
However, Black can improve with 9 ... !::\ e 8!, sidestepping the possible bishop attack and preparing
to push the e-pawn in some variations. White can consider 1 O.dxc6 ctJxc6 although Black has
more than enough for a pawn here.
9 tlJxe4 10.�d3?
...
Under pressure White commits a fatal blunder. l O.ctJf3 was essential although after 1 0 ...Eie8
1 l .Jie2 Jig4 (or 1 l ...ctJf6!? followed by ... cxd5) 1 2. 0-0 ctJd7 Black has a fine game.
lO .. JWh4t
Of course.
l l .g3 tlJxg3
Exploiting the undefended rook on h 1 , a typical tactical nuance that can occur in many
different openings.
12.ttJf3
Maybe White had been pinning his hopes on this counterattack, but it quickly proves futile.
12 'Wh5
..•
Maintaining the pin along the h-file while attacking the white knight for good measure.
13.�gl 'Wxf3 14.�xg3 �eSt

For a moment it looked like White had almost solved his problems, but the open e-file provides
a deadly reality check. Now the king is caught in a mating net.
15.�d2 'Wf2t
0-1
White resigned as it is mate next move.
!
•• When confronted by a gambit, stubbornly holding on to your extra material can lead to
positional weaknesses and/or immediate tactical problems.
!
•• Do not be afraid to give up a pawn or more (4... c6!) to make your development advantage
count.
!
•• Use the e-file to attack the uncastled king!
Mter that historical introduction, we will move on to some more recent games. The following was
merely an internet blitz encounter, but it showcases some important attacking themes.
Game 37
'morriss' - Boris Alterman
Internet (blitz) 2003
l .e4 eS 2.f4 dS 3.exd5 e4 4..!c4

The position from the game might also be reached via the move order 4.ctJc3 Ct:'lf6 5.iic4 c6!
6.dxc6 Ct:'lxc6 7.d3.
4 ... c6!
By now this line-clearing move which accelerates Black's development should come as no
surprise to the reader.
S.dxc6 Ct:'lxc6 6.d3 c!Llf6 7.c!Llc3

7.dxe4 1Mfxdl t 8.�xdl Ct:'lxe4 9.iie3 iig4t l O.ctJf3 0-0-ot gives Black a huge initiative.
7....!b4 s..!d2
8...e3!?
Borrowing an idea from Morphy. The second pawn sacrifice gives Back good play here too,
although it would have been objectively even stronger to play 8 ... exd3! 9.iixd3 0-0 1 0.Ct:'lge2
iic5! when White has serious problems evacuating his king from the center.
9.ixe3 0-0
Compared with the Schulten - Morphy game White has developed his bishop actively on c4,
which sounds like a good thing although it has the drawback of making it harder for White to
block a check on the e-file. Also Black has been able to develop his knight actively on c6, which
Morphy did not manage to do until much later.
10J1Mf3?!
Moving the queen to an exposed position is hardly the way to solve White's problems.
1 0.ctJge2 is no good due to 1 0 .. J'l:e8 and now both l l .i.f2 i.g4 and 12.'1Wd2 'We7 win material
for Black.
White could have considered:

1 0.i.d2
Now Black can continue playing a la Morphy:
1 0 ...i.xc3 l l .bxc3 !"leSt
White's position is dangerous, for instance:
1 2.ctJe2?
1 2.mfl is essential although this is a clear sign that the opening has not gone well for White.
12 ...i.g4!
12 ... ctJ d4!? 1 3.cxd4 i.g4 is promising, but the text move just wins outright.
1 3.d4
White needs just one more move to castle, but he will never get the chance as Black can destroy
his position with a devastating sacrifice.
1 3 ... ctJxd4! 14.cxd4

White has no choice but to accept the offer.
1 4 ... '\Wxd4
Attacking the bishop and preventing castling.
1 5 .i.b5
The bishop has to move somewhere, so it may as well attack the enemy rook.
1 5 . . .il.xe2!
Avoiding any loss of time.
1 6.il.xe2 ttJ g4
Every move from Black contains a threat.
1 7.l:':!fl
Black to play. Can you find the winning continuation?
1 7 ... l:':!xe2t!
White can resign, as 1 8.�xe2 '1We4t leads to mate and 1 8.'1Wxe2 'IWxal t wins easily.
1 0 .tg4
...
Developing with tempo and ensuring that long castling will not be an option for White.
1 1.'1Wg3 ge8
Another piece joins the attack. Now White is under severe pressure along the e-file.
1V!l)ge2?
A blunder in a difficult situation. White's only chance to continue the fight would have been
1 2.mfl , when Black has several tempting continuations including 12 ... tt:J d4 and 1 2 ... ctJe7!?.
12 �xe2!
.•.
Forcing the white king into the open.
13.Wxe2
White had to capture this way as his knight was pinned.
13 �d4t
.••
Had this game been played at a classical time limit, White could have resigned here.
14.Wf2
1 4. md2 tt:Jf5 is fatal.
14 �f5
.•.
Black could have won in better style with 1 4 .. J::\xe3!, exploiting the position of White's king
and queen to effect a deadly knight fork after 1 5.mxe3 tt:Jf5t or 1 5.Wxe3 ctJg4t.
The text move also wins a piece and secures a trivial win. The remaining moves are not interesting
and I include them only for the sake of completeness.
15.�f3 �xe3 16.�xb7 �g4t 17.Wfl �e7 18.�xb4 �b8 19.�c5 �c8 20.�xf5 �e3t 21.Wf2
�xf5 22.�ael �d4t 23.Wfl �xelt 24.Wxel �eSt 25.Wdl �e3t 26.Wcl �xc4 27.dxc4
�xf4t 28.Wbl �d2 29.�cl �el 30.�xel �xel t 31.�dl �xdl#
0-1
•!• Once again Black's play was simple and easy to understand. He developed his pieces (with
gain of tempo where possible) and castled quickly, then exchanged the right pieces to draw
the enemy king into the open.
•!• When you have a lead in development and the opponent has not castled, tactical
opportunities have a habit of occurring. See 1 3 . . .lLlxd4! in the note to White's l Oth move
for a prime example.
So far we have dealt with games in which White handled the opening poorly and received a sound
thrashing. Unfortunately matters are not always that straightforward, and we will now look at
some games where White puts up more of a fight.
Game 38
Boris Spassky - David Bronstein
Moscow 1 971
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.etJc3 etJf6 5.d3 i.b4 6.i.d2 0-0!?

Bronstein refrains from Morphy's amazing 6 ... e3 sacrifice from more than a century before,
perhaps fearing that Spassky had prepared an improvement.
a b c d e f g h
7.etJxe4
White's last move was designed to prepare this capture, so anything else would have been
inconsistent.
7.. J1e8
7 .j,xd2t 8.Wi'xd2 would allow White to castle on the next move.
..
8.i.xb4 etJxe4 9.dxe4 �xe4t IO.i.e2 �xb4 l l .etJf3!

Notice the difference in a World Champion's approach. Instead of trying to cling to his extra
material, Spassky returns the pawn in order to catch up on development and fight for the initiative.
l l ... �xf4 12.'1Wd2

Developing with tempo. Material is level, but it almost feels like White is playing a gambit, as
his pieces are coming out so fast. Black must be careful.
12 ...'Wd6 13.0-0-0 ClJ d7

From here the knight might be headed for the central e5-square, or to shore up the kingside
defenses with ... tt'lf6 or ... tt'lf8.
1 4.ctJd4 a6
Preventing tt'l b5.
15.g3
1 5 .tt'le6!? would be met by 1 5 .. J'':\a4!00•
IS .. J'':\ £6 I6J'':\h el
a b c d e f g h
16... ClJ e5!
Black wisely avoids 16 .. .'®xd5? 17.�f3 Wxa2 1 8.tt'lb3 %%e6 1 9.%%xe6 fxe6 20.Wf4 when he is
defenseless.
17..ih5?!
1 7. tt'lf3 tt'lxf3 1 8.�xf3 �d7 would have led to an equal position.
17...i.d7 18.'1We2 �e8

By now Black is better, but he must have been content to hold with Black against a reigning
World Champion, so he offered a draw which was accepted.
1/z-1/2
!
•• Instead of compromising your development to cling to an extra pawn, it is often a better
idea to return the material in order to reclaim the initiative.
!
•• When an opponent reacts to your gambit in this way, it is important to keep a clear head.
In this game Bronstein had to be careful between moves 1 2- 1 6, but he was never in real
trouble and arguably should have played on in the final position.
In the next section we will move on to the most critical lines, where White challenges the
e4-pawn without allowing his knight to be pinned on c3.
The Critical 4.d3!

l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3!
We have already seen that after 4.'Llc3 'Llf6 5.d3, Black can maintain the tension while making
a useful developing move with 5 ...�b4!, which offers him good chances. The text move is an
improvement which enables White to eliminate the troublesome e-pawn without allowing the pin.
a b c d e f g h
4 'Llf6
•..
4 .. .'W'xd5 is not a serious option as after 5.'Llc3 �b4 6.�d2 �xc3 7.�xc3 Black has no
compensation for White's powerful bishop pair.
5.dxe4 CLJxe4
Now the question is whether the advanced knight on e4 will be a strength or a weakness. The
immediate 6.'W'e2 1Wxd5 7.'Lld2 f5 8.'Llxe4 fXe4 is about equal, so ifWhite wishes to fight for an
advantage he must go for either 6.i.e3 or 6.CLJf3. Both moves are important, and will be dealt
with in separate sections.
6.ie3
Game 39
Peter Wells - Bela Lengyel
Budapest 1 993
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 CLJf6 5.dxe4 CLJxe4 6.i.e3

The idea of this sharp move is to return White's extra material (possibly with interest!) in order
to seize the initiative.
6...1Mfh4t?
This check might appear tempting, but the complications turn out well for White.
Black's choices are limited, and the only other major theoretical option is 6 ... i.d6, which will be
considered in the next game.
For readers wishing to experiment with something completely different, 6 ... c6!? has hardly ever
been tested but does not seem at all stupid, and could be compared with Game 42 later in the
chapter.
7.g3
White can hardly back down from the challenge.
7... CLJxg3 8.CLJf3

White gains time and completes his development. 8.hxg3? has been played but after 8 .. .'ilMxhl
White does not have serious compensation for the exchange.
8...1Mfe7
Counterattacking the bishop on e3.
8 .. .'ilMh5?
This looks much too dangerous.
9.hxg3!
On the previous move this sacrifice was unsound, but a full extra tempo makes all the difference.
9 ... \Wxh1 1 0.'\We2

White has a dangerous lead in development and there is even a danger of Black's queen being
trapped.
1 0 ...�g4! 1 1 .ctJbd2
White intends 0-0-0 followed by �g2, and Black must also consider a possible check on b5.
1 1 ... ctJd7
Krch - Jaros, Plzen 200 1 . Now White can improve with:
1 2.�d4t!
The game continuation of 12.�c5t? c;t>ds 1 3.�xf8 Elxf8 only assisted Black's development.
1 2 ...�e7
Also after 1 2 ... c;t>d8 1 3.0-0-0 White has massive compensation for the exchange. His pieces
dominate the center while Black's army is in disarray and his rooks are a long way from entering
the game.
1 3.c;t>f2!
The king is not really in danger here, and it can be useful to have the f3-knight defended.
1 3.0-0-0 <j;lfS! 1 4.�g2 1Mfh5 1 5.ctJc4 gives White decent compensation for an exchange, but he
has yet to achieve anything concrete.
1 3 ... c;t>fs 1 4.Ele1 Ele8 1 5 .1Mfb5 b6 1 6.1Mfc6!
Black is under strong pressure.
8
7
4
3
2
1 D,.
a b c d e f g h
9.hxg3 '1Wxe3t 1 0.'1We2 .icS I I.lLlc3
Material is equal and Black has the two bishops, and yet the opening has been a major success
for White. He has a useful pawn majority in the center and the e4- and e5-squares will make
excellent outposts for his knights. The open h-file is an important asset which may enable him to
generate attacking chances, notwithstanding the reduced material.
1 1 ....if5 12.lLlh4!
It is important to see that White can afford to leave the c2-pawn hanging. 12.'\Wxe3t i.xe3
1 3.'Llh4! was an equally valid move order, when Black has nothing better than 1 3 ...i.g4
transposing to the game.
12....ig4
The bishop is able to move here as the white queen is pinned.
12 ...'\Wxe2t 1 3.i.xe2 is not an improvement, and only assists White's development. 1 3 ...i.xc2? is
impossible due to 1 4.l::lc l i.g6 1 5.f5 when the bishop has nowhere to go.
1 2 ...i.xc2?
The immediate pawn grab also loses, although White must use a different trap to snare his
prey.
1 3.'1Wxe3t
1 3.§c l ? allows the fish to escape from the bait by means of 1 3 ...i.d3, or even 1 3 ...i.e4!? when
1 4.'Llxe4 blocks the e-file and unpins Black's queen to allow 1 4 ...'\Wxcl t.
13 ...i.xe3
Now White wins with a simple but nonetheless attractive maneuver:
14.§h2!
Having lured both the enemy bishops to poor squares, White will capture one of them.
1 4 ...i.g6 1 5.§e2+-
1his line shows that in the Falkbeer it is not only White who must beware of the open e-file!
13.Wfxe3t .ixe3 14 ..ie2!

Developing with gain of tempo.
14....ixe2?
This gives White everything he could possibly wish for. Now Black's bishop pair is history,
White's king comes into the game with gain of tempo, his rooks are connected, and finally the
knight gains access to the superb f5-square.
For better or worse, Black had to retreat the bishop to d7 or even c8 in order to keep the game
interesting. In both cases White would keep the advantage, but the position would not be as
one-sided.
15.�xe2 .icS
1 5 ...ii.b6 is no better. After 1 6.Ct'lf5 Black is clearly worse, and collapsed completely in the
following game:
8
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- - - T
7
6
-" - "-- - %��-;:/��• w�'"""�i �
5
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4 �� 0��
3 �m��" 'o� ';l
2 ifdE�=�*J�
Uu' y � �� i
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I
a
/._ , . _ b c� � �
d e f g h
1 6 ... 0-0?? Allowing a well-known mating pattern. 1 7.CtJe7t 1 -0 Roth - Rajna, Budapest 1 975.
Black resigned, only now noticing that 17 .. .'\t>hS allows 1 8.:§:xh7t! c,tJxh7 1 9.:§:h 1 mate.
16.i>f3
The king slots into an ideal position while clearing the e-file for a disruptive check. Black must
also worry about knights coming to e4 and f5, as well as the open h-file. Furthermore, the d5-
pawn gives White a space advantage in the center, and over time he may mobilize the queenside
pawn majority. Needless to say, Black faces a difficult defense.
16... llJa6
1 6 ... 0-0 was a better chance, although after 1 7.llJe4 �b6 1 8.'Llf5 White has a great position
and is already threatening the same mating combination that we encountered in the note to
Black's 1 5th move above.
Black might also have considered 1 6 . . . 'Lld7 when 1 n:hel t is similar to the game, but the knight
is better placed on d7 than on a6.
17J�aelt
Unlike in many other queenless positions, the loss of castling rights is genuinely inconvenient
for Black here.
17 ...'�£8 18.ltle4 E:d8 19.c4

Cementing White's space advantage. Black's position is devoid of harmony, and he can barely
find a good square for his pieces.
19 ...h5 20.�g2 �b4 21.E:e2 �g8 22.a3

White gains more and more space.
22...�£8 23.b4
Now the knight on a6 looks awful.
23 .. £6?
.
Black already had a horrible position, but weakening the g6-square was not the way to go about
improving it.
24.£5
Fixing the outpost.
24 ... �f7 25.ltlg6 E:h6 26.ltlf4

Preparing to capture the h5-pawn.
26...�d6 27.ltlxd6t!
Refusing to allow Black to play ... Jte5, which might have given him a chance to regroup and
create counterplay.
27...cxd6 28.E:hel
White does not even bother to take the h5-pawn, as he can win the game with a direct
invasion.
28 ...E:d7 29.ltlg6
Threatening a check on e7 followed by mate. The end is nigh for Black.
8
7
6
1
a b c d e f g h
29...�xg6 30.fxg6t xg6 3l.�e7
Black is unable to defend the seventh rank, and his pawns are about to start dropping like ripe
fruit.
31...�c7 32.�xc7 CLlxc7 33.�e7

1-0
What a horrible game for Black! If you intend to play the Falkbeer then you must avoid this
kind of thing at all costs.
•!• The tempting .. .'@fh4t attack, based on meeting g2-g3 with ... ctJxg3 to exploit the hanging
rook on h 1 , is not always advisable. This is especially true when the opponent has a chance
to sacrifice the exchange in return for a lead in development and chances to trap the offside
queen.
•!• Going into a better endgame can be just as important as trying to checkmate your
opponent - even in the King's Gambit.
•!• Well placed pieces coordinating harmoniously can lead to devastating checkmating
attacks, even in positions with reduced material.
The next game provides a better model for Black, as least as far as the opening is concerned.
Game 40
Nigel Short - Sergey Karjakin
Kiev (rapid - 8th match game) 2008
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 CLlf6 5.dxe4 CLlxe4 6.i.e3 i.d6

Instead of going for unfavorable complications with the ill-fated queen check, Black develops
his bishop to the most active square available.
7.ttJf3
The most natural and almost certainly best move.
It is worth mentioning that after 7.lt:Jd2 Black should retreat with 7 ... lt:Jf6!, hitting the d5-pawn
and planning to castle and put a rook on the e-file. In the event of 8.�b5t Black should not
hesitate to play 8 ... c6 9.dxc6 bxc6! with the makings of a strong initiative.
7 0-0 8.i.d3
...
Developing the bishop to its most active diagonal while gaining a tempo against the knight.
8.�c4!? occurred in a historic encounter between two famous grandmasters. 8 ... lt:Jd7 9.0-0
l"i:e8 (Black should have preferred 9 ... lt:J b6! 1 0.�b3 Ei:e8 l l .l"i:el aS! 1 2.a4 lt:Jc5 with strong
compensation) l O.Ei:el lt:Jef6 l l .mhl lt:Jg4 12.�gl lt:J b6 1 3 .�b3 �xf4 14.lt:Jc3 l"i:xel 1 5.'\Mrxel
�f5 Bronstein - Unzicker, Moscow 1 956. Black has won back his pawn but White still kept an
edge thanks to his space advantage in the center.
The following is an instructive example of how quickly things can go wrong for White: 8.lt:Jbd2
l"i:e8 9.�d3? (White should have settled for 9.lt:Jxe4 l"i:xe4 when Black should be fine after he
regains the f4-pawn.)
9 ... Ct:lf6! Suddenly White finds himself in trouble along the e-file. (9 ... Ct:lxd2 l O.<;t>xd2! is not so
convincing for Black.) 1 0.'W'e2 ( l o.<;t>f2 Ct:l g4t wins.) 10 ...Jixf4 l l .Jixf4 �xe2t 1 2.Jixe2 CLJxd5
White resigned in Eberth - Comp Fritz 4, Sarospatak 1 998.
8 T
7
6
4
3
1
a b c d e f g h
8... etJf6
Once again we see Black retreating his knight voluntarily. In doing so he clears the e-file, hits
the d5-pawn and prepares a future ... Ct:lg4.
8 ... �e8 9.0-0 Ct:lf6 is an equally valid route to the same position.
9.0-0 �e8
It is too early to play 9 ... Ct:lxd5 as l O.Jixh7t restores White's material advantage.
10.i.d4
Centralizing the bishop on a square where none of Black's pieces are able to attack it. White
does not mind returning his extra pawn as he wants to fight for the initiative.
l O.CLle5 is unimpressive: 1 0 ... Ct:lbd7! (also playable is 1 0 . . .Jixe5!? l l .fxe5 CLJxd5 12.Jixh7t <;t>xh7
1 3.1&h5t <;t>gS 1 4.Wxf7t=) l l .CLlxd7 .lixd7!? ( l l ...�xe3 1 2.ctJxf6t Wxf6�) 1 2.Jid4 We7 1 3.c4
.lic5!t
10...i.xf4
1 0 . . . Ct:lxd5? l l .CLlg5 is much too dangerous.
l l.c4
Defending the d5 pawn and cementing White's space advantage. The bishops on d3 and d4 are
training their sights on the kingside in rather an intimidating fashion, so it is useful for us to see
how Karjakin solidifies his position and neutralizes White's mostly optical initiative.
l l . ..i.g4
Pinning the knight and preparing to drop back to g6 to fortify the kingside.
14...c5!
It is crucial that Black finds a way to fight back in the center. His last move clears some space
for his pieces and forces White to make an important decision.
15.dxc6
Mter 1 5.j,xf6 lt:Jxf6 White keeps a protected passed pawn but the loss of the dark-squared
bishop may come back to haunt him later.
1 S ...bxc6
The change in the pawn structure brings certain advantages for both players. White can look
forward to attacking the isolated a- and c-pawns in an endgame, but Black has a lot more space
and freedom on the queenside than he did before.
16.:!'�adl
1 6.Ei:ael was possible but it looks like Short preferred to avoid exchanges in order to go for an
attack.
16 JWc7 17.ttJe4
••
Exchanging the f6-knight, a key defender of the kingside.
17...i.g6!?
Karjakin rather provocatively invites Short to shatter his kingside pawns, hoping to obtain
counterplay on the dark squares.
The safer approach was 1 7 ... ttJxe4 1 8.ixe4 ig6 when Black is at least equal. His queenside
pawns are a little weak, but this is compensated by his active pieces and White's airy kingside.
18.ttJxf6t ttJxf6 19.i.xf6 gxf6 20.ttJh4

We can see a clear division with White playing on the light squares and Black on the dark
squares.
8 ....
7
6
4
3
1
a b c d e f g h
20...i.e3t?!
Karjakin wants to reverse the alignment of his queen and bishop on the b8-h2 diagonal, but he
is unable to achieve the desired regrouping in time.
It would have been much better to play 20 ... Ei:ad8! intending to meet 2 l .CLlf5?! with 2 1 ...\We5!
when White is under pressure.
2I.@hl
Now it is hard for Black to generate enough counterplay to offset his kingside weaknesses.
2t .. JWg3 22.liJfS i.xf5

23J'H'3!
Correctly avoiding 23.ibxf5? ibf4.
23 .'lWh4 24.�xf5 E:e5 25.E:dfl E:d8 26.'�b3 �g5 27.g3 'Wh6 28.h4 'it>g7 29.'it>g2 �d2t
.•
30.E: lfl E:xflt 31.E:xfl �e3 32.1:'!:£3 �d4 33.E:f4
33 ...�b6?
Black could have more or less forced a draw with 33 .. J::l e2t 34.ctih3 '1Wxf4! 35.gxf4 Ei:e3t
36.'1Wxe3 ibxe3 37.ct£g4 c5 when White has little chance of winning the opposite-colored bishop
endgame.
34.'Wd3 'Wh5 35.�g4 'Wg6 36.�f5 'Wh5 37.'it>h3 'We2 38.'Wd6 h5 39.�d7??
This should lose.
Correct was 39.ibd3! Ei:e6 40.ibxe2 Ei:xd6 4 1 .ibxh5 with a favorable endgame for White.
a b c d e f g h
39...£5
Missing an immediate kill with 39 .. Jl:e6!! 40.i,xe6 i,gl ! mating.
40.�xc6 i.gl?
Black could still have forced a decisive gain of material with 40 ...1Wdl ! or 40 ...i,e3!, when
taking the f5-pawn would fail to a check on g4.
41.�hl !
The only move. Th e position should b e equal, but Karjakin gradually slipped into difficulties
after playing for more. The rest of the game is not terribly important for our study of the opening,
but Short eventually broke his opponent's resistance in a long opposite-colored bishop endgame.
4L ..i.e3 4z.ga �d3 43.i.b5 �e4 44.�£1 i.d4?! 45.gf4 �e3 46.gxf5 gxf5 47.�xf5 i.eS
48.�g5t �xg5 49.hxg5 i.xb2 SO.ffih4 i.d4 S LffixhS i.f2 52.ffig4 ffif8 53.i.c6 ffie7 54.i.e4
ffie6 55.g6 fxg6 56.hg6 ffieS 57.i.c2 i.el 58.i.b3 i.f2 59.ffiB i.cS 60.g4 i.e? 61.ffie3
i.gSt 62. ffid3 i.e? 63.i.a4 i.b4 64.i.d7 i.e? 65.ffic3 ffid6 66.i.e8 ffieS 67.ffib3 ffid4 68.i.f7
i.f8 69.ffia4 fficS 70.ffia5 ffic6 71.ffia6 i.cS 72.g5 ffic7 73.g6 i.d4 74.i.d5 ffid6 75.a4 ffid7
76.c5 ffic7 77.ffib5 i.g7 78.ffic4 ffid7 79.ffid3 ffic7 80.ffie4 ffid7 81.ffif5 i.d4 82.i.B ffie7
83.i.h5 i.c3 84.ffie4 ffie6 85.i.g4t ffif6 86.i.f5 i.aS 87.ffif4 i.b4 88.c6 i.d6t 89.ffie4 i.e?
90.ffid5 i.g3 91.i.d3 i.£4 92.i.e4 i.g3 93.ffic5 ffie7 94.ffib5
1-0
!
•• When White plays 6.i,e3, Black is best advised to play 6 ...i,d6 rather than the dubious
queen check seen in the previous game.
!
•• The knight retreat from e4 to f6 can be a surprisingly effective way to clear the e-file and
menace the bishop on e3.
!
•• A bishop retreating from g4-h5-g6 (or g5-h4-g3 for White) can be an excellent way to
fortifY one's kingside against an attack.
!
•• A dubious pawn structure can often be outweighed by strong piece activity.
The Main Line: 6.lLlf3

