Although the recapture on c3 is fully playable and most likely provides enough compensation for the pawn, more popular is the daring sacrifice of a second pawn with 5.Bc4, which is essentially a Danish Gambit with the moves Nf3 and ...Nc6 inserted. While this may not necessarily objectively favour White, it is certainly to White's advantage in a practical sense, because the knight on c6 makes it hard for Black to get in ...d7-d5 effectively, since e4xd5 will hit Black's knight on c6 and open the e-file for White's king's rook.
Black has various ways to decline the second pawn, but of these, I think only 5...d6 (or 5...Nf6 followed by 6...d6) is particularly reliable, after which White has nothing better than to play 6.Nxc3, transposing to 5.Nxc3 d6 6.Bc4, since otherwise Black plays ...Be7 and ...0-0 and gets a solid position. 5...g6 and 5...h6, 5...Bd6 can be met by 6.Nxc3, leaving Black in inferior 5.Nxc3 lines, while 5...Be7 is good for White after either 6.Nxc3 or 6.Qd5. If 5...Nf6 6.Nxc3 Bb4, then 7.e5 is quite strong. If Black plays 5...Bb4, then White gets very dangerous compensation with either 6.bxc3 (which leads to positions reminiscent of the Evans Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4, but with improved chances for White) or 6.0-0, offering the b2-pawn again. 5...Bc5 can be met by the tactic 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qd5+ followed by Qxc5, and although Black can try to reduce the pressure by swapping queens and heading for a level ending, White has ways to side-step these and persist in sacrificing a pawn for compensation.
Thus, theoretically critical is to accept the second pawn with 5...cxb2 6.Bxb2, but in practice it is hard to defend against White's accelerated initiative, and hence many players prefer 5...d6 (certainly, my results with Black after 5...d6 have been better than those after 5...cxb2, albeit mainly in casual games).
Black grabs at the bait on b2
After Black takes on b2, Black has two ways to seriously test the soundness of White's double-pawn sacrifice.
The first of these, favoured by Mark Morss (who wrote the "Hard Chess" column back in 1999) is 6...Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6, preparing rapid kingside castling and thus rendering attacks against f7 ineffective. Therefore White chooses between Qc2 and 0-0-0, followed by pushing the kingside pawns forward, and a more positional approach with 0-0 followed by Nd5, aiming to cause disruption in the black kingside. The queenside castling approaches are very dangerous for Black in practice, but objectively the kingside castling approaches are more likely to provide full compensation for two pawns.
The second is 6...d6, which leads to solid, albeit passive, positions for Black. White can put pressure on f7 immediately with 7.Qb3, or defer it for a move by castling first, 7.0-0, with Qb3 to follow. The two lines may well transpose to each other with best play after 7...Be6, since I think White gets ample compensation for two pawns after Black's other responses to 7.Qb3, and I think that in general 7.Qb3 gives Black more scope to go wrong early in the game. An alternative approach for White is 7.Nc3 followed by Nd5, which is also dangerous for Black. Theoretically, though, it is not clear if White can get full compensation for two pawns against all of Black's defences, regardless of which 7th move White chooses.
Games and analysis
I have gone into a fair amount of detail on these lines, since the lines where Black refrains from 5...cxb2 often arise from the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4) and White has a choice of approaches in the 5...cxb2 6.Bxb2 lines following 6...Bb4+ and 6...d6, so it is worth covering each of the main ones. The coverage runs as follows:
Black doesn't take on b2 1. 5...Bb4, met by 6.bxc3. For 6.Nxc3, see the line 5.Nxc3 Bb4 6.Bc4. 2. 5...Bb4, met by 6.0-0, persisting in offering the b2-pawn 3. 5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+. For 6.Nxc3, see the line 5.Nxc3 Bc5 6.Bc4. 4. 5...Be7 6.Qd5. For 6.Nxc3, see the line 5.Nxc3 Be7 6.Bc4. 5. 5...Nf6 6.Nxc3 Bb4. This is quite an important line, which turns out well for White after the strong 7.e5.