Just as with 6 ..ie3, this section will cover rwo games. The first shows how the most obvious and
tempting continuation can be called into question after accurate play from White. The second
focuses on a less common solution which offers better chances to reach a playable position.
Game 41
Michael Hoffmann - Sven Schaller
German Bundesliga 2000
This game provides a good illustration of a modern anti-gambit approach. White refuses to play
too materialistically, which could be catastrophic as we have already seen, instead striving for a
positional advantage and/or the initiative.
l .e4 eS 2.f4 dS 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 tbf6 S.dxe4 tbxe4 6.tbf3

This natural developing material is generally viewed as the strongest option available.
a b c d e f g h
6....ic5
Without a doubt the most natural move, but unfortunately it does not quite equalize. So while
I would certainly encourage you to study this game along with the accompanying notes, I must
make it clear that if theoretical soundness is your priority, you will need to check the next game
which features 6 ... c6!? along with the secondary option of 6 ...i?.e7!?.
7.�e2!
This was the theoretical recommendation a century ago, but it has stood the test of time and
has been validated by modern computer-assisted analysis. Such a move raises many questions of
course. Why does White move his queen in the opening, while blocking the fl-bishop in the
process? This move looks even uglier when you consider the potential for the queen and king
to be caught on the e-file - a problem which has caused the downfall of many a King's Gambit
player against the Falkbeer, as we have already seen.
Chess is a game full of rules and principles borne out over centuries of play. At the same time,
it is also a concrete game in which one has to take stock of the nuances and peculiarities of the
position, which will sometimes mean violating the general principle in order to achieve a specific
goal.
In this particular position White must deal with the concrete problem of an invasion on the
sensitive f2-square. This is a serious issue, and ifWhite cannot find a suitable way to prevent it
then his opening can already be written off as a failure. By putting his queen on e2, he pins the
enemy knight while also creating an escape square for the king on d 1 . This square may not be an
ideal home for the king, but it is still vastly preferable to the e2-square, where it would be a sitting
duck. At the same time White counterattacks the pinned knight on e4, thus challenging Black's
whole scheme of development. This is an important principle of defense: to do what is needed to
parry the enemy threats, while at the same time engaging the rest of your forces in a counterattack
against your opponent's weakness.
Of course we could talk all day about the philosophical justification of this or that move. The
only way to find our the real truth is through analysis and practical testing, and we will get to
that shortly.
Before returning to the game, it is worth considering the developing move 7.i.d3?, which clears
the fl -square for the king in the event of a check on f2. Speaking abstractly, one might attempt
to justifY this move using similar logic as explained above. Unfortunately, this move does not
stand up to analysis, primarily because it exposes the bishop to an unpleasant fork: 7 ... tt'lf2
8 .1&e2t We7 9.Elfl tt'lxd3t I O.cxd3 Wxe2t l l .�xe2 0-0 White has escaped the opening in
one piece, but that is where the good news ends. His king is exposed, his pawns are vulnerable
and Black has two strong bishops, all of which adds up to fantastic compensation for White's
temporary extra pawn.
7 f5
...
Black has five other options, but none of them enable him to equalize. At the same time they
are certainly fun to analyze, and I have paid particular attention to the final two as listed below.
Perhaps the best thing one can say about 7 ... 0-0 8.'�xe4 EleS 9.ctJe5 f6 is that it is not quite as
bad as it looks. The line is tricky and gives White some chances to go wrong, but objectively it
can hardly be considered a satisfactory way to conduct the opening.
7 ...V!ffe7 allows White to simplifY with 8.�e3 ctJa6 9.�xc5 ctJaxc5 1 0 .ctJbd2, when White is ready
for long castling and Black does not have much to show for his missing pawn.
7 ...�f2t looks tempting, but the inconvenience to White's king is only temporary. s.ct?dl V!ffx d5t
8 �.,��ti.�
----,;�.(;; �%%
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a b c d e f g h
9.ctJfd2! This strong move was first played by Maroczy all the way back in 1 906! The great
Hungarian master lost the game, but he paved the way for future generations by showing how
White should conduct the opening. 9 .. .f5 Black has no choice, as he was facing the outright
loss of a piece. l O.ctJc3 V!ffd4 l l .ctJcxe4 fxe4 1 2.c3 Kicking the queen away from the center
and preparing an escape square on c2 for the king. 1 2 ...1We3 ( 1 2 ...1Wb6 1 3.ctJxe4 wins a piece)
1 3.1Wh5t White is winning, as demonstrated in several games.
It is a similar story if Black recaptures the d5-pawn immediately.

7 ...1Wxd5
8.ti:Jfd2!
Once again this funny-looking retreat leads to an advantage for White. It all begins to make
sense when you notice that the more obvious 8.ti:Jc3 allows 8 ... ib4 when Black is fine. Mter
the clever retreat to d2 Black is not only facing an attack on the e4-knight, but he must also
consider that White is now threatening to bring the other knight to c3, when the pinning
defense will no longer be available.
8 ... ct?d8!?
The normal way of getting the rook to the e-file would be 8 ... 0-0 followed by ... Ei:e8, but in this
case the rook would have no protection. Hence the king move, which ensures that the rook will
be suitably guarded. It is a clever idea, but still woefully inadequate.
Mter 8 ...f5 9.ti:Jc3 l&f7 (9 ... 1&e6? 1 0.ti:Jdxe4 fXe4 1 1 .l&h5t wins the bishop and the game.)
1 0.ti:Jdxe4 fXe4 1 1 .1&xe4t ( l l .Wib5t does not win the hanging bishop thanks to 1 l ...ti:Jd7)
1 1 ... ct?d8 1 2.ic4 White was a pawn up for no real compensation in Skliarov - Kiselev, Alta
2002.
9.ti:Jxe4
And not 9.1&xe4?? Ei:e8 of course.
9 ... Ei:e8 1 0.ti:Jbc3 ib4
Black tries to regain his piece with the help of the rwo pins, but it is not enough.
:i,.i._:im � m
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:wd' ji ll" w"
3
ll��"
;::;
1
"�J[j� ��m�
�� m -�� mM !::,.
� ---� L
__ �
a b c d e f g h
1 l .ie3!
White can get a more modest advantage with a move like 1 1 .id2, but the main line enables
White to keep his extra piece with the help of some simple tactics.
1 l . ..id7
1 l ...l"i:xe4 allows 1 2.Ei:d1 winning the queen, and 1 1 . ..1&xe4 1 2.0-0-0t! unpins the knight and
wins.
1 2.ct?f2!+-
Lin Weignang - Fan Huilian, China 1 987.
Finally, Black has the following tricky option:

7 ...if5
8.ctJc3!
White should continue developing, resisting the lure of a quick material grab.
In the very first game to feature 7 ...ii.f5, White fell into that very trap: 8.g4? 0-0! Black simply
leaves the bishop to its fate and hurries to get a rook to the e-file, thus revealing the dark side
ofWhite's 7th move. 9.gxf5 l"i:e8 I O.ii.g2 ( I O.ctJe5? loses instantly to 1 0 ...\Wh4t 1 l .�dl ltJf2t)
lO ... ltJf2! 1 l .ctJe5 ctJxh l 1 2.ii.xhl ltJd7! (The immediate 12 ... f6? allows a strong counterattack
with 1 3 .d6!.) 13.ctJc3 f6 Now that the bishop on c5 is protected, the aforementioned d5-d6
idea is harmless. 1 4.ltJe4 fXe5 1 5.ctJxc5 ctJxc5 1 6.fXe5
� B i. �
s i, � �%-- T
� ,�'"'/%% '?'
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7 � ·-
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/� � /� %%��" "/�
6
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li1illi {
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a b c d e f g h
White has a magnificent pawn center, and if only he could complete his development and
coordinate his pieces he would be winning. Alas this is not the case, and he is soon crushed:
1 6 ... \Wh4t! 1 7.�fl ( 1 7.'1Wf2 l"i:xe5t) 1 7 ... Ei:f8 1 8.�gl 1Wd4t 19.ii.e3 '1Wxe5 20.Ei:el ltJd7
21 .'1Wc4 �h8 22.ii.e4 Ei:ae8 23.ii.d4 \Wf4 24.Ei:e2 ltJ f6 25.ii.xf6 gxf6 0-1 Spielmann - Tarrasch,
Maehrisch Ostrau 1 923.
8 ...\We7
Black needs to defend the knight and break the pin.
9.�e3!
Continuing development and exchanging off Black's active pieces. Black has more than one
way to restore the material balance, but according to today's theory he stands worse whichever
path he chooses.
9 .. .lt:lxc3
The alternative is: 9 . . .�xe3 1 0.'1Wxe3 'Llxc3 1 1 .'1Wxe7t 'tt>xe7 1 2.bxc3 ( 1 2 ...�e4 13.CLlg5 �xd5
1 4.0-0-0 is also unpleasant for Black) 13.'tt> d2 �a4 1 4.Bel t 'tt> d6 1 5 .'Llg5 'tt>xd5 1 6.1"le4!
White had a decisive initiative in Bronstein - Vaisman, Sandomierz 1 976.
1 O.�xc5 'Llxe2
1 0 . . . Wxe2t 1 1 .�xe2 'Llxe2 1 2.<;t>xe2 'Ll a6 1 3.�a3 �xc2 1 4.'tt> d2 �e4 1 5 .'Llg5 �xd5 1 6.Bhe1 t
'tt> d7 1 7.Be7t 'tt> c6 1 8.'Llxf7 gave White some initiative in Grabics - Shilov, Nagykanizsa 1 993.
1 1 .�xe7 'Llxf4 1 2.�a3
Black faces a difficult defense, regardless of whether or not he decides to snatch a pawn.
1 2 ... 'Lld7
1 2 ...�xc2 1 3.Bc l !? and 1 2 ... 'Llxd5 13.0-0-0 both offer White excellent play.
13.0-0-0 �e4
1 3 ... 0-0-0? allowed 1 4.1"ld4! 'Llg6 1 5.g4 trapping the bishop in Zajarnyi - Pessi, Bucharest 1 996.
a b c d e f g h
1 4.Ct'lg5!?
This sets up an interesting sacrifice, but the objectively strongest continuation would have been
14.EI:d4! f5 1 5.ctJg5 0-0-0 1 6.ctJf7±.
14 ...�xd5 1 5.g3! �xh1 1 6.gxf4 c5?!
16 ... 0-0-0! 1 7.l2lxf7 EI:he8 1 8.ctJxd8 mxd8± would have minimized Black's disadvantage.
1 7.�c4
With huge compensation for the exchange, Bronstein - Tal, Riga 1 968.
Let us finally return to the game after 7 f5.

...
8 .ie3!
.
Once again we see a move which epitomizes the modern method of playing against the Falkbeer
Counter Gambit. White strives to complete his development, and trade off Black's dangerous
pieces. White will be happy to return his extra pawn in order to secure a positional advantage.
White should forget about winning a second pawn with 8.ctJc3 as after 8 ... 0-0 9.ctJxe4 fxe4
1 0.Wfxe4 �f5 1 l .Wi'c4 ctJd7, followed by ...Wff6 and ... EI:ae8, Black's pieces are becoming extremely
active and White will have problems getting his king to safety.
8 ...�xd5 9 ..ixc5 �xeS 10.lLlc3

Simple and strong. White has a lead in development and threatens to win a pawn.
10... c!Llc6
1 0 ... 0-0 has been played a few times, but after l l .tLlxe4 fxe4 1 2.'Wc4t 'Wxc4 1 3.ii.xc4t lfth8
1 4.tLle5± Black faces a miserable defense.
1 1.lLlxe4 fxe4 1 2.�xe4t

White restores his material advantage, and yet it is Black who will have to suffer due to his
misplaced king.
12... �£8
There is nothing better. Black may still have been dreaming about getting some activity with
...ii.f5 and ... Ei:e8, but it is too little too late.
13.0-0-0
White's king goes to a safe home and his rook takes over the d-file. He still has an extra pawn,
and is even ahead on development. It is hardly surprising that the rest of the game is completely
one-sided.
a b c d e f g h
13 ....if5 14.�c4
Avoiding any mating threats while forcing Black to spend time avoiding the queen exchange.
14 ...�e3t 15.�b1 .ie6 16.�b5 �b6 17.lLlg5 .ig4?

A mistake, but Black's position was well beyond saving.
18.�c4!
1-0
White could have exchanged queens and won the ending, but a mating attack is so much
simpler. Black resigned, as 1 8 ... tLl d8 allows 1 9.l"i:xd8t, and 1 8 ...ii.h5 gives White a choice between
several winning continuations, two examples being 1 9.g4 and 19.ii.e2.
!
•• Mter 6.lLlf3 .ic5, the move 7.'1lfe2 is a strong antidote to Black's strategy. White's simple
but effective plan is to exchange off Black's strongly placed pieces with moves like .ie3
and lLlc3.
•!• Often the most effective way to convert a material advantage is to return the material to
in order to obtain a positional advantage. This may be true in the opening when facing a
gambit, or when a sacrifice occurs later in the game.
If the Falkbeer Counter Gambit is to be a viable proposition, then it is clear that Black will have
to come up with something better than we saw in the above game. The next game might just
contain the answer...
Game 42
Henrikas Asauskas - Sarunas Sulslds
Kaunas 2009
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5 3.exd5 e4 4.d3 l£lf6 5.dxe4 l£lxe4 6.l£lf3

White's success in beating off the attack after 6 ....ic5 7."lMe2! prompted Black to look for other
methods of handling the position. The Lithuanian grandmaster Sulskis is a creative player who
likes to forge his own path in the opening, and in this game we see him reviving an idea that had
previously been more or less ignored.
6 c6!?
•..
According to the database this has only been played in approximately 50 out of700 games after
6.lLlf3, but I believe it might actually be the theoretically healthiest option. The move ... c7-c6 has
featured in Black's plans in almost every game of the present chapter, so it only seems natural to
consider it in this position as well.
Before continuing any further, I would like to show you one other sideline which I believe to
be underrated.
6 ....ie7!?
At first glance this seems too passive, but we have already seen that the more direct attacking
methods fall short. The idea of the text move is to go for predominantly positional compensation
with the bishop placed actively on f6.
7.Wfd4
The most ambitious reply, creating a double attack on e4 and g7.
7 . .ie3 0-0 8.lLlc3 lLlxc3 9.bxc3 .if6 1 0.Wi'd2 occurred in Gallagher - Meijers, Passau 1 993,
and now 10 ... E1e8 gives Black the kind of position he is looking for, with decent positional
compensation.
7.id3!? is an interesting way to return the pawn. One game continued 7 ...Wfxd5 8.Wi'e2
lLlc5 9 ..ic4 Wi'h5 1 0.lLlc3 .ie6 1 I .lLld4 Wfxe2t 1 2 ..ixe2 with the better endgame for White,
Pridorozhni - Mashinskaya, Internet 2004.
7 ... lLlf6 8.lLlc3 lLlbd7
Preparing ....ic5.
8 ... 0-0?! 9 ..ie3 lLlbd7 1 0.0-0-0 was clearly better for White in Bronstein - Moyse, Rome 1 990.
9.�d2
Now 9.�e3 can be met by 9 ...�c5 followed by ..."i1Jfe7.
9 ...�c5 1 0."i1Jfc4
Dearnley - Kelly, corr. 1 999. Here I would suggest:
1 0 ... 0-0
I doubt that Black's compensation is fully adequate, but White's task is also not trivial, as
1 1 .0-0-0 can be met by 1 l ...a6 followed by ... b5 with decent counterplay.
Overall I consider 6 ...�e7!? an interesting try, but my overall preference is for 6 c6!?, to which
•.•
we will now return.
7 �d3
.
White continues developing, aiming to get rid of Black's strong centralized knight. Of course
7.dxc6? is no good due to 7 ..."i1Jfxd1 t 8.<±>xd1 ctJf2t winning material.
7.ctJbd2 should be met by 7 ... ct:Jf6! (7 ... ctJxd2?! 8.�xd2 "i1Jfxd5 9.�d3 gives White a big lead
in development) 8.dxc6 ctJxc6 9.�d3 �e7 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 l .ctJ e4 lt:Jb4! with fine compensation,
Hellers - Barczay, Budapest 1 988.
7 cxd5
...
Funnily enough the inferior 7 ... "i1Jfa5t?! and 7 ... ctJf6?! have been Black's most frequent choices,
but they are not worth examining in any detail as White has more than one route to an advantage
against both of them.
8.he4
Nothing else has ever been played. An IQP position would not be especially appealing for
White with his pawn on f4.
8...dxe4 9."iijfxd8t �xd8 10.tLlg5

The double attack on e4 and f7 ensures that White will restore his material advantage. Black's
compensation lies in his two bishops and the weakness of White's light squares, especially the
c2-pawn.
a b c d e f g h
lO...c;t>es
1 0 ... 1t>c7? 1 1 .l2'lxf7 �g8 1 2.l2'lc3 l2'lc6 13.�d2 was dubious for Black in Cools - Plachetka,
Charleroi 2005.
l l.tlJxe4 tlJc6!
Improving over a previous game which continued: 1 1 ...�f5 12.l2'lbd2? (12.l2'lbc3! would
have given White the advantage) 1 2 ... l2'lc6 1 3.c3 d7 14.0-0 �e8 1 5 .l2J g3 �c5t 1 6.1ii h 1 �d3!
1 7.�d1 �c2 1 8.�fl �d3 (Black could have played for more than a draw with 1 8 ... h5!t) 1 9.�d1
�c2 Yz-Yz Petrik - Halasz, Bratislava 1 993.
12.ie3
Developing the bishop and preventing ... l2'ld4.
12 ... tlJb4!
Forcing some kind of concession.
12 ...�f5 1 3.l2'lbc3 l2'lb4 should probably be met by 1 4.1ii d 2!? with some advantage for White,
rather than 14.0-0-0 ctha2t 1 5.l2'lxa2 �xe4 1 6.�he1 f5 1 7.l2'lc3 �c6! when White cannot
achieve anything special with the discovered check.
13.tiJa3
White decides to misplace his knight instead of his king. One drawback of his decision is that
it may become difficult for White to drive the knight away from b4, as the a2-pawn is blocked
and c2-c3 could allow an invasion on d3.
13...if5 14.tlJc3 f6!

Black should be in no hurry to recoup his sacrificed pawn. Instead he should aim for positional
compensation, and his last move prepares a safe home for the king on f7, in anticipation of any
�he1 or l2'lb5-c7 ideas.
1 4 ... l2'lxc2t?! would be too dangerous after 1 5.ctJxc2 �xc2 1 6.�cl intending l2'lb5.
1 S.f2
It is hard to determine where the white king should go. In the event of 1 5.0-0-0 Black should
play 1 5 ... a6 intending ... b5 at some point, or even a ... :gc8 and ... lLlxa2t tactic.
15 .ixc2?
•••
Black breaks from his strategy and is lucky not to wind up in trouble as a result.
He should have continued the strategy of improving his position with 1 5 ... Wf7!, for instance
1 6.h3 h5 1 7.:gadl a6� when it is not easy to suggest a constructive plan for White. Meanwhile
Black has ideas of ... :gc8, ... b5, and maybe even ... h4 and ... :gh5 to bring the other rook into the
game.
16.'Llcb5
White should have played the simple 1 6.lLlxc2 lLlxc2 1 7.:gacl lLlxe3 1 8.Wxe3± when Black is
likely to have to grovel for a draw with little chance of anything more.
16 f7
•••
Black could have considered re-sacrificing a pawn with 1 6 . . . :gc8!? 1 7.lLlxa7 :gaS! when the open
a-file gives him some compensation.
17.'Llxc2 CLlxc2 18-l:�acl CLlxe3 19J3c7t

1 9.Wxe3!± would have prevented Black from taking over the d-file as in the next note.
19 g6 20.'�xe3
•••
8 •
7
6
5
2
1
a b c d e f g h
20 a6
•••
Black could have safely gone for 20 ... :gd8!? 2 1 .lLlxa7 (2 l .:gxb7? ic5t 22. Wf3 :gd3ti) 2 l ... :ga8
22.lLlb5 :gxa2 23.:gb l b6 with equality.
2 1.CLJc3
2 1 .lLld4 id6! 22.:gxb7 ic5�
2I..J�d8 22.�dl
22.l"lxb7 Jic5t 23.mf3 Elhe8�
22 ... �xdl 23.ClJxdl b6

The endgame should be equal, but on this occasion the experienced grandmaster manages to
outplay his adversary, who was outrated by a little over 200 points.
24.�f3 i.c5 25.ClJe3 h5 26.f5t

Not a serious mistake, but it does leave the f-pawn as a potential weakness.
26.Elc6 followed by ctJd5 or ctJc4 would have been safer for White.
26...�h6 27.CLJd5?!
Perhaps in time trouble, White fails to coordinate his pieces and begins to slip into difficulties.
27.l"lc6 was better.
27...�e8 28.b4 i.d6 29.�c6 i.xh2
30.�xb6?
30.ctJxb6 was necessary, in order to meet 30 ... l"le5 with 3 1 .l"lc5.
30... �e5+
Winning a pawn. White fails to offer much resistance and the rest can pass without comment.
31.ctJc3
3 1 .ctJe3? l"lxe3t!-+
31 ... �xf5t 32.�e2 �g5 33.�f2 aS 34.b5 �f5t 35.�e2 i.gl 36.�c6 �f2t 37.�d3 �xg2
38.b6 �b2 39.ClJa4 �b4 40.a3 �xa4 41.b7 �xa3t 42.�c2 i.h2
0-1
•!• Our favorite . . . c7-c6 move may well be Black's best antidote against the critical 6.ctJf3
line.
•!• The King's Gambit and the Falkbeer Counter Gambit are not just about vicious
checkmating attacks. Sometimes you must be willing to exchange queens and battle for
endgame supremacy.
•!• A pair of bishops and an active, harmonious position can often provide enough
compensation for a pawn, even (some might even say especially) in positions without
queens.
•!• When you have sacrificed a pawn for ongoing positional compensation, you do not have
to hurry to restore material equality - especially if this means relinquishing your positional
advantages.
•!• Never let your guard down against a grandmaster. Even in positions that look completely
drawn, they can still find ways to cause problems and punish your mistakes. (Of course
you should not let your guard down against any opponent - but the advice is especially
true against the strongest ones!)
Conclusion
This chapter was something of a "Two for the price of one" affair, as we began by getting
acquainted with the Nimzowitsch Counter Gambit (3 ... c6) before moving on to the Falkbeer
Counter Gambit with 3 ... e4. The Nimzowitsch began its life as an offshoot of the Falkbeer, but
since then it has flourished and it is now regarded as more reliable than the Falkbeer by most
theoretical sources. Still, the latter part of the chapter showed that the Falkbeer is far from dead.
Indeed, the interesting 6 ... c6!? idea has rarely been played and is barely even recognized as a
serious move, so it carries some surprise value in addition to its objective merits. There is still
much to discover about both these gambits, so I will leave it for the reader to decide whether to
play one or both of them in his own games. Happy hunting!
Chapter 6
Front's Gantbit
Introduction
l .f4
This rare first move is known as Bird's Opening, after the English master Henry Bird. It has
never attained widespread popularity although such distinguished players as Nimzowitsch,
Tartakower, and Larsen all played it from time to time. Even your author has occasionally played
the Bird, most notably in my famous game against Deep Fritz where a position occurred with all
eight of my pawns on the fourth rank. One reason why the Bird's is rarely played is that the move
f2-f4 is somewhat weakening, and one of the first features of the position to catch the eye is the
exposed el -h4 diagonal leading to White's king.
l ... e5!?
With this move Black offers From's Gambit. This opening is named after the Danish player
Martin Severin From ( 1 828 - 1 895), who is credited with developing the gambit although the
database does not contain any of his games with it.
7
6
5
2
1
a b c d e f g h
2.fxe5
2.e4 would take us into the King's Gambit, which we have already dealt with in Chapter 5.
2 ... d6
Inviting White to gobble a second pawn. By the way, Black can also consider 2 ... ctJc6 hoping
for 3.ctJf3 g5! with good play, but instead White can obtain good chances with 3.ctJc3! ctJxe5 4.e4
intending d2-d4 next.
3.exd6
3.ctJf3 dxe5 4.ctJxe5 �d6 5.ctJf3 transposes to the main line, with one extra move having been
played by each side.
3 ...i.xd6
The bishop develops with tempo, and the point of From's Gambit starts to become clear. We
can summarize the essential features of the position as follows:
From's Gambit 273
� In return for the sacrificed pawn, Black is able to develop his pieces quickly and effectively
using the opened files and diagonals.
� Both of his bishops are already setting their sights on White's weakened kingside.
� White must defend his king against immediate mating threats.
� The absence of the f2-pawn makes it harder for White to bolster his kingside.
We will investigate a few of the most prevalent themes before reviewing some illustrative
games.
The Weak h4-el Diagonal

This is the most fundamental tactical theme of From's Gambit, and in a way it provides the basis
for Black's whole opening concept. Here we see the idea in its most rudimentary form.
l.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 i.xd6 4.llJc3??

According to the database this suicidal move has been used by three unfortunate players.
4 ...�h4t 5.g3
a b c d e f g h
5 ...�xg3t
5 .iLxg3t 6.hxg3 Wxg3# leads to the same outcome, but who would not sacrifice their queen
..
in such a situation?
6.hxg3 J.xg3 mate!

The poor king, surrounded and paralyzed by his own pieces, has no escape.
The following game features a slightly better though still woefully inadequate attempt to deal
with Black's primitive yet dangerous kingside threats.
Game 43
Juergen Thomas - Manuel Gerst
Landau 1 996
l.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 hd6 4.ttlf3

Developing the knight and covering the h4-square - already a considerable improvement over
the previous example!
Occasionally White tries a different defense:

4.g3?!
This move prevents the immediate mating threat, but it presents Black with a ready-made
target.
4 ... h5!
Preparing to hammer White on the kingside.
Instead the crude 4 ...1Wg5? threatens mate in two, but leaves the queen exposed. White can
defend with 5.d4 or 5.�g2 (followed by li:'lf3), repelling the attack while gaining time against
the exposed black queen.
5.ttJf3
White continues developing his kingside and hopes to dissuade the enemy h-pawn from
advancing.
5 ... h4!
But Black is not to be discouraged.
6.gxh4
6.li:'lxh4? loses to 6 ... Ei:xh4, as 7.gxh4? 1Wxh4 is mate once again.
6... �g4
Black will eliminate the defensive knight on f3 followed by the pawn on h4. It is clear that
White's king is in a dicey situation.
a b c d e f g h
4.. g5!?
.
The aim of this hyper-aggressive pawn thrust is to drive the defensive knight away.
Black can also go for rapid development with 4 ... li:Jf6, as shown in games 47 and 48 later in
the chapter.
From's Gambit 275
5.e4?
White tries to implement a central counterattack, but the plan is fatally flawed.
A move such as 5.'Llc3? fails to address the threat. Black simply plays 5 ... g4 and White is forced
to give up his knight, since moving it away allows 6 ... '\Wh4t followed by mate in rwo.
5.h3?? has been played, but needless to say this move suffers from a 'minor' drawback in the form
of 5 ....ig3 mate!
We will move on to White's other (superior) options in the next few games.
5 ...g4 6.e5?
Consistent, but bad.
6.'Lld4 is also unappealing due to 6 ...'\Wh4t (6 ....ixh2? 7.2"1xh2 'Wxd4 8.'We2 is by no means clear,
and may even be better for White.) 7.We2 (7.g3 .ixg3t) 7 ... g3! when White is in serious trouble.
White's best chance may have been 6.d4!? gxf3 7.'Wxf3, sacrificing a piece in the style of the King's
Gambit, although Black should have the advantage if he defends carefully.
6...gxf3 7.exd6
It is most unusual for both sides to have marched a humble pawn as far as the sixth rank after
just seven moves. Both kings are somewhat exposed along the open e-file, but Black has the move
and can use it to create decisive threats against the enemy king.
a b c d e f g h
7 J1Nh4t
••
Utilizing the weakness of the h4-el diagonal - one of the key ideas behind Black's opening
gambit.
8.g3 '11Ne4t
Switching to the open e-file. White will never get a chan�e to launch his own attack.
9.@f2 Wfd4t!
A key move, not giving the king a moment to rest. Black is not just checking for the sake of
it, but rather to improve the position of his queen and to drive the white king to an unfavorable
square.
IO.@el
1 0 .mxf3 il.g4t wins the queen, but the game continuation loses even more quickly.
IO...f2t!
The humble pawn turns out to be a murderous partner-in-crime. White's king is about to run
out of escape squares.
I I.@e2 i.g4#
0-1
!
•• Checking and mating motifs along the h4-e 1 diagonal are a major theme in From's Gambit.
!
•• A lowly pawn may wreak havoc if it penetrates into the heart of the enemy position,
especially near the king.
!
•• When conducting an attack on the enemy king, try to bring more pieces into the attack
with gain of tempo. (In this case it was the bishop that made all the difference.)
!
•• Remember to use all the open files and diagonals at your disposal.
In the next game we will see White venturing a counter-gambit which requires careful handling.
Game 44
Heinz Zastrow - Hermann Heemsoth
Corresp ondence 2000
I.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 i.xd6 4.tLlf3 g5 5.d4

The idea of this move is to use the knight to block either Black's queen or his bishop .
8 ...
7
6
2
1
a b c d e f g h
From's Gambit 277
5 ...g4 6.ltlg5?!
This amounts to a questionable knight sacrifice, although Black will need to play some good
moves to prove it.
Much more reliable is:

6.ltle5
This centralizing move is one of White's most important options against the From.
6.. ,j,xe5!
Black has no direct attacking chances, so he seizes the chance to damage the enemy pawn
structure and deprive White of the right to castle.
7.dxe5 �xd1 t s.<;t>xd1
Generally a king should be centralized in the endgame, but here White's king is misplaced on
the open file and will probably have to move again in the near future.
8 ... '2lc6
Black will soon win back the e5-pawn to restore material equality. White has the bishop pair,
but he has an extra pawn island and his king is misplaced, so both sides should have their
chances.
9.'2lc3
White sets a small trap.
9.j,f4 '2lge7 1 0.e3 j,e6 1 l .ctJc3 ( l l .j,b5 0-0-0t) 1 1 ...'2lg6 transposes.
9 .. ,j,e6!
Black should avoid 9 ... '2lxe5? 1 0.'2ld5! when the weak c7-square is a problem. After the text
move Black can always defend c7 by castling with check. His bishop also takes away the c4-
square from its opposite number.
1 0.j,f4
This is the normal move, although 1 0.j,g5!? deserves attention, for instance 1 0 ... '2lxe5 1 l .ctJb5
<;t>d7 1 2.<;t>e1 f6 1 3.Ei:d1 t <;t>cs 1 4.j,h4 h5 1 5.e4 Ei:h7 and Black was just a little worse in Gigas
- Kremer, corr. 1 96 1 .
1 0 ... '2lge7!?
It looks tempting for Black to castle with check, but that might leave the rook on d8 vulnerable
to a j,g5 attack, so I would prefer to keep castling in reserve.
1 1 .e3 tt:lg6
Black will regain his pawn, and his lead in development more or less makes up for his slight
sensitivity on the dark squares. For example:
1 2.�b5
12.�g5 tt:lgxe5 1 3.ctJe4 occurred in Berescu - Tomescu, Sovata 1 998, and now Kosten points
out that 1 3 ... f5 would have been decent for Black.
12.�d3 0-0-0 1 3.�g5 l"ld7 1 4.e2 tt:lcxe5 1 5.�f6 :1'le8 1 6.:1'lad1 a6 1 7.:1'lhfl h5 1 8.�xg6 tt:lxg6
1 9.:1'lxd7 mxd7 20.:1'ld1 t mc6 was equal in Hirscheider - Faber, e-mail 2004.
1 2 ... 0-0-0t
Now it makes more sense for Black to castle as he needs to break the pin.
1 3.mei tt:lcxe5 1 4.�g5 :1'ld6 1 5.�f6 l"lg8 1 6.:1'lfl
Swicarz - Chojnacki, Rewal 2008.
16 ... �c4! 17.:1'lf5 �xb5 1 8 .ctJxb5 l"ld5 1 9.ctJd4 l"le8
Black's position is quite promising.
Let us return to the game to see how Black should deal with 6.ctJg5?!.
a b c d e f g h
From's Gambit 279
6... £5!
Black gains nothing by attacking the knight immediately, so instead he cuts off its only escape
route.
6 ... h6? 7.ctJe4 l]Mh4t? is useless due to 8.g3 when the knight guards the g3-pawn.
7.e4
White is about to lose a piece, so he needs to make up for it by seizing space in the center.
7...h6 8.e5 fie7

When I was around twelve years old, I read some books and was quite well prepared in From's
Gambit. I felt like my hard work had paid off when I reached this apparently winning position
in a tournament game. I was awaiting resignation when my senior opponent reached across the
board and played:
9.ftJh3!
I had completely overlooked this retreat. For the next few moves my game followed the same
path as the main game here, until the critical moment on move 1 1 .
9 ...gxh3 lOJWh5t
Black's early pawn advances have left some holes in his kingside.
10 mrs I L!ic4
•..
It looks as though White has done a decent job of turning the tables against the gambit player.
In return for the knight he has obtained a lead in development, a powerful pawn center and
threats against the black king. Black must play accurately, but if he finds the right moves he can
repel the attack.
a b c d e f g h
l l .. J�h7!
In my game I did not even consider this move, and instead chose the weaker 1 1 ...V;Me8?!
1 2.V;Mxh3�. White continued with the natural plan of0-0, ctJc3 and i.e3, and I failed to neutralize
his initiative and eventually lost. After I went home I checked my books, and sure enough the text
move was recommended.
Why should the rook move be so much stronger? The main reason is that the queen is well
placed to launch a counterattack from dS, and also the rook may be activated on the g7-square.
Apart from these general considerations, Black's play also relies on some specific tactical points,
as we will soon discover.
12.'1Wg6
This looks scary, but remember what I said about tactical resources. White has also tried the
following ideas:
1 2.c3 il.g5 13.ctJd2 hxg2 1 4.El:gl il.h4t 1 5.mdl Wg5! keeps a decisive material advantage. White's
strong center gives him some chances to resist, but it should not be enough.
12.il.e3!?
This looks like the best chance. White develops a piece, guards the d4-pawn and gives Black an
opportunity to go wrong.
1 2 ... ctJc6!
This is the only way to keep the advantage!
The natural l 2 ... hxg2 is an inaccuracy: 1 3 .El:gl il.h4t 1 4.me2 El:g7 1 5.il.xh6! ( 1 5.ctJ d2? f4! was
winning for Black in Grcic - Neeman, Belconnen 2003.) 1 5 ... ctJxh6 1 6.Wxh6 Wg5 1 7.Wh8t
me7 Here the computer points out that White has a miraculous save with 1 8 .il.d5! intending
El:xg2 when it seems unlikely that Black has any more than a draw. (But note that 1 8.Wxc8?
allows a mating attack beginning with 1 8 ...Wg4t.
1 3 .c3
1 3.Wxh3?! il.h4t 1 4.g3 il.g5 was hopeless for White in Richard - Neumann, e-mail l 999.
13 ... hxg2 1 4.El:gl il.h4t 1 5.il.f2
Dalton - Schreiter, e-mail 2000. Now the simplest way would have been:
1 5 ...il.xf2t 1 6.mxf2 Wg5
Black should win comfortably.
12... El:g7 13.il.xh6

From's Gambit 28 1
On first sight is looks as though White is winning, as after 1 3 ... ctJxh6 1 4.'1Wxh6 Black cannot
stop the murderous iWhSt. However, Black has a crucial resource which turns this evaluation on
its head.
13 i.b4t!
.•.
Black utilizes all available avenues to get to White's uncastled king: the bishop checks along
the a5-el diagonal while making way for the queen to exploit the h4-el diagonal, which once
again proves an important factor in From's Gambit. Finally, by vacating the e7-square with gain
of tempo Black gives his king an important escape square.
14.'it?e2
The alternatives are clearly worse:
1 4.�d l ? '1Wxd4t followed by ... ctJxh6 is obviously hopeless for White.
1 4.�fl ? hxg2t 1 5.�e2 ctJxh6 1 6.'1Wxh6 '1Wg5 is hardly any better.
1 4.ctJd2? j,xd2t 1 5.�xd2 ctJxh6 1 6.'1Wxh6 iWxd4t wins easily.
14.c3?! allows Black to utilize the other important checking idea: 1 4 ...'1Wh4t 1 5 .g3 iWxh6 1 6.'1Wxh6
ctJxh6 1 7.cxb4 ctJc6 1 8.ctJc3 ctJxd4 0-1 Grcic - Neeman, Belconnen 2003.
14 ctJxh6 15.iWxh6 iWg5

.•.
Confronting White with an unpleasant dilemma: exchange queens and be a piece down, or
keep the queens on and face a vicious counterattack.
16.�h8t?
16.'1Wxg5 l''1xg5 1 7.g3 was the best chance, but Black's extra piece should tell in the long run.
1 7 .. .f4! looks like the most incisive continuation.
16 'it?e7 17.i.d5
.••
1 7.'1Wxh3 occurred in Frenzel - Andre, corr. 1 986, and now 1 7 ... f4! would have brought the
light-squared bishop into the attack and won easily.
17 .. i.e6!
.
Black has plenty of ways to win, but this attacking move is the strongest.
18.i.xb7 i.c4t 19.'�dl hxg2 20J3gl �g4t 21.<j;lc1 �f4t 22.ttld2 i.xd2t 23.<j;ldl
23.�b l �fl t is mate next move.
23 ...i.e2t
According to the computer 23 .. .2:l:f7 and 23 ...'\Wg4t were both slightly more accurate, but the
game continuation is also more than good enough.
24.<j;lxe2 �e3t 25.<j;ldl �xgl t 26.<j;lxd2 �xd4t

0-1
White resigned as 27.�e2 '\Wxe5t is hopeless for him.
!
•• Throwing the kingside pawns forward with 4 ... g5 brings certain risks, so Black must
follow up in resolute fashion.
!
•• White's attempt to play a counter-gambit should not succeed, but it is crucial that Black
plays l l ...Bh7!, with a view to using his rook and queen to threaten a counterattack.
!
•• Always look for tactical opportunities (both for you and your opponent) based on open
files and diagonals leading towards the enemy king, especially if it has not castled. In this
game 1 3 ....tb4t!, intending to meet 1 4.c3 with 1 4 ... '\Wh4t, was a crucial resource without
which the result could easily have been different.
Game 45
Ralf Bruening - Ralf Rennert
E-mail 200 1
l .f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 i.xd6 4.ttlf3 g5 5.g3

This is the main line, and the standard choice if White wants to keep his extra pawn.
From's Gambit 283
5 g4 6.lLlh4
•••
The saying has it that "A knight on the rim is dim", but in this position it represents the least
of the evils for White.
6.tt:lgl ? is every bit as bad as it looks. Black should simply play 6 ... h5, aiming to demolish the
enemy kingside with ... h4.
6.tt:ld4 is not completely stupid, but Black still gets good attacking chances after 6 ... h5. (But note
that 6 ...�xg3t?! 7.hxg3 '\Wxd4 is not so convincing after 8.d3! when it is Black who looks weaker
on the kingside, especially the dark squares.)
6... llJe7
Black plans to target the sidelined knight with ... tt:l g6, when the likely exchange would open
the h-file for his rook.
7.i.g2
White continues his kingside development, but this does not conform to the requirements of
the position. The critical 7.d4! will be considered in the next game, along with the interesting
7.lLlc3!?.
7... llJ g6 8.lLlxg6 hxg6

The open h-file enhances Black's kingside prospects considerably, and the rook is already
threatening to take on h2.
9.0-0
It was not easy to suggest a defense against ... l=1xh2 followed by ...�xg3t. The game continuation
has its own problems though.
9...l=1xh2!?
This typical attacking combination looks tempting, but it may not be best, as White is not
forced to accept the offer.
The alternative is:

9 ...Wg5
So far this has never been played, which is hardly surprising as it is difficult to resist the allure
of the rook sacrifice. It might ultimately prove to be the better move though.
1 0.d4
White has no good way to hold his kingside together, but the text move gives him another way
to stay in the game.
1 0 ...Wh5 I I .Wd3!
White leaves the h2-pawn to its fate and fortifies the more important pawn on g3.
l l .h4 and l l .h3 should both be met by l l ...ixg3, when Black will soon have an extra pawn
to go with his strong attack.
I I ...Wxh2t 1 2.�f2 8h5
Threatening a lethal check and thus avoiding the threat ofah l .
13.e4
1 3.Bh l ? Bf5t is good for Black ( 14.Wxf5? Wxg3t). Alternatively 1 3 .. .Jhg3t!? may be even
better.
s I �..tu•m � T
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4 m r�8% 8 m i��
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��ltS� � iW""' -
a
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b c
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d �
e f -
g h
The position is balanced on a knife edge. Black has partially broken through on the kingside,
but on the other hand his queen is trapped, his queenside pieces are undeveloped and White's
king is pretty safe. A strong follow-up is needed.
1 3 ... lll c6!
Black needs to bring in reinforcements, and the knight sets up various tactical ideas.
Instead 1 3 ... Bh3 1 4.e5 works out well for White.
1 4.8hl
1 4.c3 can now be met by 1 4 ... Bh3! when 1 5.e5 runs into 1 5 ... lll xe5!.
So instead White must respond with 1 5.Bh l , when 1 5 ...Wxg3t 1 6.Wxg3 i,xg3t 1 7.�gl
Bxhl t I S.i,xhl f5+ leaves Black a clear pawn up in the endgame.
1 4 ... lll b4!
The following sequence is now forced.
I 5.Wb3
Other queen moves lead to the same thing.
From's Gambit 285
1 5 ...1M!'xg3t 1 6.1M!'xg3 i.xg3t 1 7.Wxg3 Ei:xh l 1 8.i.xhl li:Jxc2

Black will pick up the rook on al . White can in turn surround and win the knight to reach an
endgame with two pieces versus rook and pawns. Such positions yield chances for both sides, but
in this particular case I would evaluate Black's prospects as higher.
Let us now return to the game to examine the immediate rook sacrifice.
a b c d e f g h
10. i>xh2?
Accepting the sacrifice is much too compliant.
1 0.\Wel!
This would have kept the game interesting.
1 0 ... :8:h7
Black's attack has run out of steam, so he must regroup and prepare for battle in a complex
middlegame.
l l .d4
l l .ti:Jc3 li:Jc6 1 2.ti:Je4?! i.e? followed by ...f5 was good for Black in Kocsis - Egri, Hungary
2000, but White could have improved with 1 2.ti:Jd5!? or 1 2.1Mff2!?.
l l ...ti:Jc6 1 2.c3 i.e6 1 3.d5??
1 3.1Mif2!t would have given White good chances.
1 3 ...i.xd5 1 4.i.xd5? i.c5t
White resigned in Basham - P. Grover, e-mail 1 996. This particular game ended disastrously for
White, but the jury is still out on 9 ... :8:xh2!?, and it may well be that 9 ...1M!'g5 is the stronger move.
10 .'\Wh4t l l.i>gl i.xg3

•.
The shaky h2-g3 structure has been completely demolished, and White is threatened with
immediate mate on h2. The only way to create an escape square for the king is to sacrifice the
rook, which unfortunately has no safe squares available. The net result is that Black will be left
with an ongoing attack in a position with at least equal material.
12.Ei:xf7
12 ... xf7!
1 2 ... 1Mfh2t is also possible, but it is better to keep this check in reserve. Now Black keeps some
additional attacking options and avoids having his queen sidelined on h2. Besides, he can always
give the check in a few moves' time if he wishes, as White is hardly in a position to prevent it.
13.d4
1 3.e4? occurred in Schlueter - Rennert, e-mail 200 1 , and here Black should have played
1 3 ... li:'lc6 with the simple plan of bringing the rook to fS, winning easily.
13 ...i.h2t!
Forcing the king to set itself up for a horrible discovered check.
14.hl
There is no choice, as 1 4.�fl 1Mff6t 1 5.\t>e1 .tg3t 1 6.�d2 1Mfxd4 is mate.
14 ... tlJc6 15.tlJc3 i.e5t

1 5 ....tg3t 1 6.�g1 .te6 1 7.d5 �g7 would have won even more quickly, but it makes little
difference.
16.gl i.xd4t 17.e3

From's Gambit 287
17...J.xc3
17 ...ile5 was equally deadly.
18.bxc3 J.e6
In material terms White is only a pawn down, but Black is about to bring reinforcements to the
kingside, which will end all resistance.
19.�fl t?
Forcing Black to move his king, which he wants to do anyway to clear the f-file.
1 9.'®e2 was better, although after 1 9 ... g3 20.ilf3 g;,g7 2 1 .ila3 ctJe5 it is about time for White to
resign.
19 ...@g7
And with ... Ei:fS coming next, White threw in the towel.
0-1
!
•• A standard way of starting an attack against the fianchetto structure is to open the h-file
with ... h5-h4.
•!• The absence of a pawn on f2 seriously undermines White's defensive possibilities in his
fianchetto structure while increasing the tactical opportunities for Black.
•!• Instead of continuously checking the enemy king, it is often more effective to cut off its
escape route.
Game 46
Janos Petro - Zoltan Hajnal
Gyula 1 996
I.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 J.xd6 4.ctJf3 g5 5.g3 g4 6.tLlh4 ctJe7

So far everything is the same as the previous game, but now we see a more challenging approach
from White.
7.d4!
Reverting to classical principles, White occupies the center with one of his pawns. He chooses
the d-pawn instead of the e-pawn for rwo reasons. For one thing, the c l-bishop needs a route into
the game while the fl-bishop already has the g2-square available. And more concretely, White
needs to plan a suitable defense of the g3-pawn as we will soon see.
7.ctJc3!?
This is quite an interesting alternative.
7 ... ct:Jg6 8.ctJxg6 hxg6 9.ctJe4!
Defending the g-pawn and planning to eliminate an important attacker.
a b c d e f g h
9 ...tJ5
9 ...t.e5 is well met by 1 0.c3!, intending to gain ground in the center.
9 ...t.e7 1 0.t.g2 is also favorable for White.
However, it is worth considering the untested 9 ... f5!? 1 0.ctJxd6t '®xd6 1 l .d3 t.d7 intending
...t.c6 with interesting play on the light squares.
1 0.ctJxd6t '®xd6 1 l .d3 ctJc6 12.t.g2!
Better than 1 2.e4 0-0-0 1 3.t.e2? t.xe4! 1 4.dxe4 N. Nguyen - Nguyen Thien Viet, Vung Tau
2000, at which point 1 4 ...'®xg3t! 1 5.hxg3 l"i:xh1 t 1 6.'it>f2 l"i:hxd1 1 7.t.xg4t 8:8d7 would have
given Black a clearly better endgame.
1 2 ... 0-0-0 1 3.0-0
Black did not have full compensation in Van Dooren - Kabos, Dieren 2009.
7... ttJg6 8.ttJxg6

8.ctJg2!? is another option, when Black can choose berween rapid development with 8 ... ct:Jc6
and immediate aggression with 8 ... h5!?.
8...hxg6 9.'?Nd3!
This is rather a non-standard move, but it is specifically tailored to the needs of the position.
White defends against any ...t.xg3 or ...l"i:xh2 threats, while making way for long castling and
preparing to support his e-pawn once it arrives on e4. In some positions the queen might even
throw in a check via the e3-square.
From's Gambit 289
9 'Llc6
...
Black releases the horse from the stables with immediate threats. White must watch out for
. . . tt:lxd4 ideas, bearing in mind that '\Wxd4 would currently lose the queen to . . .�xg3t. Also
. . . tt:lb4 is a useful resource, especially in conjunction with l l ...�f5 to attack the weak c2-
square.
9 ...'1&e7!?
This might well lead to an identical position in a few moves, but there are some independent
pathways as well.
1 0.�g2
1 0.e4 gives Black the following options:
a) 1 0 ...�xg3t?? l l .'Wxg3 '\Wxe4t fails to 1 2.'1We3 when Black cannot take the rook in the corner
as his queen is pinned.
b) 1 0 ... c5 undermines White's pawn center, but after l l .dxc5 �xc5 12.�e3 �xe3 1 3.'1Wxe3
tt:lc6 14.tt:lc3 White keeps a slight edge thanks to his extra pawn and outpost on d5.
c) Best is 10 ...�f5 l l .�g2 tt:lc6 1 2.c3, transposing to the main line as seen in the game.
1 0 ... tt:lc6
l l .c3
1 1 .0-0? is a mistake due to l l ...ctJxd4! intending 1 2.1Mfxd4? il.c5 winning the queen.
l l .e3? tt:Jb4 (but not l l ...l"l:xh2? 1 2.il.xc6t bxc6 1 3.l"l:xh2 il.xg3t 1 4.l"l:f2) 1 2.1We2 l"l:xh2! is
strong, for instance: 1 3.il.c6t ( 1 3.l"l:xh2 il.xg3t) 1 3 ... tt:Jxc6 1 4.1Wxh2 if5 1 5.c4 il.b4t 1 6.ctJc3
0-0-0 1 7.0-0 ixc3 1 8.bxc3 il.d3 19.1Mfh4 1Mfd7-+
1 l ...if5
Now 1 2 .e4 transposes to the main line, but via this move order White could consider 1 2.1Mfe3!?
which gives him chances for an edge.
10.c3
White needs to keep the enemy knight restrained, and this natural move is the best way to
do it.
lO .. iJS
.
The game actually featured the rather unusual sequence of 1 0 ...1Mfe7 1 l .il.g2 il.d7 ( 1 L.il.f5
could be met by 1 2.1We3 here) 1 2.il.f4 il.xf4 1 3.gxf4 0-0-0 1 4.e4 g5. The text move has been the
most popular, and it seems to me to be a more logical move order, so I will promote it to main
line status.
l l.e4
1 1 .1Mfe3t!? has also been played. However, here we see a potential advantage of delaying the
move ... 1Mfe7, as Black is not obliged to exchange queens and can instead consider 1 1 ...'tt>d 7!?
1 2.ctJd2 at which point both 12 ... l"l:h5 and 12 ... l"l:e8 1 3.1Wf2 'tt> c8!? deserve attention.
1 1...'\We7 1 2.i.g2 0-0-0 13.i.e3 i.d7!