Black takes on b2 6. 6...Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 followed by Qc2 and 0-0-0 for White. Also some discussion of minor alternatives. 7. 6...Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 followed by 0-0 and Nd5 for White. 8. 6...d6 7.Nc3 9. 6...d6 7.0-0 10. 6...d6 7.Qb3. I think all three moves are worth a try, though the last two will often transpose if Black plays 7...Be6.
Games
[Event "Schwarzach op-A 18th"]
[Site "Salzburg"]
[Date "2003.08.24"]
[Round "2.7"]
[White "Karpatchev, Aleksandr"]
[Black "Rieling, Thomas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2397"]
[BlackElo "2180"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2003.08.23"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "AUT"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{With 5.Bc4!?, White sacrifices a second pawn on b2. The idea is the same as
in the regular Danish Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4) but the
inclusion of Nf3 and ...Nc6 improves White's chances, at least in a practical
sense, since Black's knight on c6 prevents Black from returning material with .
..d7-d5 and so if Black takes on b2, then Black is essentially committed to
holding onto the material and hoping to withstand White's attack. Although
taking on b2 is the most critical response, Black often chooses to refuse the
second pawn. The best way of doing so is probably 5...d6, or 5...Nf6 followed
by 6...d6, since against this, White has no good alternative to 6.Nxc3
followed by piling the pressure on f7, transposing to the line 5.Nxc3 d6 6.Bc4
which leads to equal chances for both sides. In this game Black plays a line
which transposes to 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 Bb4. This line is dubious for Black
because White has two superior alternatives to the simple recapture on c3.} 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 (4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 {is the more common
move-order reaching the position at move 5.}) 4... dxc3 5. Bc4 Bb4 {Diagram [#]
Black turns down the second pawn on b2, and envisages transposition into
regular ...Bb4 lines. Note that against Black's minor options, such as 5...h6
and 5...g6, White should simply recapture on c3 with 6.Nxc3, since Black ends
up stuck with an inferior response to 5.Nxc3.} (5... c2 {is playable, and can
be tried with the aim of tricking White into going wrong, though with best
play it will probably transpose into the variations following 5...d6.} 6. Qxc2
d6 (6... Bb4+ {is not effective here, since the queen on c2 facilitates
recaptures with the queen on c3 and White often ends up with an extra tempo
over regular ...Bb4 lines.}) 7. Nc3 (7. Qb3 $6 Qd7 8. Ng5 Ne5 {is inferior to
the standard lines, since the omission of Nc3 and ...Nf6 gives Black
additional options.}) (7. Ng5 {is parried by} Nh6) 7... Nf6 8. Qb3 {transposes
to 5...d6 6.Nxc3 Nf6 7.Qb3. It may look odd conceding the extra tempo like
this, but if White does not, then Black gets a solid formation with ...Be7 and
...0-0, where White's extra tempo with Qd1-c2 is not sufficient to fully
compensate for the sacrificed pawn.}) 6. bxc3 {Normally I wouldn't recommend
this recapture with the b-pawn, but in this particular position it works
rather well.} (6. Nxc3 {transposes to one of the main lines of the Göring
Gambit.}) (6. O-O {is the main alternative, which features in the next game.})
6... Ba5 {This leads to positions in the style of the Evans Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.
Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5) which represent a slightly improved
version for White.} (6... Be7 $2 {is surprisingly popular but it loses a piece
after} 7. Qd5 Nh6 8. Bxh6 O-O 9. Be3 $18) (6... Bc5 {leaves the bishop
vulnerable to a standard tactic:} 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qd5+ $14 {wins the bishop
on c5 and leaves White with a better position due to Black's misplaced king.})
(6... Bd6 $5 {is rather better than it looks. I suggest} 7. O-O Nge7 8. Re1 $44
{with the idea of e4-e5.}) 7. O-O d6 (7... Nge7 8. Ng5 {is strong for White.}
Ne5 (8... O-O $2 9. Qh5) 9. Nxf7 Nxf7 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Qh5+ $14 {picks up
the bishop on a5.}) 8. Qb3 {White attacks f7.} Qf6 {Black defends f7 in quite
an active-looking way, but the queen is exposed to attacks here.} (8... Qe7 {
is the main alternative, but White still has a strong attack.} 9. e5 Nxe5 (9...