Black should play patiently and avoid the following premature sacrifice: 1 3 ... l"l:xh2? 14.l"l:xh2
il.xg3t 1 5.'tt> d 1 il.xh2 1 6.exf5 l"l:e8 1 7.ctJd2 (less clear is 1 7.fxg6 1Mfxe3 1 8.1Wxe3 l"l:xe3 1 9.gxf7
il.d6) 1 7 ...1Mfxe3 1 8.1Wxe3 l"l:xe3 1 9 .ctJf1 ! The endgame was easily winning for White in Michna
Andriasian, Heraklio 2007.
From's Gambit 291
a b c d e f g h
14.!£4
White has tried several other moves here. I do not want to get too bogged down in heavy
analysis, so I will just mention a few relevant examples from tournament practice. My overall
evaluation of this position is that White should be able to keep a slight advantage with accurate
play. However, Black has real compensation and it is not so easy for White to contain his initiative.
No matter what happens, Black is always likely to have some threats along either the h-file or the
central files.
It is worth noting briefly that 1 4.e5? is met by 1 4 ...ixe5! when 1 5.dxe5? ctJxe5 gives Black a
crushing initiative, as shown in several games.
1 4.ltJd2? fails to address Black's primary threat: 1 4 ... Ei:xh2! 1 5.Ei:xh2 ixg3t 1 6.if2 ixh2 Pogosian
- Solovjov, St Petersburg 2005.
1 4.if2 is more sensible. Now one relevant game continued 1 4 .. .f5 1 5.ctJ d2 ( 1 5.e5? ctJxe5!
1 6.dxe5 '®xe5t 1 7.'®e2 '®xe2t 1 8.mxe2 Ei:he8t is devastating) 1 5 ... fxe4 1 6.ctJxe4 ( 1 6.ixe4!?)
16 ... if5 1 7.0-0-0 Ei:he8 1 8.Ei:he1 '®f7! 1 9.ctJxd6t cxd6 20.'®b5 '®xa2 with equality in Schmidt
Schaeffer - Frouth, Pula 2009, although it was White who had to be more careful in view of his
shaky king position.
14...i.xf4 15.gxf4
We have now transposed back to Petro - Hajnal, although here the move count is one ahead of
the game, as Black has played ...if5-d7 and White has gone ie3-f4.
1 5 ...g5
1 5 .. .f5!? looks quite attractive, for instance 1 6.ctJd2 ( 1 6.e5 is well met by 1 6 ... g5 17.'®e3 gxf4
1 8.'®xf4 '®h4t 1 9.'®f2 [ 1 9.'®g3? '®g5-+] 1 9 ... ctJ e7 20.ctJd2 f4f±) 1 6 ... g5 1 7.0-0 '®h7 1 8.'®g3
gxf4 1 9.Ei:xf4 ctJe7 with promising play for Black.
16.fxg5
The computer wants to play 1 6.0-0!? although such a move carries obvious risks.
16...�xg5
1 6 .. .ltJe5? 1 7.dxe5 �a4 1 8.'1hlig3? :§:dl t 1 9.�e2 'lhlid7 gave Black good compensation and an
eventual victory in Pogosian - Yandemirov, St Petersburg 2005.
Unfortunately White could have given his opponent a cold shower with 1 8.'1hlie3! :§:dl t 1 9.�f2
:§:xhl 20.�xhl ihlixe5 2 l .�g2 ihlixh2 22.tt:ld2, when Black has no compensation for the missing
piece.
17.tlJd2 .ie6
1 7 ... f5! looks good, with ideas of rolling the f-pawn down the board.
18.�g3?!
White should have settled for 1 8.0-0-0 �xa2 with an unclear position. Note that White
cannot trap the bishop with 1 9.b3? on account of the simple 1 9 ...�xb3, taking advantage of the
fact that the knight is pinned.
The move chosen by White in the game does not look so bad, but on closer inspection it presents
Black with an opportunity to develop a powerful initiative. Can you find it?
From's Gambit 293
18 ... llJxd4! 19.cxd4 �xd4

Black only has a single pawn for a piece (he was already a pawn down when he made the
sacrifice) but all his pieces are in play, while White's position is completely lacking in harmony.
20)Lifl?
White immediately falters.
20.0-0-0? is also poor, and 20 .. J''lhd8 2 l .'®f2 (2 l .'®c3 Ei:c4-+) 2 l . .. '®c5t 22.�bl �xa2t! wins
easily for Black.
The correct path was 20.ctJb3! �xb3 2 l .axb3 when Black has strong compensation but no clear
route to victory.
20 ... �hd8
Black does not have any decisive one-move threats, and yet his position is overwhelming.
White is simply unable to bring any of his pieces into play, and it is only a matter of time before
the invaders arrive.
21.h4
2 1 . ctJ e3 Ei:d3 is fatal.
21...'!1Nc5 22.Wfc3 �c4

The computer points out that 22 ...'®b6! would have been even stronger, but the game
continuation is also good enough.
23.Wfa3
After 23.'®e3 '®b4t 24.ti:Jd2 Ei:c2 25.Ei:dl '®xb2 White is helpless, for instance 26.h5 Ei:dxd2!
27.E'lxd2 '®cl t 28.�e2 �c4t and wins.
23 ...Wfd4 24.Wfe3 Wfxh2

Winning back the piece. The rest is easy.
25.�dl �xdl t 26.�xdl Wfxg2 27.�gl Wfc2t 28.�el �xe4

0-1
!
•• White's opening plan involving 7.d4 and later 9.Wd3 is one of the most challenging
responses to the 4 ... g5 variation of From's Gambit.
!
•• Black should develop and aim for long castling as quickly as possible, then look for tactical
opportunities in the center as well as along the open h-file.
!
•• Sacrificing a piece for two central pawns can be a powerful attacking technique, especially
when the opponent has yet to castle.
The 4 .!t)f6 Line

..
Although 4 ... g5 is the main line (at least in terms of popularity) of the From, it is not to everyone's
taste to lunge forward with the g-pawn at such an early stage of the game. Black can also go for
rapid development as shown in this, the concluding part of the chapter.
Game 47
'SwE-dv' - 'B-Atterman'
Online blitz games should obviously be taken with a grain of salt, but I chose this and the
following game because they illustrate Black's thematic tactical chances rather well.
l .f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 hd6 4.'Llf3 'Llf6

This unpretentious developing move is more flexible than 4 ... g5. Depending on how White
responds, Black can choose between simple development with ... lt:lc6 or ... 0-0, or a quick
kingside attack with ... lt:lg4.
5.g3
White tries to bolster his kingside in a similar fashion as seen in the previous two games, but in
the present variation Black has some additional resources.
From's Gambit 295
White has tried several different moves here, including 5.d4 and 5.ctJc3 which will be considered
in the next game. For the time being we will look at two sensible pawn moves, 5.e3 and 5.d3.
5.e3
White intends to develop his bishop and castle.
5 ... ctJc6
Black continues developing calmly, hoping to obtain compensation based on his piece mobility
and subsequent pressure along the central files.
It was also possible to go for immediate kingside action with 5 ... tt:Jg4!?, after which most games
have continued 6.Vfie2 ctJc6 7.ctJc3 0-0 with a double-edged position.
6.i.b5 0-0 7.ctJc3
7.i.xc6 seems consistent, but 7 ... bxc6 8.0-0 1'l:e8 still gives Black plenty of compensation.
7 ...i.g4
Black intends to complete development by centralizing his rooks, but for White it is not so easy
to bring his queenside pieces into play.
8 .i � d''"'% � ��- ""'��';; �

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a b c d e f g h
8.i.e2 1'l:e8 9.0-0 Vfie7 l O.<;t>hl 1'l:ad8
Oger - Lebrun, Elancourt 2006. Black has decent compensation for a pawn, and his pressure
along the central files makes it tricky for White to complete his development.
5.d3 tt:Jg4!
5 ... 0-0 is possible, but the immediate attacking move works well.
6.i.g5
6.g3 h5!--+
6.c3 ctJc6 7.Vfia4 0-0 8.i.g5 Vfie8 9.ctJa3 i.d7 gave Black a lead in development and good
attacking chances in Augustin - Schirbel, e-mail 2002.
6 ... f6 7.i.h4
7.i.cl tt:Jc6 s.t2k3 0-0�
7 ... ctJe3 8.Vfid2 i.f4 9.Vfic3 ctJc6 1 0.i.f2
S. Saint Pierre - Caire, Quebec 2004. Now Black should have played the simple moves:
1 0 ... 0-0 1 l .ctJbd2 l"i:e8

With a fine position.
a b c d e f g h
s ...hs!
This direct attacking move makes good sense now that White has created a target on the
kingside.
There is nothing wrong with the calm 5 ... 0-0, aiming for rapid development and positional
pressure in the center. One game continued: 6.d4 (6.�g2 should also be met by 6 ... !"1e8) 6 ... !"1e8
7.�g5 �e6 8.�xf6 �xf6 9.�g2 �e7 1 0.C2Jbd2 �fS 1 l .ctJh4?? (White should have preferred
1 1 .0-0, returning the pawn in order to get his king to safety.) 1 l ...�xc2! 1 2.ctJf5 �e6! 1 3.ctJxd6
cxd6-+ Gauch - Bindrich, Leipzig 1 998.
6.d4
Opening a path for the bishop to shore up the kingside defenses from gS.
From's Gambit 297
6...h4
a b c d e f g h
7.lll xh4?
White had to play 7.gxh4 li:Jc6 8.�g5 �f5, after which Black has reasonable compensation for
the two pawns, but nothing more.
7... ltle4?!
The threats against h4 and g3 appear deadly, and yet this move is a mistake.
The strongest continuation is 7 ... li:Jg4! when White has nothing better than 8.li:Jf3 �xg3t 9.hxg3
!"i:xhl+.
s..ig2
Developing the bishop, counterattacking the knight on e4 and protecting the vulnerable rook
on h l .
8.li:Jf3? leaves Black free to mop up the kingside. The prosaic 8 . . .�xg3t i s the most effective way
of doing so, although the flashier 8 ... Ei:xh2 also works well.
8.1Wd3! Elxh4 9.�g2 would have been a slightly more accurate route to the position reached in the
game, as White would avoid the possibility given on the next note.
8...E:xh4
Objectively Black should have preferred 8 ... li:Jxg3!, which would have led to a position with
equal material and some initiative for him.
9.'11Nd3!
This excellent move keeps White in the game, and is the reason why Black should have deviated
with 7 ... li:Jg4! as noted earlier.
9 ...f5
Cementing the knight's outpost on e4. 9 ... Ei:g4? 1 0.�xe4 and 9 ... Ei:xh2? 1 0.'\Wxe4t are obviously
no good for Black, but there were rwo serious alternatives.
9 ...'\We7!? is a sensible option, when one possible end to the game might be 1 O.li:Jc3 li:Jxc3 1 l .gxh4
'\Wxh4t 1 2.�fl '\Wf6t leading to a draw by repetition.
9 ...�f5!?
Developing with tempo and threatening a discovered attack with ... li:Jxg3.
1 o.'\Wf3
White has several other ideas in this extremely sharp position:
1 0.'\Wb5t? �d7! 1 1 .'1Wxb7 �c6 1 2.'\Wb3 li:Jxg3! is winning for Black.
1 0.0-0 li:Jxg3 1 1 .'\We3t li:Je4 12.Ei:xf5 �xh2t 1 3.�fl '1We7 and Black is better.
1 0 .li:Jc3!? may be best, when 1 0 ... li:Jxg3 1 1 .'1We3t �f8 1 2.hxg3 Ei:xh1 t 13.�xh1 li:Jc6oo reaches
a messy but roughly equal position.
8 T
7
6 �
>:l
�
:;:,
5 '-'
1;; ·
�
4
�
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3 �
2
1
a b c d e f g h
1 0 ...�xg3t!
1 0 ... li:Jc6 1 l .c3 Ei:xh2 1 2.!'lxh2 �xg3t 1 3.'1Wxg3 li:Jxg3 14.Ei:h8t �d7 1 5.!'\xdSt !'lxd8 is close to
equal, but White's central pawns may give him some chances for an edge.
From's Gambit 299
l l .hxg3 l"i:xhl t 1 2 ..txh l iMfxd4 1 3 .ti:Jd2

13.'1We3 ctJc6t
1 3 ... ti:Jd6
Material is equal but White's position is slightly more dangerous, although he should be okay
if he plays carefully.
10.gxh4?
A terrible blunder - we should remember that this was only an internet game played at a fast
time limit, and White has already had to find some difficult moves.
1 0.0-0! was necessary. From here my main line continues 1 0 ... l"i:xh2! ( 1 0 ... Ei:g4?! l l .ctJc3! gives
White a strong initiative for the sacrificed material) l l ..txe4! Ei:h3 1 2.l"i:f3! Ei:xg3t 1 3.l"i:xg3 .txg3
1 4.'1Wxg3 '1Wxd4t with roughly equal chances.
l O...'iWxh4t l l .<Jifl
l l .�dl ctJf2t wins the queen.
l l...'iWf2#
0-1
A weak finish from White, but it is worth paying attention to the various tactical motifs that
occurred on the kingside.
•!• The 4 ... ctJf6 line gives Black a lead in development, which may enable him to launch a
quick attack against White's fragile kingside.
•!• The ... ti:Jg4 lunge is a key attacking motif.
•!• An early g2-g3 can be met by ... h7-h5, planning to open the h-file.
•!• Look out for sacrificial ideas on the g3-, h2- and h4-squares.
•!• Remember that a capture does not always have to be met by an immediate recapture - in
the above game 8 ... Ei:xh4 9.'1Wd3! was a good illustration of this point.
Game 48
'FireOnBoard' - 'B-Atterman'
I.f4 eS 2.fxe5 d6 3.exd6 hd6 4.c!iJf3 tlJf6 S.d4

White boldly gains space in the center and prepares to develop his dark-squared bishop. This
has been his most popular choice against 4 ... tt:Jf6, although there are some risks associated with
weakening the e3- and e4-squares.
Apart from the three pawn moves considered in the previous game, White has one other important
option:
5.ctJc3
a) 5 ... 0-0
From this position White would ideally like to push his central pawns with e4 and d4, but
Black's better-developed pieces make this rather difficult to achieve. The following game
provides a good illustration:
6.e4
Perhaps White should settle for less ambitious development with 6.e3 or 6.g3, when Black will
have his usual compensation based on his rapid development and pressure along the central
files.
6.d4 is also possible, and transposes to 6.C2Jc3 in the notes to the main game below.
6 ... 2::\ eS
White's e-pawn immediately becomes a target along the open file.
7.d3
7 ... t2Jg4!
Once again Black launches a blitzkrieg against White's vulnerable kingside.
From's Gambit 301
8.1Le2?
White should have favored the pre-emptive 8.'1We2! ctJc6 when Black has fair compensation but
nothing more.
8 ... ctJxh2!
This pseudo-sacrifice should come as no surprise by now.
9.ctJxh2?
9.l"i:xh2? 1Lxh2 1 0.ctJxh2 '1Wh4t wins the exchange.
9.1Le3 was White's last chance to struggle on.
9 ... 1Lg3t 1 0.\t>fl
l O.It>d2 '1Wg5 is mate.
1 0 ... '\Wd4!
0-1 Lang - Multhopp, Philadelphia 1 995. White will have to give up his queen to avoid mate,
so he resigned.
b) 5 ... ltJg4!?
Once again this direct attacking move forces White to tread carefully.
6.Ct:Je4?!
White is trying to combine defense of g3 with elimination of the attacker on d6, but the move
is too slow.
Needless to say, 6.h3?? would not be much of a defense. (I will let the reader work our why... )
White's best move is 6.g3, although Black still gets plenty of attacking chances with the direct
6... h5!.
6 ... Ct:Jxh2!
Sacrificing in order to decoy the f3-knight away from its crucial defensive duties.
7.ctJxd6t
Exchanging off one attacker, but the black queen is ready to take its place.
7.ctJxh2?? \Wh4t 8.ctJf2 �g3! is crushing, as 9.ctJhg4 can be met by 9 ... \Wxh 1 exploiting the
pin.
7.!'hh2? �xh2 8.ctJxh2 \Wh4t also wins material for Black.
7 ...\Wxd6 8.c±>f2?
Capturing the knight would allow mate in one, so White tries to defend with his king.
Unfortunately for him he has overlooked a nasty tactical stroke.
White's last chance was to create an escape route with 8.d3 or 8.d4, although it is clear that
Black has won the opening battle, as he has good attacking chances in a position with equal
material.
8 ... Ct:Jg4t 9.c±>g1
There is no choice, as retreating to e 1 would allow an immediate mate.
After the text move it looks as though White has survived the opening, but an unpleasant
surprise awaits him. Can you find it?
9 ... ctJe3!
Exploiting the unprotected position of White's queen. White resigned in Tavares da Silva -
Van Riemsdijk, Sao Paulo 1 99 1 , as he is about to lose a whole rook.
Back to the game after 5.d4. Once again Black can choose between normal development and a
rapid kingside attack.
From's Gambit 303
s o-o
...
I decided to take the calmer path - for now at least.
The more aggressive option was also quite reasonable:

5 ... 'Llg4
Threatening the familiar ... 'Llxh2.
6.i.g5?!
What could be more natural than to shut out Black's queen from h4 with a developing move?
Unfortunately for White, a deeper investigation into the position reveals some problems with
his approach.
White's most popular continuation has been 6.Wd3 c5 7.We4t, and now both 7 ... i.e7 and
7 ...i.e6 give Black a full share of the chances.
6.e4!? i.xh2 7.'Llxh2 Wh4t 8.�d2 'Llxh2 is rather messy; White's king is oddly placed but he
has a strong center and Black's pinned knight gives him some coordination problems. The
chances are roughly equal and any result is possible.
6 .. .f6!
Forcing the bishop to spend time moving again. Unfortunately for White, every retreat square
carries a certain disadvantage.
7.i,h4
7.i,d2? takes away the d2-square from the king, so 7... 'Llxh2! is strong.
7.i,cl is not so bad, but 7 ... 'Llxh2! still creates problems; the weakness of the d4-pawn prevents
White from recapturing on h2, as the reader can easily verify.
7 .. Ylfe7
White's bishop on h4 helps to guard against the mating threats, so Black switches his attention
to the backward e-pawn and the weak e3-square.
7 ... 'Llc6 was a good alternative.
8.'\Wd3 0-0 9.'Llbd2 c5!
Chipping away at the center. White's kingside pieces are still unable to participate in the game,
and it is clear that Black has more than enough compensation for a mere pawn.
6 .tg5
.
By effecting a pin, White nips the ever-present idea of ... 'Ll g4 in the bud. Here are a few other
examples illustrating Black's chances:
6.g3 'Lle4! 7.i,g2 f5 8.e3 'Lld7 9.0-0 'Lldf6 gave Black a promising attacking position in Murtazin
- Tukhvatullin, Kazan 2009.
6.'Llc3 Ele8 7.'1Wd3 'Llc6 8.i,g5 'Llb4 9.'\Wd2 i,f5 1 0.0-0-0 h6 l l .i,h4 g5 1 2.i,g3?! i,xc2 1 3.i,xd6
cxd6 1 4.h4 Elc8 Black had a decisive attack in Karlsson - Panelo Munoz, Badalona 2008.
6 Ele8
.••
Black seizes the central file, which he will want to do at some point anyway, while keeping
various options open for his other pieces.
7.'11;Vd3
We have seen this thematic move in several different variations of From's Gambit. In the
present position it is not so much intended to guard the g3-square, but rather to clear the
first rank in preparation for long castling. This makes a good deal of sense when you consider
White's difficulties in developing his kingside pieces. The danger is that the queen might become
vulnerable on d3.
From's Gambit 305
7.ctJc3 is another idea, with ideas of a possible 'Ll d5 at an appropriate moment. I believe Black
should simply ignore this and continue developing with 7 ... 'Llc6!, intending to meet 8.'Lld5 with
8 ...Jte7 or even 8 ...if5!?, banking on the fact that Black's lead in development will be at least as
important as his missing pawn and potentially doubled f-pawns.
a b c d e f g h
7 . .Ctk6
.
This natural development is almost always a part of Black's plans, especially when it threatens
to harass the enemy queen.
8.e4?
This generally desirable move is tactically flawed.
The following game also showcased White's problems quite convincingly: 8.a3 Jtg4 9.'Llbd2 Vfie7
1 0.0-0-0 h6 l l .Jth4 if4-+ Schreuder Peters - G. Szabo, Budapest 2008.
8.c3
This was the best chance, covering the b4-square and shoring up the d4-pawn. Black should
respond with:
8 ... h6!
Forcing White to make a concession.
a b c d e f g h
9.i,xf6
9.Ji.h4 g5 1 0.Ji.f2 ctJe4 gave Black a great position in Hanegby - D. Petersson, e-mail 1 999.
9 ... Wxf6 1 0.ctJbd2 ii.f5 1 l .e4 'Wg6! 1 2.ii.e2
1 2.0-0-0 !'lxe4! is strong.
12 ... !'lxe4 1 3.ctJxe4 ii.xe4 1 4.'We3 ctJe7! 1 5.Wf2 ctJd5 1 6.g3 !'le8 17.ctJh4
1 7.0-0 ctJf4 gives Black good attacking chances.
1 7 ... Wg5 1 8.ct:Jf3
8 m% mAm •m T
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a b c d e f g h
This position occurred in Blankenberg - Schirbel, e-mail 2002. At this point, instead of taking
a draw with 1 8 ... Wg6 1 9.ctJh4 'Wg5 Y2-Y2, Black could have done rather better with:
1 8 ...Ji.xf3! 1 9.'Wxf3 !'le3 20.'Wf2
20.Wfl ?! !'lxg3! is even worse.
20 ... !'lxg3!
White has no safe place for his king and Black's attack will decide the game.
8 . . .iJ5
Utilizing the pin to develop another piece with gain of tempo. This is enough to bring Black
a powerful initiative, although 8 ... ct:Jb4! 9.'Wd2 !'lxe4t would have been slightly more accurate.
From's Gambit 307
Of course we should remember that the immediate 8 .. J''lxe4t?? allows 9.\Wxe4 winning material
as Black's knight is pinned.
9.tLlbd2 tt:lb4!
This would have been even better on the previous move, but even when late it is still pretty
convincing. Apart from hitting the queen, Black is also targeting the pawns on c2 and e4 before
White has time to castle.
10.1Wb3 tt:lxe4!
1 0 ...ixe4! was a good alternative, but I could not resist this temporary queen sacrifice which
relies on the imminent discovered check along the e-file.
l l.ixds tLl c5t

Winning back the queen.
lz.cj{dl??
Attempting to lure Black's rook to an unstable position with 12.1We3? does not work, as after
1 2 ... :1'1xe3t 1 3.<j;>f2 :1'1xd8 14.<j;>xe3 ctJxc2t White loses his rook on al.
Correct was 12.<j;>f2, keeping the king away from troublesome checks (which will become dearer
in the note to White's 1 4th move in the game) . 1 2 ... ctJxb3 1 3.axb3 :1'1axd8 ( 1 3 ... ctJxc2? is too
greedy, and after 1 4.:1'1a5! Black will be the one fighting to draw.) 1 4.c3 ctJd3t 1 5.ixd3 ixd3
Black's bishop pair gives him the better prospects, but everything is still to play for.
12 ...tt:lxb3 13.axb3 tt:lxc2!

Thanks to the unfortunate position ofWhite's king, this move wins easily.
14.ixc7
1 4.:1'1a5 :1'1axd8 1 5.:1'1xf5 does not work here due to the 1 5 ... ctJ e3t fork. This explains why the
white king should have gone to f2 on move 12.
14...ixc7
0-1
•!• The 4 ... 0Jf6 line is a genuinely flexible option, as virtually all White's replies allow Black
to choose between an immediate attack (usually with 5 .. 0Jg4) and a calmer strategy
.
involving castling and rapid development.