dxe5 10. Ba3 $44) 10. Nxe5 Qxe5 11. Bxf7+ Kf8 12. Be3 $44 {Murin,P (2260)
-Simoncic,L (2130) ICCF email 2011}) 9. Bg5 Qg6 10. e5 {White pushes through
in the centre, trying to force open the e-file.} h6 11. Bh4 Bb6 12. exd6 cxd6
13. Re1+ Nge7 14. Nbd2 Bd8 15. Bxe7 Bxe7 16. Bd5 {White's initiative is
increasing and Black is struggling to stay alive.} Kf8 17. Qb5 Nd8 18. Nd4 Qg4
19. Re4 Qd7 20. Qe2 g6 21. Re1 Bf6 22. Qf3 Kg7 23. Nc4 Rb8 24. h4 b5 25. Na5
Bxd4 26. cxd4 Ne6 (26... Rf8 27. Re7 $16) 27. Qg3 (27. Bxe6 fxe6 28. Rxe6 {is
virtually winning for White.}) 27... Qc7 28. Nc6 Rb6 29. Nb4 a5 30. Nd3 Rf8 31.
Bxe6 Bxe6 32. Nf4 Bf5 33. Re7 Qc8 (33... Qc4 {was probably better.}) 34. Nh5+
Kh7 35. Nf6+ Kg7 36. Ne8+ Rxe8 37. Rxe8 Qc6 38. d5 Qc5 39. Qf3 h5 40. Qe2 1-0
[Event "RUS-ch qf01 email"]
[Site "ICCF email"]
[Date "2009.02.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khorunzhy, Mikhail Filippovich"]
[Black "Popov, Vladimir Valentinov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2183"]
[BlackElo "2234"]
[Annotator "Simpson,Ian"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2009.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{In this game White goes for the more aggressive continuation, 6.0-0,
sacrificing a second pawn. Black may as well take it, because declining the
second pawn still allows White dangerous compensation. Black fails to defend
against White's attack.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 (4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5.
c3 dxc3 {was again this game's actual move-order.}) 4... dxc3 5. Bc4 Bb4 6. O-O
{Diagram [#] This is White's most aggressive response. White persists in
sacrificing a second pawn, arguing that inserting ...Bb4 and 0-0 gives White
an improved version of the positions following 5...cxb2 6.Bxb2.} cxb2 {Black
grabs the second pawn on offer, and challenges White to find a checkmate.} (
6... d6 {is the main alternative.} 7. a3 (7. Nxc3 $6 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Nf6 {leaves
White struggling for a good way to make progress.}) 7... Ba5 8. b4 Bb6 9. Qb3
$44 {followed by Nxc3 and Bb2 gives White excellent compensation for the pawn.
Winckelmann,T (2494)-Zuzek,T (2280) ICCF email 2001}) (6... Nge7 {should also
be met by} 7. a3 {and queenside expansion followed by development, e.g.} Ba5 8.
b4 Bb6 9. Nxc3 O-O {Diagram [#] and now} 10. e5 $44 {appears to be untested,
but looks good.}) 7. Bxb2 Nf6 {This position can also arise from the Urusov
Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.c3 dxc3 6.0-0 cxb2 7.Bxb2 Nc6.
} (7... f6 {is tempting, blocking out the b2-bishop, but leaving Black's light
squares weak around the king. White gets a strong attack, for example,} 8. Qb3
Nh6 9. e5 $16 {Von Bilguer,P-Mayet,C Berlin 1840}) (7... Bf8 {leaves White
with two extra tempi on the variation 5...cxb2 6.Bxb2 (White has castled, and
it is also White to move). This makes Black's defence very difficult indeed,
e.g.} 8. Nc3 Be7 9. Qb3 Nh6 10. Nd5 $16) 8. a3 (8. e5 {at once is also good.})
8... Ba5 9. e5 (9. Ng5 O-O 10. e5 {can be met by the strong counter-sacrifice}
Nxe5 11. Bxe5 d5) 9... Nh5 (9... Ng4 {is also playable, but White keeps a
strong initiative, e.g.} 10. h3 Nh6 11. Qc2 d5 {(Black returns one pawn in
order to reduce the pressure)} 12. exd6 O-O 13. dxc7 Qxc7 14. Bd3 $44 {Kroes,F
(1966)-Meulemans,B (2110) Lechenicher SchachServer 2010}) 10. Qa4 O-O 11. Bd5 (
11. Bb5 {is another good option, since it cuts out Black's ...b7-b5 idea. For
example,} Bb6 12. g4 {traps the h5-knight.}) 11... b5 12. Qe4 g6 {This saves
the h5-knight but leaves the dark squares weak around Black's king- not ideal
when Black's a5-bishop is largely shut out of play and White has the powerful
bishop on b2.} 13. Qe3 Ng7 (13... Bb7 $6 14. Qh6 {followed by Ng5 leaves Black
in serious trouble.}) 14. Nbd2 Bb6 15. Qf4 Ne6 16. Qh6 Kh8 17. a4 Ba6 18. Ne4
Rg8 19. a5 Qf8 20. Qxf8 (20. Qh4 {may well be even stronger, but swapping
queens also leads to a winning position for White.}) 20... Rgxf8 21. axb6 axb6
22. Nf6 Bb7 23. Nxd7 {Now White is a piece for two pawns ahead, and with White
also enjoying the greater piece activity, White is winning.} Rfd8 24. Nf6 Rxa1
25. Rxa1 b4 26. h4 h6 27. Rc1 Ncd4 28. Nxd4 Bxd5 29. Nxe6 Bxe6 30. Rxc7 b3 31.
Rb7 Kg7 32. Rxb6 h5 33. Ne4 1-0
[Event "Hastings 8485"]
[Site "Hastings"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Sveshnikov, Evgeny"]
[Black "Kupreichik, Viktor D"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2530"]
[BlackElo "2480"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "1984.12.??"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "9"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{In this game Black goes for a line which transposes to 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 Bc5.
Here White goes for 6.Bxf7+, which may well be stronger than the recapture
with 6.Nxc3, and goes on to win convincingly.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4
4. c3 (4. Bc4 Bc5 5. c3 dxc3 {was the move-order used in this game.}) 4... dxc3
5. Bc4 Bc5 {[%csl Rc5][%cal Rc4f7] Diagram [#] Black develops the f8-bishop
and envisages transposition to the line 5.Nxc3 Bc5 6.Bc4. However, White has
an arguably superior option here, taking advantage of the position of the
bishop on c5.} 6. Bxf7+ {White appears to get an edge, combined with good
attacking chances, with this move, preparing Qd5+ and Qxc5. Black can try to
stifle the white initiative by offering to trade queens in many lines, but
White can generally avoid the queen exchange and persist in playing for
compensation for a pawn.} (6. Nxc3 d6 {leads to the line 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bc5
6.Bc4 d6.}) 6... Kxf7 7. Qd5+ {[%cal Rd5c5,Rd5f7]} Kf8 (7... Ke8 8. Qh5+ Kf8 (
8... g6 $6 9. Qxc5 $16 {for Black has weakened the kingside unnecessarily.}) 9.
Qxc5+ {transposes to 7...Kf8.}) 8. Qxc5+ {Diagram [#]} d6 (8... Qe7 {is the
main alternative.} 9. Qxc3 (9. Qxe7+ Ngxe7 10. Nxc3 $14 {, for example,} d5 11.
exd5 Nb4 12. O-O Nbxd5 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. Re1 {and White is slightly better due
to the pressure down the central files.}) 9... Qxe4+ 10. Be3 {gives White
sufficient compensation for a pawn due to Black's potentially-exposed king,
for example,} d6 11. O-O Nf6 12. Nbd2 Qb4 13. Qd3 $44 {T.Harding-V.Dashkevich,
corr. 1992.}) 9. Qc4 $5 (9. Qxc3 {is also fine, for example,} Qe7 (9... Qf6 10.