•!• Always look for opportunities to gain time by attacking the enemy queen if it comes out
early.
•!• An uncastled king combined with an open e-file is a recipe for tactics.
•!• Be on the lookout for knight forks!
Conclusion
From's Gambit provides an aggressive and exciting way to meet Bird's Opening. We have seen that
Black's early pawn sacrifice offers him promising compensation in all the main variations, and he
even has a choice between aiming for positional pressure with castling and rapid development,
or a more immediate attack on the enemy kingside. White must take care on every turn, and we
have seen numerous examples where just one or two inaccuracies led to fatal consequences for
him.
Chapter ?
Other Systems after l .e4 eS
a b c d e f g h
l.e4e5
l .e4 eS
a b c d e f g h
The selection of gambits covered in the previous six chapters should form the basis of an
exciting, dynamic and effective attacking repertoire. The aim of the present chapter is to fill
in the gaps by sketching out a repertoire covering all of White's major options which do not
conveniently fit into any of the previous chapters. Where possible, I have focused on gambits
and other counterattacking systems. Of course we have to be realistic and admit that we are not
going to be able to unleash a promising gambit in every single game we play, especially with the
black pieces.
There are all kinds of systems that can be played after l .e4 e5. This book was never intended to be
an openings encyclopaedia, and there is no way to cover every option in full detail. (Entire books
have been written for this purpose!) Instead I will offer a framework showing the most important
lines, and allow the reader to fill in some of the fine details or choose alternative lines according
to his personal taste.
We will begin by looking at White's early deviations, before gradually working our way to 2.ctJf3
'2lc6 sidelines, the Scotch Game, the Four Knights Game, the Two Knights, and finally the Anti
Marshall systems and other sidelines in the Ruy Lopez.
Part 1 Alternatives to 2. CD f3
-
Apart from the King's Gambit, which has already been discussed in Chapter 5, White has
the following major options at his disposal: a) The Danish Gambit, b) The Center Game,
c) The Bishop's Opening and d) The Vienna Game.
a) The Danish Gambit occurs after the following opening moves:
l.e4 eS 2.d4 exd4 3.c3

Other Systems after l .e4 e5 311
a b c d e f g h
The Danish Gambit was covered in the very first chapter of the White Gambits book. As you
can see from that chapter, accepting the pawn(s) can be extremely hazardous for Black, so here I
will highlight a straightforward path to equality.
3 .. . d5! 4.exd5
White has nothing better.
4 ...'&xd5 S.cxd4 ttlc6 6.tl:lf3 .tg4 7..te2

7.'i'lc3 �b4 8.�e2 transposes.
7. . .�b4t s.tl:ld
Now Black has a strong idea which may appear surprising to those who have not seen this
position before.
8....txf3! 9 ..txf3 '&c4

Preventing castling while maintaining pressure against c3 and d4. White has no real choice but
to exchange queens.
IO.i.xc6t
1 0.'1Mrb3 '1Mrxb3 l l .axb3 tt'lge7 is equal, but the position is a little more dangerous for White due
to his weak pawns.
10 ... bxc6 I I.Wfe2t Wfxe2t 12.mxe2 0-0-0 13.i.e3 lLle7=
b) The Center Game is characterized by the early development of White's queen.
l.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Wfxd4

By the way, 3.ctJf3 gives Black a choice between transposing to normal positions with 3 ... '2lc6,
and playing for more with 3 ... �b4t!?.
a b c d e f g h
3 ... ll:\c6
The main drawback ofWhite's opening is of course that he must spend time moving his queen
for a second time in the first four moves.
4J1Ne3 �f6 5.�c3

5 ..id2?! is an inaccurate move order, as Black gains the extra possibility of 5 ....ie7 (there is also
5 ....ib4 when White has nothing better than 6.lt:lc3 transposing to the main line) 6.lt:lc3 d5!
when he is at least equal.
5...i.b4
5 ....ie7 is possible here too, although in this position Black must reckon with the possibility of
6 ..ic4 preventing ... d5.
6.i.d2 0-0 7.0-0-0 :ges
7
6
5
2
1 !:::,.
a b c d e f g h
8.'Wg3
This pawn sacrifice is the only real way to make sense of White's opening.
8 ..ic4 is occasionally seen, but then 8 ... d6 9.f3 lt:le5 1 0 ..ib3 c6 is pleasant for Black, who plans
....ic5 followed by advancing his queenside pawns.
8... :gxe4
Taking up the challenge. 8 ... lt:lxe4 9.lt:lxe4 2':1xe4 1 0.c3 should also be good for Black, although
the position remains complicated and the choice between the two lines is largely a matter of
taste.
9.a3 i.d6
Several other moves are possible, but this is the most straightforward.
IO.f4 :ges I l.i.d3 i.ffi

l l . . . .ic5 has been played in several games but I would suggest keeping the bishop closer to the
kingside.
8 ...
7
a b c d e f g h
14... lt:Je7!
Liberating the c-pawn and preparing to put one of the minor pieces on f5.
15.lt:Je5 c5
The position remains complicated but White is still a pawn down for insufficient compensation,
Kislinsky - Shilin, Kiev 2004.
c) The Bishop's Opening
l .e4 e5 2.J.c4
By developing his bishop immediately White avoids defenses such as the Petroff- not that this
would be of much interest to readers of the Gambit Guide series!
a b c d e f g h
2... lt:J f6
Black should develop normally and ask White what he plans to d o about the e4-pawn.
3.d3
3.lLlc3 lLlxe4 reaches Chapter 4.
Other Systems after l .e4 eS 315
White's only other serious option is 3.d4 exd4 4.lt:Jf3 (4.e5?! dS!), when Black's easiest response
is 4 ... lt:Jc6 transposing to 2.ctJf3 ctJc6 3.ilc4 lt:Jf6 4.d4 exd4, which can be found on page 34 1 .
(Instead 4. . .lt:Jxe4 is the Urusov Gambit - see Chapter 2 of my White Gambits book.)
3 c6
.•.
Preparing ... dS is one of the most direct methods of fighting the Bishop's Opening. 3 ... lt:Jc6
4.ctJf3 reaches a standard position of the Two Knights, but White might also consider 4.ctJc3
leading to a branch of the Vienna Game where White keeps the options of ctJge2 and f4 followed
by ctJf3, which can bring him interesting attacking chances.
4.c!Ll o
4.ibb3 dS S .li:J f3 ibd6 transposes to the main line - see 4.ctJf3 d5 5.ilb3 ibd6.
4...d5 5.i.b3
S.exdS cxd5 6.ilb3 (6.ilb5t ibd7 7.ibxd7t lt:Jbxd7+) is well met by 6 ... ibb4t! 7.c3 ibd6. The
point is that the white knight no longer has the c3-square available, and after 8.ilg5 ile6 9.0-0
lt:Jc6 Black is doing well.
5 ibd6
.•.
Black continues developing normally. His pawn center looks impressive, but he must take care
as White intends to exert some piece pressure against it.
6.c!Llc3
6.0-0 dxe4 (6 ... 0-0) 7.ctJg5 (7.dxe4 0-0) 7 ... 0-0 8.ctJxe4 ctJxe4 9.dxe4 ctJa6 is completely
harmless.
White's other main option is:
6.exd5 ctJxdS
6 ... cxd5!? is risky but playable. 7.ilg5 ibe6 8.ctJc3 iWaS! 9.0-0 ctJc6 l O .iWel iWcS ! l l .d4
(According to Sakaev the critical position arises after l l .a3! 0-0-0!?oo) l l ...exd4 1 2.ibxf6 gxf6
1 3.ctJxd5 0-0-0 1 4.lt:Jxf6 ibxb3 1 5.cxb3 1Mff5 1 6.lt:Je4 Arsenault - Robichaud, Montreal 2009.
Now Sakaev gives 16 ...ibf4 1 7.ctJg3 iWg6� when Black has promising compensation thanks to
the strong passed d-pawn.
7.0-0 0-0 8.l"i:el

Despite its innocuous appearance, White's set-up contains some venom. Fortunately Black has
an antidote.
8 •
7
6 �
;:s
�
""
5 �·
<->
4 �
�
i:1
3 ;:!
2
1
a b c d e f g h
8 ... ctJd7
The alternatives are not entirely sound.
8 ... B:e8 9.ctJg5! h6 occurred in Pruja Ramirez de Cartagen - Petenyi, Permo 2009, and now
1 0.ctJxf7! �xf7 l l .c4 �b4 1 2.B:e4 would have been good for White.
8 ...�g4 9.h3 �h5 is a risky pawn sacrifice, and after I O.g4 �g6 l l .tt'lxe5 �xe5 1 2.B:xe5 tt'l d7
1 3.l"i:e l 'W'h4 1 4.'W'f3 Black's compensation is in question.
9.tt'lbd2
9.d4 exd4 1 0.�xd5 cxd5 l l .'W'xd4 �c5! gives Black enough activity to maintain the balance,
regardless of whether or not White grabs the d-pawn.
9 ... �c7
Black moves the bishop out of harm's way, anticipating ctJe4 or tt'l c4.
IO.tt'le4 h6!
It is useful to guard the g5-square against a knight invasion.
l l .�d2
l l .h3 should be met by l l ...Ei:e8, preparing ... ctJf8 or ... ctJ7f6.
1 1 ... a5!
1 1 .. .l'O:e8 is playable but the text is the most accurate, for reasons that will become clear.
1 2.a3
1 2.c4 ltJf4! 1 3.ilxf4 exf4 is fine for Black as the d4-pawn is weak.
The present position was reached in Hendriks - Bosman, Netherlands 2007, and now the most
accurate continuation would have been:
1 2 ... ltJ7f6!
Without the inclusion of ... a7 -a5 and a2-a3 White could obtain an advantage against this
move, but here we will see why those pawn moves make all the difference.
1 3.lLlxf6t '®xf6 14.d4 exd4 1 5.ilxd5 cxd5
Black is doing fine, and it is all thanks to the mutual a-pawn moves which take away the b4-
square from White's bishop.
The above is based on Sakaev's excellent analysis. Now we will return to the main line.
6 dxe4
..•
The rare 6 ... d4!? 7.ltJe2 c5 8.tLlg3 ltJc6oo leads to double-edged play and could certainly be
considered.
7.ltJg5
7.dxe4? ltJa6+ is already more comfortable for Black.
7.lLlxe4!? is interesting although Black can equalize with careful play: 7 ... ltJxe4 8.dxe4 ilg4! 9.h3
ilh5 I O.ilg5 f6 1 1 .ile3 ltJa6 12.'®e2 '®e7 1 3.0-0-0 ltJc5= Rogers - Tseshkovsky, Vrsac 1 987.
7 0-0 8.ltJcxe4
•..
8.ltJgxe4 ltJxe4 9.lLlxe4 transposes.
8 ClJxe4 9.ClJxe4 i.f5 lOJWf3

•.•
1 0.0-0 ltJa6 is safe enough for Black.

318 Th e Alterman Gambit Guide
8 ....
7
a b c d e f g h
10...i.xe4
Simplest. I once played 1 0 ... ii.g6 but after 1 l .h4! I felt obliged to exchange anyway with
1 l ...ii.xe4 1 2.dxe4 �d7. The extra move with the h-pawn helps White slightly, for instance
by facilitating ii.g5, although I eventually managed to draw in Ki. Georgiev - Alterman,
Recklinghausen 1 998.
l l.dxe4 lLld7
Georgiev was obviously convinced by the reliability of Black's position, as he played it himself
in 20 1 0 and held a draw with ease.
12.c3 aS 13.0-0 lLlcS 14.i.c2 a4 lSJ'�dl ffe7 16.i.d2 �fd8 17.f!g4 f!e6 18.f!xe6 lLlxe6=
White was unable to make anything of his bishop pair in Spasov - Ki. Georgiev, Blagoevgrad
20 1 0.
The analysis of both 6.�c3 and the main alternative 6.exd5 indicates that Black can equalize
against the Bishop's Opening. The only drawback is that the positions are not particularly
thrilling, especially the Spasov - Georgiev game noted immediately above, where Black is solid
but has virtually no winning chances. If the reader wishes to play more ambitiously, I would
encourage him to investigate the sidelines 6.exd5 cxd5!? and 6.�c3 d4!?, both of which are
slightly riskier but should also offer increased winning chances.
d) The Vienna Game
l.e4 eS 2.lLlc3
Compared with the more popular 2.�f3, White's knight does not attack anything and thus
Black has slightly more freedom of choice. On the other hand, White gives himself some extra
options such as a delayed f2-f4, or perhaps even �ge2, neither of which would have been possible
had the knight gone to f3.
2 ... lLlf6
This is the most direct reply, putting pressure on the enemy center and preparing to seize space
with ... d5.
a b c d e f g h
3.f4
This is the most important option, at least in terms of giving the Vienna its unique character.
3 ..tc4 CLlxe4 takes us to Chapter 4.
3.CLlf3 tt:lc6 is the Four Knights Game as covered in Game 50 beginning on page 33 1 .
3.g3 d 5 (3. . ..tc5 is also a decent move) 4.exd5 CLlxd5 5 ..tg2 CLlxc3 6.bxc3 .td6 7.CLle2 (7.CLlf3
tt:lc6 - see 2.CLlf3 CLl c6 3.CLlc3 tt:lf6 4.g3 d5 on page 3 3 1 ) 7 ... 0-0 8.0-0 tt:ld7 9.d3 c6= gives Black
a solid and flexible position.
3 ... d5!
It is important for Black to strike back in the center.
4.fxe5
4.exd5 is unimpressive: 4 ... tt:lxd5 (4 ... e4 transposes to the Falkbeer and 4 ... exf4 is also reasonable)
5.fxe5 CLlxc3 6.bxc3 'Wh4t 7.�e2 .tg4t 8.CLlf3 CLl c6 9.'Wel 'Wh5� Black has a powerful initiative
for a mere pawn.
4 ... CLlxe4
a b c d e f g h
White has an extra pawn in the center, but his king is slightly exposed and Black's pieces are
ready to take up strong positions.
s.ll:la
Two other moves deserve consideration here.
5.1�'f3 is harmless if Black responds correctly: 5 . . . l2k6! 6 . .ib5 (6.li::l xe4 li::l d4! is Black's idea)
6 ... li::l xc3 7.bxc3 '®h4t 8.g3 '®e4t 9.'®xe4 dxe4 1 0 ..ixc6t bxc6 1 I .li::l e2 El:bS+ Hromadka -
Bolland, Bromley 1 925.
5.d3 li::l xc3 6.bxc3 d4! 7.li::l f3 li::l c6 S ..ie2 (Mter 8.cxd4 Black can insert 8 ....ib4t! 9 ..id2 .ixd2t
1 0.'®xd2 before recapturing with 1 0 ... li::l xd4 when his position is excellent.) 8 ....ic5 9.0-0 dxc3t
10.ctt h 1 0-0 1 l .'®el li::l d4 12 ..id1 2:e8 1he position is complex, but objectively White does not
have enough play to make up for his missing pawn and shaky center.
s .. i.e7
.
This unassuming move maintains Black's flexibility and is usually considered best.
6."1We2
Challenging the knight is the only way to present any problems.
6.d3 li::l xc3 7.bxc3 0-0 S ..ie2 c5 9.0-0 li::l c6 is nice for Black, especially as White is likely to have
to waste time with d3-d4 in the near future.
Also after 6.d4 c5 7 ..id3 li::l xc3 8.bxc3 c4 9 ..ie2 li::l c6 1 0.0-0 0-0 1 1 .'®e1 .if5 Black is doing well.
6 ltlxc3
...
This seems safest.
6 ... f5!? is another possibility, when the main line continues 7.d3 li::l xc3 8.bxc3 0-0 9.g3 c5 1 0 ..ig2
li::l c6 1 1 .0-0 .ie6 with double-edged play. The conventional wisdom is that Black is at least equal
here, but I am not entirely sure about this. The following game provides a good illustration of
how the game may develop: 1 2.2:b l 2:b8 1 3 ..id2 b5 14.d4 c4 1 5.h4 h6 1 6 ..ih1 a5
Other Systems after l .e4 e5 32 1
1 7.ctJe l !oo E. Romanov - Tukhaev, Mureck 1 998. White intends to bring the knight to f4 or e3,
with quite good prospects in the center and on the kingside.
7.dxc3 c5 8.!£4 CLlc6 9.0-0-0 ie6

Black has a comfortable position and White's slight pressure along the d-file is mostly illusory.
One high-level example continued as follows:
That concludes our coverage of White's second-move alternatives. There is nothing of much
concern here, although interested readers may wish to investigate the recommended lines in
greater detail.
Part 2 - The Scotch Game

l .e4 e5 2.CLlf3 CLlc6 3.d4 exd4 4.CLlxd4
The idea behind the Scotch Game is to open lines in the center and develop White's pieces
boldly and actively. It has been favored by several top players, most famously Garry Kasparov who
once described it as "the only serious alternative to the Ruy Lopez after l .e4 e5". We will explore
it in the following game, along with White's deviations on moves 3 and 4.
Game 49
Ni Hua Evgeny Alekseev
-
Saratov 201 1
l .e4 e5 2.<�jf3 ll:Jc6 3.d4

Apart from 3.�b5, 3.�c4 and 3.ltlc3, which receive their own dedicated coverage elsewhere,
White occasionally plays:
3.c3
This is known as the Ponziani Opening. Black has a few playable responses, but the following
might appeal to gambit fans.
3 ... f5!?
The solid and reliable option is 3 ... tt'lf6, when the main line continues 4.d4 tt'lxe4 5.d5 tt'le7
6.tt'lxe5 tt'lg6. The theory continues a while longer, but the short version is that the position is
equal.
Apart from the text move, Black has another dynamic option: 3 ... d5!? 4.'�a4 (The alternative
is 4.�b5 dxe4 5.tt'lxe5 \Wd5 [5 ... \Wg5!? is a sharp possibility] 6.\Wa4 tt'lge7 with complex play.)
4 ...�d7 5.exd5 ctJd4 6.\Wdl tt'lxf3t 7.\Wxf3 �d6� Black has reasonable play for a pawn, and on
the next move he can consider whether to put his knight on f6 or play ... f5 first.
4.d4
4.exf5 e4 5.tt'ld4 ctJf6 looks promising for Black.
4 ... fxe4 5.tt'lxe5 \Wf6!?
An interesting way to question the usefulness of the move c2-c3. A glance at the almost identical
(with colors reversed) Vienna position encountered on page 320 reveals that Black's best answer
to 5.1Wf3 was 5 ... tt'lc6!, but here the c-pawn takes the equivalent square away from the white
knight.
Other Systems after 1 .e4 e5 323
5 ... ltJf6 is also reasonable, leading to a reversed Vienna Game where the move c2-c3 is of
limited usefulness.
6.ltJg4
Making use of the fact that the d4-pawn is defended. The following sequence features logical
play on both sides:
6 ...�g6 7 ..if4 d5 s.ltJe3 �f7 9 ..ig3 lLlf6 10.�b3 .id6 1 l ..ixd6 cxd6 12 ..ie2 0-0 1 3.0-0 .ie6
Gesing - Schippan, Bad Wiessee 2002. White has the sounder pawn structure and an excellent
knight on e3, but Black's central control and active pieces should enable him to maintain the
balance.
3. exd4 4.ltlxd4
..
If White offers a gambit with 4.c3, then 4 ... d5! 5.exd5 �xd5 6.cxd4 .ig4 transposes to my
recommendation against the Danish Gambit on page 3 1 1 .
4 ..ic4 ltJf6 is considered later via the move order 3 ..ic4 ltJf6 4.d4 exd4 - see page 34 1 .
4 ...�b4t!?
a b c d e f g h
Finding a suitable system against the Scotch is not an easy task, as there are no reputable
gambits. Objectively the strongest replies are the main lines of 4 ... ltJf6 and 4 ....ic5, both of which
have amassed large bodies of theory, making them problematic subjects for a short section such
as this.
I finally decided to recommend the text move, which provokes the reaction c2-c3 in order to
take away the b 1 -knight's best square. I believe that this slightly offbeat line strikes a good balance
between being theoretically sound and not requiring too much in-depth knowledge. You can
pretty much read through the following notes and learn enough to start playing it.
S.c3
5.ltJc3 ltJf6 transposes to the Scotch Four Knights as given on page 333.
5 ..id2?! is a mistake as 5 ...�e7! wins a pawn.

S ...i.cS
5 ...�e7 is rather passive and 6.CLlxc6 (6.�c4 is also good) 6 ...bxc6 7.�d3 should give White a
pleasant edge.
6.lLlxc6
This is usually considered White's most promising continuation.
6.�c4 can be met by 6 ... d6 or 6 ... CLlf6 followed by normal development.
6.CLlf5?! is too ambitious and allows Black to seize the initiative: 6... d6! 7.CLlxg7t mf8 8.CLlh5 (8.CLlf5
�xf5 9.exf5 '\Wh4) 8 ...'\Wh4! 9.CLlg3 CLlf6 1 0.�e2 CLle5t Ninov - Guerra Bastida, San Juan 2008.
6.�e3 �b6
The bishop was tactically exposed, so it must retreat to a safe position.
7.'\Wg4
7.CLlf5 g6! 8.�xb6 axb6 9.CLle3 CLlf6 1 0.f3 ( l O.CLld2 d5) 1 0 ... 0-0 looks okay for Black.
7.CLlxc6 bxc6 8.�d4 C2Jf6 (8 ...'\Wg5!?) 9.e5 CLl d5 1 0.�c4 0-0 1 l .�xd5?! ( 1 1 .0-0 d6=) 1 l ...cxd5
1 2.�xb6 axb6 1 3.0-0 ( 1 3.'1Wxd5 :I::l a5 14.'\Wd4 �a6 1 5 .CLl d2 :I::lx e5t!) 1 3 ... :I::le 8t Zhang Zhong
Sargissian, Merida 2008.
7 ... C2Jf6!
A promising pawn sacrifice.
7 ... g6 8.CLld2 '1We7 9.CLlxc6 bxc6 occurred in Radjabov - Aronian, Sochi 2008, and here White
could have obtained some advantage with 1 0.0-0-0.
8.'W'xg7 :I::l g8 9.'\Wh6 :I::lg6 1 0.'\Wf4
Haslinger - Campora, Seville 20 1 1 . Now Black could have improved with:
�
�� m ....
8 �� j_� �·
7 " % · im�
��
'" ""�'�1� ·" ��· �'�·"
"" "�
."�lj) '"�� %� ,ll1/" ':�
� "//�
6 �
;:::
'-?
;:::.
��w %"�w,'iflll"��llll �-
5
� � �·
<->
�
4
:![!j; "'"%�,/: ��,�

��r�""%
t3J :t[!f;� ��:t[!fd t3J :t[!f
3
� �
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;::; % � �
2
1 �d� � �=t•�
/, ,% """"" �
a b c d e f g h
1 O ... C2Jxd4! 1 l .cxd4
1 1 .�xd4 CLlxe4! is an important tactical point.
1 l ...d5 1 2.CLlc3 dxe4 1 3.CLlxe4 '1We7 1 4.CLlc3 c6 1 5 .g3 �e6 1 6.�g2 �c7 1 7.'\Wh4 :I::lg4 1 8.'\Wh6 :I::lg6=
This line is given by Dembo and Palliser, who attribute it to Postny.
6...bxc6 7.i.d3
7 ...�h4!?
This rather provocative move makes for an interesting fight, and complements our gambit
repertoire quite well.
7 . ..li'Je7 leads to a safe though slightly worse position for Black.
8.�e2
8.0-0 is playable although after 8 ... tt'lf6 White must watch his step on the kingside. Rather
than take any chances, most strong players prefer to delay castling in order to drive the black
queen backwards, as Ni Hua does in the present game.
8.. lbf6 9.h3

.
9.ibe3 ibxe3 I O.�xe3 0-0 1 1 .tt'l d2 El:e8 12.0-0 occurred in Barbeau - Panjwani, Montreal
2008, and here Barsky's suggestion of 1 2 ... d5 would have given Black a good position.
9...d6!?
This is normally considered dubious, but Evgeny Alekseev is a top grandmaster with a peak
rating of 27 1 6, so he must have had something in mind.
The more conventional route is 9 ... 0-0, but then 1 0.g3 �h5 1 1 .g4 �e5 1 2.g5 is better for
White.
a b c d e f g h
10.g3
Ni Hua takes the safe road but fails to put Black under any pressure.
According to the database only one previous game had reached this position. There White played
the toothless 10.i.e3 and after 1 0 ...i.xe3 1 1 .'1Wxe3 li:Jg4 1 2.'1Wf4?! g5! 1 3.'1Wd2 li:Je5 1 4.li:Ja3 0-0t
Black's position was preferable in 0. Cohen - Khmelniker, Herzliya 2008.
The critical continuation is

1 0.e5
Indeed, in more than one source this move is given as clearly better for White without any
further analysis. I suspect that Alekseev was planning:
I O ... li:Jd5!
1 0 ...i.g4? 1 1 .'\Wfl ! wins.
10 ... li:Jg4 1 l .exd6t i.e6 12.0-0! i.xd6 1 3.i.c4! turns out well for White.
l l .exd6t
Now Black has two possibilities.
1 l ...�d8!?
1 l . ..i.e6 1 2.d7t!? ( 1 2.dxc7 0-0 1 3.'1Wf3 i.b6 gives Black promising play) 12 ... �xd7 1 3.'1Wf3
El:he8 14.0-0 i.d6 1 5.El:d1 �e7!? 16.tt'ld2± Black has a certain amount of activity, but this is
not quite enough to offset his pawn weaknesses, not to mention the temporary misplacement
of his king.
12.0-0!
1 2.dxc7t �xc7 1 3.0-0?! i.xh3! is unpleasant for White.
1 2 ... cxd6
In this position 1 2 ...i.xh3? does not work due to 1 3.'1We5!.
12 ...i.xd6 1 3.'1Wf3 is also not great for Black.
1 3.'1Wf3±
Black's position looks rather loose and his king lacks a safe shelter. So, it appears that White
could have obtained an edge with I O.e5, but over the board Ni Hua was evidently not content
with it.
10...�h5
The position should be roughly balanced after the queen exchange.
l l .�xhS llJxhS 1 2.llJd2 aS!