Be3 Qxc3+ 11. Nxc3 $14) 10. O-O Qxe4 11. Re1 Qb4 12. Qd3 $44) 9... Bg4 (9...
cxb2 {is better, though it is still quite dangerous for Black.} 10. Bxb2 Qe7 (
10... Nf6 11. O-O Bg4 $6 12. e5 $16) 11. O-O $44) 10. Nxc3 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Qf6
12. f4 $16 {Diagram [#] Although White has had to accept the shattering of the
kingside pawn structure, White is clearly better, since White's attacking
chances persist and White is no longer a pawn down.} Qf7 13. Qb5 Nd4 14. Qd3
Ne6 15. f5 Nc5 16. Qc2 Qc4 17. Be3 Nf6 18. O-O-O Re8 19. f3 Ncd7 20. Rd4 Qc6
21. Kb1 Re7 22. Qe2 Ne5 23. Bg5 {White has slowly outplayed Black, and now
Black is in a lot of trouble. A continued press through the kingside and
centre will force concessions from Black.} Qc5 24. Rhd1 Nc6 25. Rc4 Qe5 26. Nd5
Rf7 27. Bf4 Qe8 28. Nxc7 Rxc7 29. Bxd6+ Re7 30. e5 Nd7 31. f4 h5 32. Qd3 Rh6
33. Bxe7+ Kxe7 34. Qa3+ Kf7 35. e6+ Rxe6 36. fxe6+ Qxe6 37. Qd3 Nf6 38. f5 Qe5
39. Rc2 Kg8 40. Re2 Qc5 41. a3 Kh7 42. Rg2 Ne5 43. Qc2 Qe3 44. Rdg1 Neg4 1-0
[Event "FRA-chT U20 0809"]
[Site "Sautron"]
[Date "2009.01.02"]
[Round "4.1"]
[White "Sochacki, Christophe"]
[Black "Lehaut, Mathieu"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C50"]
[WhiteElo "2239"]
[BlackElo "1788"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2008.10.??"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{In this game Black goes for ...Be7. Again this game used a Scotch Gambit
move-order, but 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 Be7 is occasionally seen. Here the simple
recapture with 6.Nxc3 is advantageous for White, and I am not sure if 6.Qd5 is
any stronger, but it, too, should offer White some advantage.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3
Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 (4. Bc4 Be7 5. c3 dxc3 {was the move-order used in this
game.}) 4... dxc3 5. Bc4 Be7 {Diagram [#] Black prepares ...Nf6 and ...0-0,
but this move-order doesn't work. More reliable is 5...d6, or 5...Nf6
intending 6...d6. Then White has nothing better than the recapture on c3,
transposing to 5.Nxc3 d6 6.Bc4, since if White persists in offering the pawn
on b2, Black just continues with ...Be7 and ...0-0 with a solid position.} 6.
Qd5 {This move is apparently strong, forcing Black to castle kingside and
accept a weakened pawn structure in front of the king, although here the
simple recapture on c3 is probably about as good.} (6. Nxc3 d6 (6... Nf6 7. e5)
7. Qb3 {and Black cannot defend f7.}) 6... Nh6 7. Bxh6 O-O 8. Bxg7 (8. Nxc3
gxh6 9. Qh5 {Diagram [#] is the main alternative.} Bf6 (9... Kg7 {holds onto
an extra pawn but allows White good compensation.} 10. O-O-O $5 d6 11. Nd5 $44)
10. Qxh6 d6 11. O-O $14 {White's attacking chances and better development more
than offset Black's bishop-pair. Chipanga,C (2138)-Nakapunda,O (2073)
Khanty-Mansiysk 2010}) (8. Bc1 $6 {does not win a piece:} Nb4 9. Qh5 (9. Qd1 c2
) 9... d5 $15 {Gonzalez Parejo,R-Corpus Vanegas,J Santa Rosa 2011}) 8... Kxg7 (
8... Nb4 $2 9. Qe5 {threatens Bxf8, plus Bh8 and mate on g7.}) 9. Nxc3 d6 10.