It is useful to stop White from expanding on the queenside. Black has solved his opening
problems.
13.llJb3 J.b6 14.llJd4 J.d7

1 4 0-0!? is logical, as it would be much too risky to take on c6.
...
15.g4 llJf6 16.g5

White advances enthusiastically, but there is always a danger that the pawns will leave weaknesses
behind them.
16 ... llJh5 17.J.e3 g6

Giving the knight a route back into the game via g7 and e6, should it be needed.
18.�d2 0-0 19.J.e2

Black has made the more significant improvements to his position since the queen exchange,
and the time has come for him to go on the offensive.
19 ... c5!
At first this looks like a mistake as it blocks in the b6-bishop, but Alekseev has judged the
situation perfectly. The pawn advance brings Black clear benefits in other areas, such as driving
the enemy knight from the center and freeing the c6-square for the bishop. Besides, the dark
squared bishop is not completely dead, and Black should be able to find a way for it to re-enter
the game later.
20.ltlc2 f5!?
Alekseev recognizes that there is no need to retreat the knight, as after the exchange on h5 his
doubled pawns would be more than offset by White's light-square weaknesses. 20 ... j,c6 was also
promising, with the same general strategy in mind.
21.gxf6
2 1 .j,xh5?! gxh5 22.exf5 j,xf5 is unpleasant for White.
2I...l!Jxf6 22.f3 �g7!

Preventing any annoying j,h6 ideas. Black is now ready to start pressing on the kingside, and
White faces a difficult defense.
23..tg5 ltlh5 24.ltle3 h6

Black slowly drives the enemy pieces backwards.
25..te7
25.j,h4 j,e6 26.ti:Jd5 (26.c4 a4!) 26 ...j,xd5 27.exd5 a4! maintains the pressure.
25 .. JU7 26.ltld5 ghs

26 ...j,c6 was a promising alternative, for instance 27.li:Jxb6 cxb6 28.j,xd6 E'i:d7 29.e5 E'i:e8
30.�el li:Jf4 3 1 .!'\dl li:Jxe2 32.�xe2 El:f7! 33.!'\hfl j,b5t winning the exchange.
27..th4 .te6 28.l!Jxb6

28.c4 is well met by 28 ... a4!, threatening a nasty check on a5.
28... gxb6
28 ... cxb6? would improve Black's pawn structure in a theoretical sense, but in reality it would
be a horrible decision as it blocks the b-file and weakens the pawn on d6.
29.<;t>c2 lLlf4
Black can play 29 ... g5 immediately, but perhaps he wanted to get closer to move 40.
30.�fl lLlh5 31.�e2 g5 32.�el lLlf4 33.�fl lLlg6 34.c4

White must shed a pawn as 34.�e2 is met by 34 ... t/Je5.
34... gxf3 35.ha5 gf2t 36. <;t>dl ga6 37.�d2 lLlf4

37 ... t/Je5 was also strong.
38.h4?!
Now White will have to worry about the passed g-pawn. 38.a4 was a better try.
38 ...g4! 39.�e3 gf3 4o.<;t>d2 <j{£6! 41.b3 <;t>e5

4 1 ...Ela3!? was another idea to restrain the a-pawn.
42.a4
42.i.e2 deserved attention although after 42 ... l/Jxe2 43.Wxe2 Wxe4 44.i.xh6 d5! Black has
excellent winning chances.
42....td7!
The bishop is going to c6, where it cuts through the white kingside position while also keeping
an eye on the promotion square of the enemy a-pawn. Ni Hua struggles on for a few more moves
but soon has to resign.
43.h5 �b6 44.�a3 �xe4 45.a5 �b8 46.i.xf4 �xf4 47.i.d3 g3 48.a6 g2 49J�gl i.c6 50.a7
�e8 5 1.�aal �g3 52.�ael �flt 53.�c3 �xel 54Jhel �a2
0-1
Part 3 The Four Knights Game

-
l .e4 e5 2.ctJf3 ctJ c6 3.ctJc3 ctJf6

The Four Knights is one of the oldest chess openings. From this symmetrical position the game
might develop in any number of possible directions, as indicated by the following game and
accompanying notes.
Game 50
Sergei Rublevsky - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Foros 2006
l.e4 eS 2.ttlf3 ttlc6 3.ttlc3 ttlf6 4.i.h5

This active bishop development is the main line. White's alternatives are summarized below:
4.ii.c4 CLlxe4! transposes to 3.ii.c4 CLl f6 4.CLlc3 CLlxe4! as discussed on page 34 1 .
4.g3
This move is named after the German GM Igor Glek. Despite its timid appearance it should
not be underestimated.
4 ... d5
4 ...ii.c5 is the other main move, but for our purposes I think it makes sense to open up the
center. Hardcore gambit fanatics may wish to investigate 4 ... CLlxe4!? 5.CLlxe4 d5 although this
obviously comes with a health warning!
5.exd5 CLlxd5 6.ii.g2 CLlxc3 7.bxc3 ii.d6 8.0-0 0-0
The stage is set for a tense middlegame. White will put his faith in the latent power of the
g2-bishop, while Black can hope to benefit from his sounder pawn structure.
9 .E\b 1 E\b8 1 O.d4
�
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8 ....
7
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[� " � /�
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6 �
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[I [I� " [I[I
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5 ....,
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ab d c f g he
1 0 ... h6!?
-
It is useful to take the g5-square under control. The following line illustrates the dynamic
potential in White's position: 1 0 ... E\e8 1 l .CLlg5! ii.f5 12.f4! (much better than 1 2.Eixb7 Elxb7
13.ii.xc6 Elb1 1 4.ii.xe8 Wxe8� as occurred in 0. Hansen T. Christiansen, carr. 2000)
12 ... exd4 (12 ... exf4 1 3 .l2'lxf7!) 1 3.g4! h6 14.gxf5 hxg5 1 5.fXg5 dxc3 1 6.'it>hl with a dangerous
initiative for White, Casier - Cottegnie, e-mail 2005 .
I I .j'gel �f6 1 2.ctJd2 j,f5 1 3.ctJe4 �g6

Black has a sound position and in the following game he soon had a chance to take over the
initiative.
1 4.d5 ctJa5 1 5.h4 j,xe4 1 6.j'gxe4 f5 17.h5
Hector - Johannessen, Malmo 2002. Now Black should have played:
a b c d e f g h
1 7 ...�£7! l S.j'gei tLlc4 1 9.$JI b5
Black has the better chances.
White can also take immediate action in the center:

4.d4 exd4
Players looking for an unusual option may consider 4 ...j,b4!? 5.ctJxe5 (5.d5 ctJe7 6.ctJxe5 d6
7.j,b5t �f8 8.ctJf3 ctJxe4 9.�d4 ctJxc3 I O.bxc3 j,c5 is okay for Black) 5 ...�e7 6.�d3 ctJxe5
7.dxe5 �xe5 8.j,d2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d6 with a playable position, although White may be just a
shade better.
5.ctJxd4
The alternative is 5.ctJd5, which is known as the Belgrade Gambit. Black's safest reaction is to
Other Systems after l .e4 e S 333
avoid grabbing material and develop with S ...il.e7 (S ... l2Jb4!? is a riskier option), when the main
line continues 6.il.f4 d6 7.CUxd4 0-0 8.CUb5 CUxd5 9.exd5 CUeS with equal chances.
5 ... il.b4
This is the most reliable move, although 5 ...il.c5 is also playable.
6.CUxc6 bxc6 7.il.d3 0-0 8.0-0 d5 9.exd5
9.e5 CUg4 I O.il.f4 f6! l l .exf6 Wxf6 12.il.g3 ( 1 2.il.xc7? CUxf2) 1 2 ...il.d6 gives Black the initiative.
9 ... cxd5 lO.il.g5 c6
This position has been tested in thousands of games, and the conclusion is that Black is
absolutely fine. The main line continues:
l l .Wf3 h6!
Other moves are possible, but this is the simplest equalizer.
1 2.il.xf6 Wxf6 1 3.Wxf6 gxf6
Black's bishop pair makes up for his broken kingside pawns.
1 4.CUe2 il.d6
Black can try to avoid the following simplification with a move like 14 .. J�b8, but the position
is equal anyway.
1 5.CUd4 c5 1 6.CUf5 il.xf5 1 7.h5 il.e5
The endgame is absolutely equal, and several games have been agreed drawn here.
a b c d e f g h
4... ltld4!?
This is Black's most dynamic option. The main alternative is 4 ...ibb4, maintaining the symmetry.
s.i.a4
5.ctJxe5 Vfie7 regains the pawn and gives Black an easy game.
5.'Llxd4 exd4 6.e5 dxc3 7.exf6 Vfixf6 8.dxc3 ibc5!? (8 ...Vfie5t 9.Vfie2 Vfixe2t I O.ibxe2 is a well
known equal endgame) 9.0-0 0-0 I O.ibxd7 ibxd7 ( 1 0 ... 1"ld8 I I .Vfih5 ibxd7 1 2.Vfixc5 ibc6 is also
playable) l l .Vfixd7 1"lae8 gives Black decent play for a pawn.
5.ibc4 is a more serious move. Here too Black can sacrifice a pawn: 5 ... c6!? (5 . . . ibc5 is also playable)
6.'Llxe5 (6.0-0 'Llxf3t 7.11-:lfxf3 ibc5 equalizes) 6 . . . d5 7.exd5 ibd6 8.'Llf3 'Llxf3t 9.Vfixf3 0-0
I O.h3 b5 I I .ibe2 b4 12.'Lle4 'Llxe4 13.Vfixe4 1"le8 1 4.Vfif3 iba6 1 5.d3 cxd5 Black had promising
compensation in G. Jones - Hebden, West Bromwich 2004.
5 ...c6
Offering a pawn sacrifice.
6.ctJxe5
IfWhite wishes to fight for an opening advantage then he should accept the challenge.
6.0-0 is well met by 6 ...Vfia5!, defending e5 while targeting the bishop. Then 7.1"lel d6 8.h3 b5
9.ibb3 'Llxb3 1 0.cxb3 b4 l l .ctJe2 c5 12.d3 ibe7 1 3.'Lld2 Vfic7 was equal in Shirov - L. B. Hansen,
Moscow 1 994.
Instead of 12.d3 in the above line, Obodchuk suggests the more dynamic 1 2.d4!? cxd4
13.'Llexd4 with the point that 1 3 ... exd4 1 4 .e5 gives White a strong attack in return for a piece.
However, Black is under no obligation to take the knight, and alternatives such as 1 3 . . .ibb7 or
even 1 3 ... h6!? seem reasonable enough for him.
6... d5!
6 ... d6 has been played in several games but looks inferior: 7.'Ll8 ibg4 8 .d3 d5 (8 ...'Ll d7 9 .ibe3
Other Systems after l . e4 e5 335
L/Jxf3t 1 0.gxf3 �hS l l .d4 �f6 1 2.Eigl �xf3 1 3.�d3±) 9.0-0 dxe4 (9 ... b5 1 0.�b3 b4 l l .L/J b l
dxe4 1 2.dxe4 L/Jxf3t 1 3.gxf3 Wixdl 1 4.Eixdl �xf3 1 5.Eiel±) 1 0.L/Jxe4 L/Jxe4 l l .Eiel I was unable
to find a path to equality here.
7.d3
Risky as it appears, White can also open the e-file.
7.exd5
This is likely to lead to an entertaining draw after accurate play. The main line runs as follows:
7 ...�d6 8.dxc6 0-0 9.L/Jc4
9 ... b5!
Luring another piece away from the kingside.
l O.L!JxbS �g4
Black is four (!) pawns down but is able to whip up a strong attack against the exposed enemy
king.
l l .f3 �xf3! 1 2.gxf3 L/Je4! 1 3.mfl
1 3.L/Jxd4 also leads to a perpetual: 1 3 ...�h4t 1 4.me2 �f2t 1 5.md3 L/JcSt 1 6.mc3 L/Jxa4t
1 7.md3 Y2-Y2 Degraeve - Koch, Auxerre 1 996.
13 ... �h4 1 4.£Xe4 �f4t 1 s.mg1 �g5t 1 6.mf2 �f4t 1 7.mg2 �xe4t 1 s .mg1 �g6t 1 9.mf2 �f5t
20.mg2 �e4t
2 I .Wh3??
Simply 2 l .Wf2 would have forced a perpetual.
In the game Oancea - Kerkvliet, e-mail 2000, White evidently thought he could play for a win,
but his last move enables Black to force the opposite result with:
2 1 ...ctJe2!-+
Funnily enough in the game Black erred with 2 1 ...'1We6t?, but later he won anyway after his
opponent blundered.
7...i.d6
Developing with tempo.
8.£4
8.ctJf3 ctJxf3t 9.gxf3 0-0 10.i.b3 ctJh5!? 1 l .exd5 Ei:eSt 1 2.i.e3 cxd5 13.ctJxd5 i,e6 14.ctJc3 '1Wa5
1 5.i,xe6 Ei:xe6� Gormally - Hebden, Newport 2004.
8 i.c5!?
..•
Directed against castling. 8 ...0-0 is playable but the text is more aggressive.
9.exd5 0-0 lO.ctJe4

In the event of 1 0.dxc6 bxc6 1 1 .Wfl Ei:e8 12.i,b3 Berbatov - Mikhalevski, Aix-les-Bains 20 1 1 ,
Black should play 1 2 . . .Ei:e7 with ongoing compensation.
lO ctJxe4
.•.
1 0 ... 1Wxd5!? also looks promising.
l l.dxe4 "!Wh4t 12.g3 "!Wh3

Black's opening has been a great success, as he has a huge attack for the two sacrificed pawns.
13.i.e3
1 3.1Wd2 i,g4 threatens a check on f3. White should prevent this with 14.Ei:fl , but then Black
can intensify the pressure with 1 4 ... Ei:ae8!, developing the last piece and leaving White in a
perilous situation.
13 .. .'1&g2 14.�gl
1 4.B:fl would have covered the f3-square, but now Black has time for 14 .. .f6!, leading to the
following sequence: 1 5.i.xd4 '1Wxe4t 1 6.\We2 iWxd4 17.i.b3 fxe5 1 8 .c3 iWe3 1 9.d6t Wh8 20.'1Wxe3
i.xe3 2 1 .fxe5 B:e8 Black has good winning chances despite the dangerous pawns.
14.. .'1Wxe4 1 S.�fl �e8

White is already in serious trouble.
I6.'1Wd3?!
A mistake in a difficult position.
The greedy 1 6.dxc6? leads, unsurprisingly, to a quick defeat: 1 6 ... B:xe5! 1 7.fxe5 i.g4 1 8.'1Wd3
iWf3t 1 9.We l B:d8 20.cxb7 (20.B:fl '1Wg2) now the simple 20 ...'1Wxb7! leaves White helpless
against the threats of ... 'Llf3t and ... 'Llxc2t.
The best chance was 1 6.c3 B:xe5 1 7. fxe5 i.g4 1 8.cxd4 hd1 1 9.B:axdl cxd5 20.i.b5 when White
is clearly worse, but still has some chances to resist with rook and bishop against a queen.
16..J'he5! 17.fxe5 '1Wf3t

The calm 1 7 ... '\Wxd5! looks even stronger.
18.@el if5 19.E:fl

19.'1Wd2 1Mfxd5 20.!::\ fl tt'lf3t 2 1 .l3xf3 '1Wxf3 22.ixc5 'IWhl t wins.
19 .. .ih4t!
1 9 ...ixd3 20.l3xf3 tt'lxf3t 2 l .@f2 sees White escape with only a small disadvantage.
20.c3 ixd3 21.E:xf3 ctJxf3t 22.@£2 CLlxh2 23.cxb4 CLlg4t 24.@f3 CLlxe5t 25.@f4 lLlg6t
26.@f3 cxd5-+
The dust has settled. Black must take care not to allow the enemy bishops to become active, but
Mamedyarov keeps a cool head and converts his advantage efficiently.
31 .ic2 CLle5t 32.@f4 f6 33.E:dl

33 ...J.xa2
33 ... g5t! 34.lt>f5 Ele8! would have won more quickly, for instance: 35.ii.d4 (35.b3 ct:lg4!
36.ibxg5 [36.lt>xg4 ibe2t] 36 ... fXg5 37.lt>xg4 ibe2t) 35 ... ii.e2! 36.1t>xf6 ct:lg4t 37.lt>xg5 h6t
38.lt>g6 ct:le3-+
34.h3
34.ii.c5 a5 35.bxa5 Elxa5 36.Eial was another idea, although Black should be able to escape the
pin and win with careful play, starting with 36 ... ctJc6, or even 36 ... lt>f7 first.
34.. -Eks 35.J.c5
35 ...a5!
Exploiting the tactical vulnerability of the white bishops.
36.J.f5
36.lt>e3! was a better chance, when Black still has to take care.
36 hb3! 37.1:'!! b l i.c2!

•..
A clever tactic to finish the game. The rest is easy.
38.i.e6t 'it>h8 39.1:'!! a l l:'!! e8 40.bxa5 CLld3t 4I.'it>:8 CL:lxc5 42.i.xd5 b4 43.a6 CLlxa6
0-1
•!• As we have seen throughout the book, development and king safety can often outweigh
material.
•!• Always try to develop your pieces with tempo.
•!• Sacrificial attacks do not always end in mate, especially when facing a skilled defender.
Sometimes you will end up having to convert a slight material or positional advantage in
an endgame. So remember, no matter how aggressive your chess style, you cannot hope to
achieve real success without becoming strong in all areas of the game.
Part 4 The Two Knights

-
This opening is characterized by the following moves: l.e4 e5 2.CLl:8 CLlc6 3.i.c4 CLlf6
� m..L�m1�w
s .a m A ��
��,/�
:?&
7
" "�i%-�
�.�
� ,,�-,,
- "�
�
6
5 �� - �
�� 8,�
� �� ' ��
�
-� r�U�,� -�-�,�
A �� A �� A ��
3
2 0 iO% 0 ;;:L.J% ;;:L.J% 0 ;;:L.J%
1 ''��-�=uu/.i �
a b c d e f g h
Black's last move can be viewed as slightly more aggressive than 3 ... �c5, as it attacks the e4-
pawn and invites the early complications resulting from 4.lt'lg5, which we already encountered
in the Traxler chapter. Obviously it is not to everyone's tastes to play in such an uncompromising
fashion with the white pieces, and we will now take a look at his other options.
We shall enjoy a fine performance by Boris Gelfand, which received the accolade of being voted
the best game in Chess Informant.
Other Systems after l . e4 eS 34 1
Game 51
Sergey Karjakin - Boris Gelfand
Khanty-Mansiysk 2009
l .e4 e5 2.ltlf3
The actual move order ofthe game was 2.�c4 tt'lf6 3.d3 tt'lc6 4.tt'lf3, which Karjakin undoubtedly
chose in order to avoid the Petroff Defense. I have altered the sequence here so that we can discuss
White's other options on the fourth move.
2 ... ltlc6 3 ..ic4 ltlf6 4.d3

This modest move is one of White's most important options, and is still used regularly by
players all the way up to super-GM level.
4.tt'lc3 allows the well-known trick: 4 ... tt'lxe4! 5.tt'lxe4 (5.0-0 transposes to 4.0-0 below, and
5.�xf7t? �xf7 6.tt'lxe4 d5 7.tt'leg5t �g8 is awful for White) 5 ... d5 Black regains his piece with
a comfortable position. 6.�d3 dxe4 7.�xe4 �d6 8.0-0 0-0=
4.0-0 tt'lxe4 5.tt'lc3 is a pawn sacrifice based on quick development and attacking chances, not
unlike many of the ones featured in my three Gambit Guide volumes. This one does not have the
best reputation, and after 5 ... tt'lxc3 6.dxc3 f6 (6 ... h6!? has also scored highly) 7.tt'lh4 g6 8.f4 Vfie7
9.b4 d6 I O.f5 Vfig7 White does not really have enough compensation.
By far the most important fourth-move alternative is:

4.d4
This is also covered in Chapter 5 of the White Gambits book, where I refer to it as the Morphy
Attack.
4 ... exd4
5.0-0
5.e5 is another important option. Here is a brief summary of the theory: 5 ... d5 (5 ... tt'le4!? is
also not bad) 6.�b5 tt'le4 7.tt'lxd4 �d7 (7 ...�c5!? is a provocative move which often transposes)
8.�xc6 bxc6 9.0-0 �c5 I O.f3 'Llg5 I l .f4 'Lle4 12.�e3 �b6 1 3.'Lld2 'Llxd2 1 4.iWxd2 c5 1 5.'Llf3
d4 1 6.�f2 �c6 Black's bishop pair and mobile c- and d-pawns should give him decent chances.
The bishop on b6 may appear bad, but it could be compared with the bishop in the earlier
Ni Hua - Alekseev game, as Black has enough dynamic potential to put this piece to good use
later in the game.
Here is a short line showing how the game might develop:
8 �. � �-
��:�n("" � '""�
%� ��rst��
7
6
" ,�
"l'a"" %•�t�� -�-" · ��" I.

%� �
� " ' "�\:�r� ��r� "� �
s � ��
- m "
4 �- " "%W" " %� � m i
� ��'}" " %� ��
� r;, ��' -"'- ��- �
� �
3
� r ;, ��
2
{" r�/- � �
��"" ""'/-m � r�
"'"�:�n:{ """
�
�� W - �M� �
1
a b c d e f g h
1 7.�h4 iWd7! ( 1 7 ...iWd5? is a mistake due to 1 8.f5! with a strong initiative for White) 1 8.f5?!
Now this is a mistake. 1 8 ... iWxf5! The threats along the f-file are not serious. 1 9.'Llxd4 iWd7
20.'Llf3 c4t 2l .�f2 �xf3 22.iWxd7t �xd7 23.gxf3 �e6 Black had the more pleasant endgame
and eventually won in Khandelwal - Greet, Torquay 2009.
5 ... 'Llxe4
Black should have no qualms about taking a second pawn. This might seem contrary to the
preaching of this whole series, but this happens to be a well-known position where the most
White can achieve is to regain his material.
6.:8el d5
7.ii,xd5
Making use of a double-pin.
The tricky 7.li:Jc3?! is occasionally seen, but after the accurate 7 ... dxc3! S.ii,xd5 ii,e6 9.ii,xe4
(9.l"lxe4? li:Je7!-+) 9 .. .'�xd1 10.l"lxd1 cxb2 1 l .ii,xb2 f6 Black is better.
7 .. .'1Wxd5 8.li:Jc3 �a5 9.li:Jxe4 ii,e6 1 0.li:Jeg5
1 O.ii,d2 ii,b4 leads to equality after the following mostly forced sequence: 1 1 .li:Jxd4 li:Jxd4 12.c3
ii,e7 1 3.cxd4 \Wd5 1 4.ii,b4 ii,xb4 1 5.\Wa4t \Wc6 1 6.\Wxb4 0-0-0 1 7.:1'lacl '1Wb6 1 8.'1Wc3 l"lxd4
1 9.li:Jc5 l"lhd8 20.li:Jxe6 fxe6 2l .l"lxe6 l"ld1 t= Sefc - Alster, Prague 1 955.
10 ... 0-0-0 1 l .li:Jxe6 fxe6 1 2.:1'lxe6 ii,d6
a b c d e f g h
13.ii,d2?!
This natural move puts White in some danger.
More reliable is 1 3.ii,g5 l"lde8, for example: 1 4.\We2 (14.\We1 '1Wxe1 t 1 5.l"laxe1 l"lxe6 1 6.:1'lxe6
Wd7 1 7.:1'le4 l"le8 1 8.l"lxe8 Wxe8 19.Wfl Wf7 20.ii,d2 h6 2 l .�e2 We6 22.�d3 Wd5 23.li:Jxd4
li:Jxd4 24.c4t We6!= Hacat - Hughey, Edmonton 2000) 1 4 . . . Wd7 1 5.:1'lxe8 ( 1 5.l"le 1 ?! allows
1 5 ...\Wxe1 t! 1 6.\Wxel l"lxe6+) 1 5 ... :1'lxe8 16.1Wd3 g6= Berend - Christiansen, Eupen 1 997.
1 3 ...\Wh5! 1 4.\We2?
This natural but careless move lands White in serious trouble.
14 ... d3!
A powerful tactical strike, based on the following point:
1 5.cxd3? tt:Jd4
White finds himself impaled on a horrible three-pronged fork, with e2, e6 and f3 all in the
firing line.
1 6.'1Mfe1
Another game ended 1 6.�e4 ctJxf3t 1 7.'1Mfxf3 iMfxh2t 0-1 Punt - De Groote, Hengelo 2004.
16 ... ctJxf3t 1 7.gxf3 iMfxh2t 1 8.c;t>fl iMfh3t
0-1 A. Janevska - M. Mitkov, Struga 1 993. White resigned as 1 9.c;t>g1 �h2t 20.c;t>h 1 �e5t!
wins the rook on e6.
Let us now return to the main line after 4.d3.
4 ...�e7
4 ... �c5 might seem more outwardly active, but in some ways it is the text move which is more
aggressive, as Black is the one who is demanding a break in the symmetry. The bishop helps to
fortifY the kingside, and in some lines Black can play for a queenside advance with ... ctJa5 and
... c5, which would not be possible with the bishop on c5.
5.0-0 0-0 6.�b3

The main line is 6.Ei:el , which has the advantage of preventing Black's next move, and tends
to lead to a maneuvering game resembling the Ruy Lopez. 6 ... d6 7.c3 (The other main line is
7.a4 ctJa5 [7 ...�e6 is also possible, along with several other moves] 8.�a2 c5, reaching a slightly
different type of position.) 7... ctJa5 8.�b5 a6 9.�a4 c5!? Black can play ... b5 and force the bishop
back to c2 at any moment, but there is no need to rush, as the bishop is arguably better on c2
than a4. l O.ctJbd2 iMfc7 1 l .ctJfl �e6 12.ctJg3 B:ad8 1he position is balanced. Black's plan is to play
... d5, seizing space in the center.
6... d5!
As early as the sixth move, Black is already fighting for the initiative.
6 ... d6 7.c3 is likely to transpose to the previous note, as White's rook will normally go to el at
some point.
7.exd5 tlJxd5
8.h3
The critical continuation is 8.2::\ e l �g4 9.h3 when Black can sacrifice a pawn in the spirit of the
Marshall Gambit: 9 ... �h5 (Also 9 ...�xf3 1 0.'\Wxf3 ctJd4!? 1 1 .'1Wxd5 '\Wxd5 12.�xd5 ctJxc2 1 3 .2::\xe5
is rather unclear) 1 O.g4 �g6 1 1 .ctJxe5 ctJxe5 12.2::\xe5 c6 1he position bears a certain resemblance
to Chapter 1 , does it not?
Mter the move played in the game, Gelfand played an excellent (though far from new) move.
8... a5! 9.a4

9.iba4 is well met by 9 ... lt'ld4! 1 0.lt'lxe5 lt'lb6 1 l .c3 lt'lxa4 1 2.'\Wxa4 lt'le2t 1 3.\t>h1 ibf6 when
Black had a dangerous initiative in Shirov - Mozetic, Tilburg 1 993.
9... ttJd4 IO.ctJxd4

1 0.lt'lxe5?! lt'lxb3 1 1 .cxb3 lt'lb4 gives Black more than enough compensation.
IO... exd4 I I .E!el
8 ...
7
a b c d e f g h
l l ...E!a6!!
Gelfand offers a piece sacrifice in order to whisk his rook over to the kingside.
I2."1Wh5
Against normal developing moves, Black just swings the rook to the kingside and gets a good
game. Of course, we need to check what happens if White accepts the offer of material.
1 2.ibxd5 '\Wxd5 1 3Jhe7

This should lead to a draw with correct play.

1 3 ... 2:g6
The g2-pawn is the target.
14.f3
1 4.g4? '1Wh5! (14 .. .f5 1 5.c4! is annoying) 1 5.2:e4 ( 1 5.f3 f5; 1 5.'1Wf3 .txg4 16.hxg4 2:xg4t
1 7.<;t>fl l::\g lt l S.<;t>xgl '1Wxf3-+) 1 5 ...'\Wxh3 1 6.g5 f5 1 7.2:e5 f4 1 8.'\Wfl '\Wh4 1 9.'1Wg2 2:f5-+
1 4 ....txh3 1 5.2:e2 '1Wxf3 1 6.'\Wfl .txg2
1 6 ... '1Wh5 also leads to a draw: 1 7 ..tf4 .txg2 1 8.2:xg2 2:e8 1 9.ttJd2 2:e2 20.2:xg6 �xg6t 2 1 .<;t>h1
'\Wh5t 22.<;t>gl '1Wg4t 23.<;t>hl =
1 7.2:xg2 2:xg2t 1 8.'1Wxg2 '1Wdl t
Neither side can realistically avoid the perpetual check (analysis by Gelfand).
a b c d e f g h
12 ... lt:Jb4
Later Gelfand pointed out that 12 ....tb4! 1 3.2:e2 (13 ..td2 ttJf4! 14.1Wf3 2:f6 gives Black
excellent play) 1 3 ... 2:e6 1 4.2:xe6 .txe6 1 5.ttJd2 2:e8 would have been the most accurate route to
an edge for Black.
13.ttla3
Karjakin avoids blocking his dark-squared bishop, perhaps anticipating the line 1 3.ttJd2 2:h6!
1 4.'1Wxa5 b6 1 5.�a8 ( 1 5 .'\WeS ttJxc2 1 6.'1Wxe7 '1Wxe7 1 7.2:xe7 ttJxal+) 1 5 ... ttJc6 when Black has
fine compensation.
13... 2:g6
The rook completes its mission. Now White will have to take great care on the kingside.
14.�£4 b6
1 4 ....te6!? was a decent alternative, but the way the game turned out Black was happy to keep
the bishop's options open.
I5.'1Wf.3?!
Directed against ....tb7, but allowing something even more unpleasant.
8 ...
7
6
5
2
1
a b c d e f g h
15 ...�e6!
It looks like Karjakin became so preoccupied with preventing the bishop from coming to b7
that he forgot all about the text move.
16.�xe6
White would have preferred not to open the f-file for the enemy rook, but the alternatives were
equally unattractive.
1 6.l"i:e2 allows 1 6 ... tt'lxc2! when the tactics work in Black's favor.
It looks tempting to sacrifice the exchange with 1 6.l"i:xe6!? fxe6 1 7.'\We4, but after 1 7 ... tt'la6! White
clearly does not have enough for it.
16...fxe6 17.'l1Ne4
a b c d e f g h
17...�d6!
The bishop on e7 was not doing anything useful, so Black exchanges it for an important
defender. Once that goal has been accomplished, the plan will be to transfer his knight to the
ideal attacking square on f4.
Other Systems after l . e4 e5 349
18.ixd6
1 8.i.d2 can be met by 1 8 ... ctJd5 followed by . . .i.f4 when the knight reaches its desired outpost
anyway.
Gelfand also mentions the lines 1 8.i.e5 i.xe5 1 9.'1Wxe5 'Wh4 and 1 8.i.g3 'Wg5 1 9.h4 'Wh5, both
of which maintain Black's advantage.
18 ...cxd6 19.WI'xd4
1 9.g3 would have held out for longer, although after 1 9 ... e5 Black is in full control of the
position.
19...WI'g5 20.g3
20.'1We4 ctJd5 and 20.'1Wg4 'Wf6 2 1 .'11h'e2 ctJd5 both see the knight heading for f4.
a b c d e f g h
20...WI'f5!
Switching to a new target - the h3-pawn.
21.g4
Gelfand points out that 2 1 .h4 e5 22.'11h'e3 ctJd5 23.'11h'e2 ctJf4 gives Black a decisive attack, and
2 1 .rJ?h2 ctJxc2! 22.ctJxc2 'Wxf2t leads to an easily winning endgame.
2 1...h5 22J�e4 d5
White's defenses are at breaking point, and something has to give.
23.�h2
23.l::l e 5 'Wf6 threatens a deadly knight fork, and White is unable to prevent this while also
keeping his kingside together.
23...WI'f3
23 ...'1Wg5 was also winning, but Gelfand has seen a route to a trivial endgame.
24J!eel hxg4 25.'1We3 gxh3 26.'Wxf3 �xf3

Black has one extra pawn, and another white foot soldier is about to fall. The rest is easy.
!
•• In the Two Knights with 4.d3, look for opportunities to open the center with ... d5 -
especially if you can do it in one move, without spending time on ... d6.
!
•• When opening the center, always consider the threat to your e-pawn after l"i:e l . You might
even be able to sacrifice it in the style of the Marshall Attack.
!
•• The idea of swinging a rook to the kingside via the a6-square is unusual for the Two
Knights, but it worked to perfection in this game. Of course the same technique can be
used to great effect in numerous other position types.
!
•• When you are attacking, opening files for your pieces takes priority over pawn structure.
The move 1 5 ... ibe6!, followed by ... fxe6 to unleash the rook on f8, was a good example.
!
•• If you have a winning attack, it may be a good idea to 'cash in' your advantage and simplifY
to a winning endgame, to minimize the risk of anything going wrong.
Part 5 - The Ruy Lopez Sidelines and Anti-Marshall

In this, the final section of the chapter, we will review the various ways in which White may
sidestep the main theoretical path leading to the Marshall Attack from Chapter 1 .
l.e4 e5 V!ljf3 .!lJc6 3.J\b5 a6 4.J\a4

4.ibxc6 dxc6 was covered in Chapter 2.
4 .!tJf6
•..
a b c d e f g h
Now there are two sets of lines for us to consider: a) Alternatives on moves 5 and 6 and
b) Anti-Marshall systems.
a) Alternatives on moves 5 and 6
l .e4 e5 2.tlJf3 tlJc6 3.�b5 a6 4.�a4 tlJf6 5.0-0

Here is a brief summary of White's fifth-move alternatives:
5.d4 should be met by 5 ... exd4 when both 6.0-0 �e7 and 6.e5 ctJe4 7.0-0 �e7 transpose to lines
after 6.d4 below.
5.ctJc3 is harmless. The main line continues 5 ... b5 6.�b3 �e7 7.d3 d6 8.ctJd5 ctJa5 when both
sides lose an important bishop, leading to an equal position.
5.'®e2 b5 6.�b3 �e7 (6 ...�c5 is another good move) will normally transpose to 6.We2 below.
5.d3 is a reasonable move. Now Black can consider 5 ... b5 6.�b3 �e7 angling for a transposition
to 6.d3 below. However, since Black's bishop is not yet committed to the e7-square, he can also
consider 5 ... d6 followed by ... g6 and ...�g7, as favored by many strong players. In the Closed
Ruy Lopez it is not uncommon for Black to regroup his kingside pieces with ... EleS, ...�fS, ...g6
and ...�g7, so putting the bishop on g7 early makes a good deal of sense. White has tried many
different set-ups from here, but as a general rule Black is holding his own.
5 ...�e7 6.d4
This is not the most theoretically challenging move, but it is one ofthe first lines you should study
before playing the black side of the Ruy Lopez, as White provokes an immediate confrontation
which could prove dangerous against an unprepared defender.
Before we investigate this line, let us briefly review the alternatives:
The main line is 6.Ele l , after which 6 ... b5 7.�b3 0-0 reaches the stem position for the Anti
Marshall, as considered in Game 52 which follows shortly. Apart from that White's main
alternatives are:
6."iffie2 b5 7.ib3 0-0 8.c3 is known as the Worrall System. Here Black can continue in the spirit
r�.i.a
of the Marshall Attack:
8 %.�,%--��§· ,y-� ' T

7
' � 4i� �----�-----%�
s ji�J� ll8 ll t
6 �
lll&i i Jill�
: ll'�lii!J� 'll llll �
��-�- - --;;�r� ��-� ��-� �
2 '{[j 'f{jif'f[j '{�
t3J---- -z----% d'----%w - --\�:t3J-i{'---- �
l �ctJ� �;J' - M �
a b c d e f g h
8 ... d5 9.d3 White usually declines the offer. (9.exd5 can be met by 9 ... e4 I O.dxc6 ig4 when
Black will obtain promising compensation after shattering the enemy kingside.) 9 ... Ei:e8 White
can try a few different set-ups from here, but Black's plan remains more or less the same. He will
tuck his bishop back on f8, then play ... h6, ... ie6, .. .'\Wd7 and ... Ei:ad8 with a fine position.
6.d3 b5 7.ib3 d6 8.c3 (8.a4 b4 can be compared to the 8.a4 b4 Anti-Marshall as discussed in the
notes to Game 52 below) 8 ... 0-0 9.Ei:el ctJa5 I O.ic2 c5
The position resembles the 6.Ei:el line given in the note to White's 6th move in Game 5 1 - the
only difference being that in that case Black had the option of delaying ... b5 and leaving the
bishop on a4. This position has been reached in thousands of games, and both sides can choose
between several different set-ups. One of Black's most direct plans involves centralizing his forces
and aiming to advance in the center with ... d5 at the earliest opportunity. The following game
illustrates this strategy quite nicely: l l .ctJbd2 tt:lc6 12.ctJfl "iffic7 1 3.ctJg3 ie6 1 4.tt:lg5 Ei:ad8 Black
does not mind allowing the bishop to be taken, and is more concerned about bringing all his
pieces into the game. 1 5 . tt:lxe6 fxe6
8 m%�if��'--�-��·
--- -,�-�
7 m� ·-,,�. ---- %�' �
i
� ---- % "�if R
.f.f
6
s � t
4 m, m,lrm m �
�� l
3
ii>Ji rfi' "il l il%!/l 0" %!! w
2
%�,�� %""'��}�
1 � �if�� L
a b c d e f g h
1 6.f4? Attempting to open the position for the bishops, but Black's superior development proves
to be the more telling factor. 1 6 ... d5! 1 7.fXe5 ctJxe5 1 8.exd5 :!'i:xd5 1 9.i.f4 i.d6 20.'1We2 ctJxd3
2 l .i.xd6 i1*'xd6 22.i.xd3 :!'i:xd3 23.'1Wxe6t i1*'xe6 24.:!'i:xe6 :!'i:d2 Black was better and went on to
win the ending in Arakhamia-Grant - Greet, Sunningdale 2007.
6 ... exd4
7.:!'i:el
7.e5 is a significant alternative: 7 ... ttJe4 8.ctJxd4 (S.:!'i:el ctJc5 9.i.xc6 dxc6 1 O.ctJxd4 0-0 l l .ctJc3
f5!? is excellent for Black.) 8 ... 0-0 9.ctJf5 ctJc5!? This somewhat unusual move leads to interesting
positions which seem quite promising for Black. (9 ... d5 is the main theoretical move, and is
also known to be fine.) 1 0.'1Wg4 g6 l l .i.xc6 dxc6 12.ctJxe7t i1*'xe7 1 3.'1Wg3 :!'i:e8 Black's lead in
development and harmonious piece play (the general plan is ...i.f5, ... ctJe6, ... :!'i:adS) are at least as
significant as the weakened dark squares on the kingside.
7...b5 8.e5
At first this looks quite dangerous, but Black can take the sting out of it with ease.
8.�b3 is also harmless: 8 ... d6 9.�d5 (9.tt:lxd4?? loses a piece to 9 ... tt:lxd4 1 0.\Wxd4 c5-+, while
9.a4?! �g4 is unpleasant for White) 9 ... tt:lxd5 1 0.exd5 tt:le5 1 1 .tt:lxd4 0-0 Black has a promising
position as 1 2.f4?! �g4 13.'1Wd2 tt:lc4 1 4.\Wd3 !:le8 turns out badly for White.
8... ltlxe5!
There is no need for Black to allow his kingside to be damaged. The text move kills White's
initiative and gives Black the slightly easier game.
9J'he5
Mter 9.tt:lxe5 bxa4 1 o.\Wxd4 0-0 Black's bishop pair is at least as relevant as his slightly damaged
queenside.
9 ...d6 lOJ'�el
1 O.!:lxe7t '1Wxe7 1 1 .�b3 c5 is better for Black.
1 0...bxa4 l l.ltlxd4 i.d7 12.Wff3 0-0 13.ltlc6 i.xc6 14.WI'xc6 d5!

Black has a slight lead in development and already it is White who should be trying to equalize.
This may not be so easy, and the database reveals that he has only scored around 30% from this
position.
b) Anti-Marshall systems
The following game will deal with the main Anti-Marshall systems. These all constitute major
branches of chess theory, and it is impossible to cover them comprehensively in such a short
space. Instead I have sketched an outline of the main variations, allowing the reader to fill in
the details according to his own tastes. There are a few relevant books on the market, but Sabino
Brunella's Attacking the Spanish stands out as one of the best, even when such blatant publisher
bias is taken out of the equation!
Game 52
Christopher Lutz Etienne Bacrot
-
German Bundesliga 2007
l .e4 e5 vllj f3 c!Llc6 3.i.b5 a6 4.i.a4 c!Llf6 5.0-0 i.e7 6J�el b5 7.i.b3 0-0
Compared with 7 ... d6, which leads to the traditional Main Line Ruy Lopez, the text move
keeps the option of meeting 8.c3 with 8 ... d5. If White wishes to avoid the Marshall Attack then
this is his last chance to steer the game along a different path. It follows that the "Anti-Marshall"
label is used to describe all ofWhite's eighth-move alternatives to 8.c3.
8.h3
This is the most modern of the Anti-Marshall systems. The pawn on h3 stops some of Black's
traditional attacking ideas (such as ... tt:Jg4) and invites a transposition into the main lines of the
Closed Ruy Lopez, which could occur after 8 ... d6 9.c3.
White has two other significant ways of sidestepping the Marshall:
8.d4 ctJxd4!? is a risky but playable way for Black to unbalance the game. (The main line is
8 ... d6 9.c3 j,g4 when both I O .j,e3 and I O .d5 have amassed considerable bodies of theory.)
9.ctJxd4 (9.j,xf7t Elxf7 1 0 .ctJxe5 Elf8 l l .Wxd4 c5 1 2.Wdl j,b7 gives Black promising play for a
pawn.) 9 ... exd4 1 0.e5 ( 1 0.Wxd4?? c5 will trap the bishop on b3.) l O ... ctJe8 l l .c3!? ( l l .Wxd4 c5
1 2 .We4 ctJc7 gives Black decent play.) l l ...dxc3 1 2.ctJxc3 d6 White has sufficient compensation
for a pawn, but not enough for an advantage according to current theory.
8.a4
This is one of the most important Anti-Marshall systems.
8 ... b4
The other main line is 8 ...�b7.
9.d3
White's attempts to play more actively in the center lead nowhere:
9.c3 d6 (9 ... d5?! would be a mistake as the white bishop might have the option of going to c4
and fl to defend the kingside.) I O.d4 bxc3 l l .bxc3 �g4 is promising for Black.
9.d4 d6 I O.dxe5 li:'lxe5 l l .li:'lxe5 ( l l .li:lbd2 li:l xf3t 12.li:'lxf3 �b7=) l l ...dxe5 1 2.�f3 �e6=
9 ... d6 I O.li:lbd2
1 0.a5 is an important alternative, when Black should continue 1 0 ... �e6 l l .li:'lbd2 E!:b8.
10 ... li:'l a5 l l .�a2 �e6 1 2.�xe6 fxe6 13.d4
1 3.c3 bxc3 14.bxc3 E!:b8= Adams - Leko, Linares 2005.
1 3 ... exd4 1 4.li:lxd4 �d7
The changes in the pawn structure have resulted in a double-edged position. The following line
now appears critical:
1 5 .li:lfl c5 1 6.li:lf3 li:lc6 17.li:'lg3 li:l g4 1 8.e5
1 8 ... d5!
Navara improves over his own play! (It should be mentioned that the improvement had already
been suggested by numerous commentators.) 1 8 ... E'lad8 was Black's choice in Svidler - Navara,
Heraklio 2007, but he never equalized and eventually went down.
1 9.h3 ctJxf2!?
There was a second promising sacrifice in 19 ... E'lxf3!? 20.\Wxf3 ctJgxe5 2 1 .\We2 ii.d6� as noted
by Brunella.
20.\We2
20.�xf2 ii.h4! 2 l .E'le4! \We7 22.E'lf4 g5! 23.ctJxh4 gxf4 24.\Wg4t �h8 25.ctJe2 ctJxe5 26.\Wh5
\Wf6oo is a line mentioned by Brunella.
20 ... l2le4
Stronger was 20 ... E'lxf3! 2 1 .\Wxf3 (2 l .gxf3 ctJxh3t 22.�g2 l2ld4) 2 l . ..E'lf8 22.§i.f4 (22.\Wh5
l2ld4) 22 ...ig5 23.ctJh5 ixf4 24.l2lxf4 ctJe4 25 (25 .E'ladl ctJd4 26.\Wg4 E'lf5) 25 ... dxe4 26.\Wxe4
\Wd4t 27.\Wxd4 ctJxd4+ and White faces a difficult endgame.
2 l .ctJxe4 dxe4 22.\Wxe4 l2ld4=
Sedlak - Navara, Rijeka 20 10.
8. .ih7
.
8 ... d6 9.c3 reaches the main closed lines, but there is no reason to give our opponent this moral
victory.
9.d3
9.c3 d5 would lead to a version of the Marshall with White having played a premature h2-h3.
9 ... d5!?
For many years this sacrifice was considered dubious, but gradually it became clear that Black
could obtain compensation not unlike the ...ib7 Marshall from Chapter 1 .
9 ... d6 is the older main line, and actually makes a bit more sense here than on the previous move,
as White is already committed to d2-d3. Black has good chances to equalize, but of course we will
favor the gambit approach where possible.
10.exd5 ttJxd5 l l.tLlxe5

White has also tried declining the pawn in a couple of ways.
l l .a4 should be met by l l ...tt:ld4! 1 2.ctJxd4 exd4 with roughly even chances.
Mter l l .c3 Black can keep the gambit door open with 1 1 ...'\Wd7, when 1 2.ctJxe5 ctJxe5 1 3.Elxe5
Elad8� can be compared with the l l ...!b7 section of Chapter 1 .
l l ... ttJd4!
Compared with the Marshall Attack from Chapter 1 , the present position contains some key
differences which necessitate a change of approach from Black.
l l ...ctJxe5?! 12.Elxe5 would be inadvisable, as the inclusion of d2-d3 in place of c2-c3 means that
White can put his knight on c3 and develop the cl -bishop without further loss of time. Practice
and analysis have confirmed that Black does not have quite enough compensation here. The
text move is more logical, and indeed it seeks to exploit the absence of the move c2-c3. Black's
plan is to eliminate the b3-bishop and use his two bishops to generate ongoing compensation.
Depending on how the game proceeds, he could play in the center and queenside with ...!f6 and
... c5, or on the kingside with ...!d6.
a b c d e f g h
12.ttJc3
This is the usual choice, taking advantage of the fact that the white pawn has not occupied the
c3-square.
1 2.tt:ld2 c5 1 3.c3 ( 1 3.a4 Ele8) 1 3 ... tt:lxb3 1 4.tt:lxb3 Vfic7� is another possibility, when Black is also
holding his own.
12... ttJb4
The knight is ideally placed on b4, where it ties the white queen to the defense of the c2-pawn.
It will not be easy for White to drive it away, as c2-c3 will leave the d3-pawn vulnerable.
12 ... tt:lxb3 1 3.axb3 tt:lb4 is another possible move order. The text usually transposes as Black will
almost always want to eliminate the b3-bishop in the near future.
13.id2
A more popular continuation has been 1 3.tt:le4 tt:lxb3 14.axb3 Wd5 1 5.tt:lf3, and here both the
positional l 5 ... c5 and the more aggressive 1 5 ... f5!? give Black sufficient compensation.
13 ...id6
The bishop can also go to f6, but on this occasion Bacrot decides to focus on the kingside.
Another possible line is 1 3 ... tt:lxb3 1 4.axb3 f6 1 5.tt:lg4 ( I S.tt:lf3 hf3 forces 1 6.gxf3 as the queen
must defend c2) 1 5 .. .f5 1 6.tt:le5 j,d6 1 7.d4 Wh4 1 8.tt:le2 as played in Ki. Georgiev - Ivanisevic,
Valjevo 2007. Here Brunello points out that Black could have regained his pawn with 1 8 ...We4
1 9.tt:lf4 Wxc2 with a roughly equal position.
a b c d e f g h
14.ttJg4?!
14.Ekl should be met by 14 ... tt:lxb3 I S.axb3 l"i:e8 with ongoing compensation.
Instead 14 ... c5 occurred in Zawadzka - Kozakov, Lvov 2009, and here White missed a tactical
opportunity pointed out by the computer: I S.lLlxf7! Ei:xf7 1 6.j,xf7t @xf7 1 7.tt:le4 White has a
rook and two pawns for two minor pieces, and Black's pieces are tactically unstable, with his king
exposed and knights vulnerable to a c2-c3 fork.
14... ttJxh3 15.axh3 f5!

Using the odd position of the knight to gain momentum on the kingside.
16.ttJh2
1 6.tt:le5 Wh4 is also promising for Black.
16 .. JWf6 17J:!cl Wfg6 1 8.lLlf3

White has nothing to show for the time wasted with his knight, and Black's pieces are poised
menacingly.
18..J:l:ae8
Throughout the three volumes I have emphasized the need to bring all the pieces into play, and
here we see another example.
2
1 L
a b c d e f g h
19.lbh4
It is not easy to suggest a plan for White. The computer mentions 1 9.l"i:xe8 l"i:xe8 20.c;t>fl !? as a
possibility, taking the king out of the enemy queen's line of vision. Still, it is not clear what White
is doing next, and Black can calmly improve his position with 20 ... c5! when his chances remain
higher.
19 ...Wff6 20.llJf3 l"i:xel t

White would have been happy to repeat moves, but Bacrot is having none of it.
2L.ixel Wfh6!
Eyeing the rook on c l and thus threatening ...�xf3.
22.lbd2
22.�d2?? loses to 22 ...�xf3 of course.
22...Wfg5 23.f3 l"i:e8 24.d4
a b c d e f g h
24 c5!
.•.
Opening more lines of attack.
25.d5 hd5 26J;al

Ideally White would have liked to eliminate the enemy bishop, but 26.lt:Jxd5?! ctJxdS 27.lt:Jfl
lt:Jf4 allows the knight to join in the kingside offensive, with fatal consequences.
26...i.h7 27.ltlfl
Lutz is a strong Grandmaster, and although he is clearly worse, he continues defending
stubbornly. It is instructive to see how Bacrot increases his advantage.
27 .. J':i:d8
27 ... Ele6 was also strong, with the idea of using the rook on the kingside.
28.'1We2 'We7
Black has a clear positional advantage and material is equal, so he is by no means averse to a
queen swap.
29J�cl 'Wxe2
29 ... lt:Jc6! would have been slightly more accurate, threatening ... lt:Jd4 and inviting White to
make the queen trade.
30.ltlxe2 Ele8
Black has two strong bishops, a space advantage, and the more active pieces. In the next phase
of the game Bacrot improves his king and gains additional space, while maintaining control and
preventing any hint of counterplay.
a b c d e f g h
31.�f2 i.c7 32.i.xh4 cxb4
The black knight was paralyzing the rook, so White decided to eliminate it. But now Black has
two dominant bishops against two knights, and the prospect of creating a passed pawn on the
a-file.
33J!dl @f7 34.c3 bxc3 35.bxc3 .ib6t 36.@el a5 37J!al
37...g5!
Bacrot is in no hurry, and he improves all aspects of his position before attempting the
breakthrough.
38.@d2 @£6 39.c4 b4!?

39 ... bxc4 40.bxc4 .ia6 was natural and strong, but Bacrot decides to fix the queenside and
attempt to break through later.
40.ttJfg3 f4 41.ttJfl .ic8 42.@dl .if5 43.tlJd2 l:!e5 44.h4 h6 45.hxg5t hxg5 46.g3
Lutz applies the correct defensive technique and attempts to exchange as many pawns as
possible. Unfortunately for him it is still not enough.
46 ... .id3! 47.tlJcl .ig6

The computer points out that Black could have won with 47 ... fxg3!? 48.ctJxd3 g2 49.�c2 �d4
50J'1dl !'1e7 5 1 .ctJe4t �f5, but it is rarely worth venturing such lines unless absolutely necessary.
48.CDe2 i.fl 49.gxf4 gxf4 50J!a2

The f-pawn was of course poisoned due to mate on e l .
50...i.d3 5 1.CDe4t
5 1 .lt:lfl a4! breaks the resistance: 52.lt:lxf4 (52.bxa4 b3 53.2"1b2 �xc4-+) 52 ...2"\el t 53.Wd2
�xfl 54.2"\xa4 We5 55.lt:J d5 !"i:e2t 56.�dl �c5-+
5I. ..he4 52.fxe4 2"1xe4

Now the f-pawn will decide the game.
53.2"1:xa5
53.lt:lxf4 !"i:xf4 54.2"1xa5 2"1f5 55.2"1a8 �c5 is winning for Black, who will gradually infiltrate with
his king.
53 ...f3 54.llJcl i.h6

54 ... 2"\d4t 55.Wc2 �el would have been slightly more accurate, but the text is good enough.
55J'!h5 l:!d4t 56.�c2 f2 57.l:!hl l:!g4 58.CDe2 l:!gl 59.l:!h6t �e5

0-1
!
•• Kingside attacks do not have to lead to checkmate. In this game Black's pressure led to him
regaining his pawn while keeping a positional advantage.
!
•• A pair of bishops will usually outwork a pair of knights, especially in endgames with wide
open spaces.
!
•• When you are in complete control of the position, it is a good idea to improve all your
pieces and pawns before taking direct action.
!
•• Always look out for tactics, even in endgames!
Conclusion
This chapter was something of a mishmash, featuring a range of different variations and position
types. To cover every relevant variation in full detail would take an entire book. Instead I have
endeavoured to provide just enough theoretical coverage to enable the reader to reach a playable
middlegame, with slightly deeper coverage of some of the more important and interesting lines.
The recommended lines are all known to be reliable, but I would strongly encourage the reader
to carry out his own research in order to develop a deeper understanding.
We have reached the end of the Gambit Guide series. I hope the gambits presented over these
three volumes will help you to enjoy many exciting games and spectacular victories.
Game Index
Chapter 1 - The Marshall Attack
Jose Raul Capablanca - Frank Marshall 13

Andre Eng - Benjamin Foo 27
Ruben Mario Moret - Pedro Alfonso Parnenzini 34
Leonid Gofshtein - Nir Shahal 37
Vladimir Kirpichnikov - Mikhail Steinberg 43
Vassily lvanchuk - Gata Kamsky 48
Chapter 2 - The Hector Gambit
Rune Djurhuus - Jonny Hector 60

Sonja Lindholm - Antti Arpalahti 67
Enrique Alvarez Fernandez - Francisco Javier San Claudio Gonzalez 70
Vadim Chernov - Jan Werle 74
Ruediger Seger - Georg Meier 81
Chapter 3 - The Traxler Counterattack
V. Den Behaerdt - David Gedult 91

F. Lang - Gerhard Antoszkiewicz 94
Kenth Sandehn - Wolfgang Ottenweller 98
J. Reinisch - Karel Traxler 1 04
Jean Andre - Robert Currie 1 08
Steven Sabean - Wolfgang Ottenweller 111
Glenn Johnstone - Benjamin Finegold 1 19
Georgui Castaneda - Alexey Gubajdullin 1 23
Joszef Forgacs - Daniel Fernandez 1 34
Patrick Coffey - Brian Pott 1 49
'bobbymcgee' - Boris Alterman 1 57
Pierre Alain Bex - Ivo Hristov Donev 1 65
Chapter 4 - The Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit
Gilberta Milos - Zong Yuan Zhao 1 75

Apollon Viakhirev - Boris Verlinsky 1 77
Weaver Warren Adams - Harry Lyman 1 83
Jacob Ost Hansen - John Nunn 1 87
Zoltan Varga - Bogdan Lalic 1 93
John Carleton - Gert Timmerman 204
Chapter 5 -The Falkbeer Counter Gambit
Javier Hernanz Villoslada - Nicolas Ierino 212

Michael Schmid - Daniel Winkler 213
Tamas Szekelyhidi - Zoltan Eberth 215
Bertrand Weegenaar - Bjorn Knoppel 217
John William Schulten - Paul Morphy 22 1
Jacob Rosanes - Adolf Anderssen 228
Theodor Von Scheve - Siegbert Tarrasch 234
'morriss' - Boris Alterman 237
Boris Spassky - David Bronstein 24 1
Peter Wells - Bela Lengyel 244
Nigel Short - Sergey Karjakin 250
Michael Hoffmann - Sven Schaller 257
Henrikas Asauskas - Sarunas Sulskis 265
Chapter 6-- From's Gambit
Juergen Thomas - Manuel Gerst 274

Heinz Zastrow - Hermann Heemsoth 276
Ralf Bruening - Ralf Rennert 282
Janos Petro - Zoltan Hajnal 287
'SwE-dv' - 'B-Alterman' 294
'FireOnBoard' - 'B-Alterman' 299
Chapter 7 -Other Systems after l.e4 e5
Ni Hua - Evgeny Alekseev 322

Sergei Rublevsky - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 33 1
Sergey Karjakin - Boris Gelfand 34 1
Christopher Lutz - Etienne Bacrot 355
Variation Index
Chapter 1 - The Marshall Attack
l.e4 e5 2.lt.Jf3 ltlc6 3.i.b5 a6 4.i.a4 ltlf6 5.0-0 i.e? 6.13el b5 7.i.b3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5
9 . d3 I O
9 . d4 I O
9... lt.Jxd5 10.ltlxe5
1 0.d4 I I
10... lt.Jxe5 1 1 .13xe5
The Aggressive l l. .. lt.Jf6?! A Calmer (and Sounder) Alternative - l l . ..i.b7!?

l l. .. lt:l£6 12.d4 l l. ..i.b7!? 12.11Nf3!?
1 2.Ei:el I3 1 2.d4:
1 2.g3? I3 1 2 . . . Jtf6 43
1 2.h3 I3 1 2 . . . W d7:
12 ...i.d6 13.13el ltlg4! 14.h3 1 3.g3? 44
1 4.g3 I7 1 3.h3 44
14...'1Wh4 15.11Nf3 1 3 . Wf3 44
1 5 . We2? 2I 1 3.a4 45
1 5 ... lt:lxf2 1 3 . li:J d2!? 46
1 5 . . . h5 2I 1 2...i.d6! 13.i.xd5
1 5 . . . Jth2t 2I 1 3J'hd5? 48
1 6.13e2! 13 ... c6! 14.13e2 49
1 6.Wxf2?! 27 14.Ei:el 49
1 6 . Wxa8?? 27
1 6 .Ei:fl ? 27
1 6 .Ei:e8? 27
1 6.Ei:e3!? 34
1 6 . Jtd2!? 37
16...i.g4 22
1 6 . . . Jtxh3!? 22
1 6 . . . li:J g4!? 23
Chapter 2 - The Hector Gambit
l .e4 e5 2.ltlf3 ltlc6 3.i.b5 a6 4.i.xc6 dxc6 5.0-0

5 . li:J xe5? 56
5 . d3 56
5 . d4 56
5 . li:J c3 57
5 ...i.g4 6.h3
6.d3 59
6...i.h5 7.g4 i.g6 8.ltlxe5 11Nh4!
S . . .Jtd6 9 . li:J xg6 (9. li:J f3?! 67; 9 .d4 67; 9 . li:J c4 68) 9 . . . hxg6 1 0. \il g2 Wh4 l l . Wf3:
1 1 .. .0-0-0 61
1 l . ..�f6?! 61
1 l . . .i!J4!?:
12.�c3 62
1 2.d3! 62
8 .. .f6!? 9.�xg6 hxg6 1 0.\Wf3 \Wd7:
1 l .d3 71
1 l .�c3 71
9.�f3
9.�g2 74
9 ...f6 lO.tZlxg6
10.�c4?! 74
10...hxg6 l l .�g2
1 1 .d4!? 75
1 1 .1Wg3?! 75
l l ...g5!
1 1 ...0-0-0 81
12.d3
1 2.:r'lh1 83
12.�c3 83
1 2.d4 83
12... tZ\e7 13J'!hl 84
1 3.ie3 84
1 3.1Wg3 85
Chapter 3 - The Traxler Counterattack
l .e4 e5 2.tZlf3 tZlc6 3.J\c4 t2Jf6 4.tZlg5 J\c5

4 ... �xe4?!:
s.�x£7? 91
5 .�xe4?! 91
5 .ixf7t! �e7
6.�xe4 95
6.d3!? 95
6.d4! d5?! 96 (6 ... h6 96)
The 5.d4!? line

5.d4!? d5!
s ...ixd4? 98
6.hd5
6.exd5 98
6.dxc5 99
6... tZ\xd4!
6 ... ib4t?! 99
6 . . . �xd5?! 99
6 . . . exd4?! 99
7.tZ\xf7
Variation Index 369
7 ..ixf7t 99
7...We7 8.CLlxh8 .ig4 9 ..if7t
9.1Wd2 99
9.f3 100
9 ... �f8 10.f3?! 101
1 0 .1Wd3! 101
The 5.CLlxf7 line

5. CLlxf7 .ixflt
6.�e2? 1 04
Taking the Bishop

6.®xf2 CLlxe4t 7.�gl
7.�e l ? 109
7.�f3? 1 09
7.e2? 1 09
7.fl ? 109
7.e3!?:
7 ... 1We7?! 120
7 ... 1Wh4:
8.tt'lxh8? 121
8.g3 CLlxg3!:
9.tiJxh8?? 121
9.hxg3:
9 ...1Wxc4? 121
9 ... 1Wd4t! I O.f3 122 ( I O .e2?? 122)
7 Wh4 8.g3
.•.
8.1Wf3? I l l
8.1We2? I l l
8.1Wfl ? 1 1 I
8... tt'lxg3 9.CLlxh8
9.1Wf3? 1 12
9.1We l ? 1 12
9.hxg3?! 1 12
9... tt'ld4!!
9 ... tiJe4? 1 13
9 ... d5? 1 13
9 ... tiJxh l ?! 114
10.hxg3 115
I O ..if7t 1 15
I O.d3? 1 1 6
l O.tiJc3? 1 1 6
1 0.c3? 1 1 6
Declining the Bishop

6.®fl! We7 7.CLlxh8
7.d3? 123
7...d5! 8.exd5
8.�xd5? 125
8.�f3?! 125
8.CLJc3 125
8 ... Ci:Jd4!
8 ... �g4:
9.d6?! 126
9.�e2 �xe2t:
l O.mxe2?! 126
1 0.�xe2:
1 0 . . .�b6? 121
1 0 . . . Ci:J d4 l l .�xf2 0-0-0:
1 2.CLJc3 121
1 2.�g3?! 121
1 2.d3 121
1 2.CLJa3 121
1 2.c3 121
1 2.d6! 128
9.d6!
9.d3? 135
9.mxf2? 135
9.CLJc3? 135
9.c3? 135
9.h3 137
9.�e2 137
9...cxd6
9 . . .�xd6!? 140
lO.@x£2
1 0.c3 145
1 0 .�e2 145
lO... dS!
1 0 ...�g4 145
l l.d3 145
l l .�e2? 145
l l .c3! 145
The s ..Lfit line

s ..ixf7t @e7
s ... mfs? 149
6..id5
6.�b3 l"lfS 7.0-0:
7 ... �e8 150
7 ... h6!? 150
7 ... d6:
8.h3?! 152
8.d3 152
8.CLJc3! �e8! 152 (8 ...�g4?? 152; 8 . . . h6 153)
Variation Index 371
6.. J3ffi 7.0-0

?Jlfl ? 158
7...d6 8.h3
8.d3 159
8.c3 159
8.!xc6 bxc6:
9.ti:lf3 160
9.d3 VJ!e8 160 (9 ...!g4 160)
8 ...�e8?!
8 ... h6 1 66
9.d3?! 1 67
9.c3! 167
Chapter 4 - The Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit
l .e4 e5 2.ctJc3 ct':lf6 3.i.c4 CLlxe4 4.�h5

4.!xf7t?! 1 74
4.ti:lxe4?! 174
4... 'Lld6
4 .. .'�Jg5? 175
s.i.h3
5 .VJ!xe5t 1 75
s ... 'Llc6
5 ...!e7!? 1 77
6.ctJb5
6.'Lle4? 177
6 ... g6 7.�f3 f5
7 . . .VJ!e7? 178
7 . . . 'Llf5 ? 178
8.�d5 �e7
8 ...VJ!f6!? 9.'Llxc7t �d8 1 o.'Llxa8 b6:
1 1 .VJ!f3 179
1 1 .d3 179
1 1 .d4!? 179
1 1 .ctJxb6 1 79
9.ctJxc7t �d8 l O.CLlxa8 b6 l l .d3
1 1 .VJ!f3 193, 204
1 1 .'Llxb6 axb6:
1 2.d3 193
1 2.VJ!f3 !b7 196 ( 1 2 . . . 'Ll d4!? 196)
1 1 .'Llf3?! 204
l l .h4 205
l l .VJ!d3 205
l l. ..i.h7 12.h4
1 2.'Llf3?? 183
1 2.VJ!f3 183
1 2.'Llxb6 184
12...f4 13.�f3 lLld4

1 3 . . . !h6!? 187
14.�g4 206
1 4.�h3 185
Chapter 5 - The Falkbeer Counter Gambit
l .e4 e5 2.f4 d5
2... exf4 210
3.exd5
3.fXe5?? 212
3.d3?! 212
3.CLl c3?! 212
3... e4
3 ... �xd5 ? 211
3 ... c6
4.dxc6?! 'Llxc6 5.'Llf3 215 (5 .!b5 214)
4.�e2?! 217
4.'Llc3!:
4 ... cxd5!? 217
4 ... exf4 5.'Llf3 !d6 6.d4:
6 . . . 'Ll f6 218
6 ... 'Ll e7! 7.!c4 218 (7.dxc6 218)
4.d3!
4.'Llc3 'Ll f6 5 .d3 !b4:
6.dxe4 222
6.!d2:
6. . . 0-0!? 241
6 . . . e3!! 7.!xe3:
7... 'Llxd5 224
7 ... 0-0!? 8.!d2 224 (S.!e2 224)
4.!b5t 228
4.c4?! 234
4.!c4 237
4.. lLlf6
.
4 ... �xd5 243

5.dxe4 lLlxe4 6.lLlf3
6.!e3:
6... c6!? 244
6 ... �h4t? 7.g3 'Llxg3:
8.hxg3? 244
8.'Llf3 �e7 244 (8 ... �h5? 244)
6 . . . !d6:
7.'Lld2 251
7.'Llf3 0-0:
8.!c4!? 251
8.'Ll bd2 251
8 .!d3 'Llf6 252 (8 ... l"1e8 252)
Variation Index 373
6...c6!?
6 ...i.e7!? 265
6 ...i.c5:
7.i.d3? 258
7.�e2!:
7 ... 0-0 259
7 ... �e7 259
7 ... i.f2t 259
7...�xd5 259
7...i.f5 260
7 ... f5 8.i.e3! 263 (8.CiJc3 263)
7..id3
7.dxc6? 266
7.CiJ bd2 266
7... cxd5 266
7 ...�a5t?! 266
7 ... CiJf6?! 266
Chapter 6 - From's Gambit
l .f4 e5 2.fxe5
2.e4 272
2...d6
2 ... CiJc6 272
3.exd6
3.CiJf3 272
3 ...hd6 4.CiJa
4.liJc3?? 273
4.g3?! 274
The g-pawn thrust

4...g5!? 5.g3
5 .e4? 275
5.CiJc3? 275
5 .h3?? 275
5 .d4 g4:
6.CiJe5 277
6.CiJg5?! f5! 279 (6 ... h6? 279)
s ...g4 6.CiJh4
6.CiJgl ? 283
6.CiJd4 283
6... CiJe7 7.d4!
7.i.g2 283
7.CiJc3!? 288
7... tt)g6 s.tt)xg6
8.CiJg2!? 288
8...hxg6 9.WI'd3! tt)c6
9...'We7!? 289
lO.c3 iU5
1 0 ... 'We7 290
l l .e4 290
l l .'We3t!? 290
The 4 CLlf6 line

•..
4... CLlf6!? 5.d4

5 .e3 295
5 .d3 295
5 .g3 h5! 296 (5 ... 0-0 296)
5.CZ'lc3 CZ'lg4!? 301 (5 ... 0-0 300)
s ...o-o
5 ... CZ'lg4 303
6.i.g5 304
6.g3 304
6.CZ'lc3 304
Chapter 7 - Other Systems after l.e4 e5
Part 1 - Alternatives to 2.CLlf3
l .e4 e5 2.d4 exd4

3.c3 310
3.'Wxd4 312
The Bishop's Opening:

l .e4 e5 2.i.c4 CLlf6 3.d3
3.ctJc3 314
3.d4 315
3 ...c6
3 ... CZ'l c6 315
4.ltlf3
4.i.b3 315
4...ds s.i.b3
5 .exd5 315
s i.d6 6.CLlc3
.•.
6.0-0 315
6.exd5 315
6...dxe4 317
6 ... d4!? 317
The Vienna Game:

l .e4 e5 2.CLlc3 CLlf6 3.f4
3.i.c4 319
3.CZ'lf3 319
3.g3 319
Variation Index 375
3 ... d5! 4.fxe5

4.exd5 319
4... ltlxe4 s.ltlf3
5 .\Wf3 320
5.d3 320
5 ...J\e7 6.'1We2 320
6.d3 320
6.d4 320
Part 2 - The Scotch Game

l .e4 e5 2.ltlf3 ltlc6 3.d4
3.c3 322
3 ... exd4 4.ltlxd4
4.c3 323
4.ic4 323
4...J\b4t!? 5.c3
5.tt'lc3 323
5.id2?! 323
s ...J\c5
5 ... ie7 324
6.ltlxc6
6.ic4 324
6.tt'lf5?! 324
6.ie3 324
6...bxc6 7.J\d3 �h4!?
7 ... tt'le7 325
8.�e2
8.0-0 325
8...ltlf6 9.h3
9.ie3 325
9...d6!? 325
9 . . . 0-0 325
Part 3 - The Four Knights Game

l .e4 e5 2.ltlf3 ltlc6 3.ltlc3 ltlf6 4..ib5
4.ic4 331
4.g3 331
4.d4 332
4... ltld4!? s ..ia4
5 .tt'lxe5 334
5 .tt'lxd4 334
5 .ic4 334
5...c6 6.ltlxe5
6.0-0 334
6...d5!
6. . . d6 334
7.d3
7.exd5 335
7...�d6 8.f4 336
8.'i:lf3 336
Part 4 - The Two Knights

l .e4 e5 2.tiJf3 ltJ c6 3.�c4 'i:lf6 4.d3
4.'i:lc3 341
4.0-0 341
4.d4 341
4...�e7 5.0-0 0-0 6.�b3 344
6J'1e l 344
Part 5 - The Ruy Lopez Sidelines and Anti-Marshall

l .e4 e5 2.tiJf3 liJ c6 3.�b5 a6 4.�a4
4.i.xc6 350, 56
4... tiJf6 5.0-0
5.d4 351
5.'i:lc3 351
5.'1We2 351
5.d3 351
5...�e7 6.gel
6.'1We2 352
6.d3 352
6.d4 exd4:
7.e5 353
?.gel b5:
8.i.b3 354
8.e5 'i:lxe5! 9.gxe5 354 (9.'i:lxe5 354)
6... b5 7.�b3 0-0 8.h3
8.d4 355
8.a4 355
8 �b7
.••
8 ... d6 357
9.d3
9.c3 357
9... d5!?
9 ... d6 357
IO.exd5 liJxd5 I l.liJxe5 358
l l .a4 358
l l .c3 358
I S B N 978- 1 -906552-96-1
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5 2 5 9 5
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Alterman, Boris - The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 2

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Alterman, Boris - The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 2

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The Altertnan Gatnbit Guide

Copyright© 2012 Boris Alterman and Quality Chess

The Alterman Gambit Guide - Black Gambits 2

ISBN 978- 1 -906552-96-1

All sales or enquiries should be directed to Quality Chess UK Ltd,

Distributed in North America by Globe Pequot Press,

Distributed in Rest of the World by Quality Chess UK Ltd through

Typeset: Keti Arakhamia-Grant & Jacob Aagaard

1 The Marshall Attack 7

Game Index 365

Thank you to:

About the second Black Gambits project

Key to symbols used

The Marshall Attack

l.e4e5 2.lDf3lDc6 3.�b5a6 4.�a4lDf6 5.0-0 �e7

l .e4 e5 2.ltJO ltJc6 3.i.b5

10 ... ltlxe5 l l.E:xe5

The Aggressive ll...CLJ f6?!

Let us now return to the main game.

1 5 ... tt.'lg4 1 6.i.g5 �d7!

I4.. .'1Wh4 15.'1Wf3

The move chosen by Marshall leads us to an important position.

16.!"1e3!? is an interesting option which is considered in Game 3.

1 9.�xf4 ttJxf4 20.2:e4 g5 2 l .ttJd2 Wh8 22.2:ael 2:ad8

23.2:xf4!? gxf4 24.2:e4

Back to the game!

17 ...�h2t 18.�fl �g3

19Jhfl Wl'hl t 20.�e2 ixfl

2I. ...th4 22.'Wh3

Marshall misses a final chance to complicate this historic battle.

2S.Wi'f3 Wl'g1 26.�dS cS 27.dxcS �xeS 28.b4! �d6

What we have learned:

Stopping the pawns from advancing.

20 .. Jl:xe8 2I.@g2 i.el !

27.ttlf3 Wfhl ! 28.b3 Wfd1 29.'it>g3 hS 30..tb2 h4t 3 I.'it>g4 '1Wc2-+

What we have learned:

White's strongest move is:

18.�xh4 i.xf3 1 9.CtJd2

2I..J:!ae8 22.�c2 g6 23.ttle4 �e7 24J3hf4 f5i

What we have learned:

16 ... CUxh3t? 1 7.gxh3 i.xh3 1 8.l"i:e4+- is not worth a second thought.

However, the following move is a serious alternative to the main line:

Let us return to the position after 16 ...i.xh3.

20..iel '?Nh6 21.tlJd2 ti:Jf4 22.�e3

Black's attack is difficult to stop.

24 ... g4 would have kept a clear advantage.

25 ... CDxg3t 26..ixg3 f4

What we have learned:

A Calmer (and Sounder) Alternative - ll...ib7!?

1 3.'1Wf3 :gadS 1 4.l/Jd2

1 3.a4 �f6 1 4.2:l:e1 !:l:ae8!

16 .. Jhe3 17.fxe3 �h3t IS.<i>fl 'IWfSt 19.<i>e2 'IWflt

What we have learned:

14 ...cxd5 1 5.d4 "Wc7!

19.cxb4 i.xb4 20.a3 i.d6 2Ul:eel

21. .. 2:'1e6 22.2:'1acl 'Wb6 23.'\Wdl l:l:feS 24.'Wb3 Jbf8;!;

25.:Ek3 '1Wa6 26.tLlf3 a4 27.'1Wc2 f6

28.:El:cl '1Wb5 29.tLlel!

29 ...:El:b6 30.tLld3 :El:ee6?!

34 ...'1Wd7 35.:El:cbl �c6 36.'\Wf5 :El:e8 37.'1Wxd7

37 ....ixd7 38.h4 :r::l ea8

39.:El:b6 .if5 40.:El:xa6 :El:xa6 4I.:El:b8t �f7 42.:El:b7t �g8

What we have learned:

The Hector Gatnbit