Qh5 Bd7 (10... Bf6 {is a more popular alternative, but White's game is
preferable, for example,} 11. O-O Ne7 $6 (11... Bxc3 12. bxc3 Qf6 13. Rfe1 Qg6
14. Qh4 $14 {Cabo Alvarez,C (1996)-Veltan,M Aviles 2004}) 12. e5 dxe5 13. Rad1
$16 {Petrovic,M (2025)-Branovacki,G Belgrade 2007}) 11. h4 (11. Nd5 {is a good
attacking move.}) 11... h6 12. O-O-O {White castles queenside in order to get
more leeway in pushing the g and h-pawns.} Qe8 13. g4 Bxg4 $2 {Maybe there is
an error in the game score here, for Black gives a piece away, and White
responds with an unsound queen sacrifice.} (13... f6 14. Nd5 $14) 14. Rdg1 $2
Bg5+ 15. hxg5 Bxh5 16. Rxh5 Ne7 (16... Rg8 {is a stronger defence.}) 17. gxh6+
Kh8 18. Rg7 {Now Black must be careful.} Rg8 19. Ng5 Rxg7 20. hxg7+ Kxg7 21.
Rh7+ Kg6 $6 22. f4 Qd7 $2 (22... d5) 23. Bxf7+ {Now White has a winning attack.
} Kf6 24. e5+ dxe5 25. Nce4+ Kf5 26. Be6+ 1-0
[Event "Capablanca Memorial"]
[Site "Cienfuegos"]
[Date "1972.??.??"]
[Round "16"]
[White "Levy, David Neil Lawrence"]
[Black "Karaklajic, Nikola"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2360"]
[BlackElo "2490"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "1972.02.??"]
[EventRounds "19"]
[EventCountry "CUB"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{This game shows the important line with ...Bb4 and ...Nf6. Black is generally
advised to refrain from playing ...Nf6 until after playing ...d6 because
otherwise the knight is hit by e4-e5. This variaition is not one of the more
clear-cut cases, but White gets promising attacking chances in a queenless
middlegame in the critical line. In this game White's attack proved successful.
} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 Nf6 {This move is
reasonable, but it does not allow Black to get into the critical line 5.Nxc3
Bb4 6.Bc4 d6.} 6. Nxc3 Bb4 (6... d6 {is probably best here.}) 7. e5 {The
standard response when Black plays ...Nf6 before playing ...d6. It is not
quite as strong as in many analogous lines, but White has good chances of
getting some advantage.} (7. O-O $6 Bxc3 8. bxc3 d6 {is a bad line for White.})
7... d5 (7... Qe7 {is easily side-stepped, for example,} 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3
Ng4 10. Re1 $16) 8. exf6 dxc4 9. Qxd8+ {Diagram [#]} Nxd8 (9... Kxd8 10. fxg7
Re8+ {is the main alternative, causing minor discomfort for White, but} 11. Be3
(11. Kd1 $5 {with the idea of Bg5+ or Bh6 may be even stronger.}) 11... Bxc3+
12. bxc3 Ke7 13. O-O-O {was quite promising for White in L.Ljubojevic-W.
Lombardy, Manila 1973.}) 10. fxg7 {Black has a hard time proving equality in
this position because of White's active pieces and Black's difficulty finding
a safe spot for the king.} Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Rg8 12. Bh6 Ne6 13. O-O-O {Diagram
[#]} Nc5 (13... Nxg7 {is more common, but White has a few ways to keep some
attacking chances going.} 14. Rhe1+ Be6 (14... Ne6 15. g3 f6 16. Re4) 15. g4)
14. Ng5 Nd3+ 15. Rxd3 $1 {This is a powerful exchange sacrifice.} cxd3 16. Nxh7
Ke7 17. Re1+ Be6 18. f4 f5 19. g4 Kd6 20. gxf5 Bxf5 21. Nf6 Be6 22. Nxg8 {With
this continuation White regains the exchange and is now winning.} Rxg8 23. a3
c5 24. c4 Bxc4 25. Kd2 Kd7 26. f5 Re8 27. Be3 b6 28. h4 Re4 29. h5 Rh4 30. Kc3
Bg8 31. h6 Rh5 32. f6 Ke6 33. Bg5+ Kf7 34. Re7+ Kg6 35. Re8 Kh7 36. f7 Bxf7 37.
Rh8+ Kg6 38. g8=Q+ Bxg8 39. Rxg8+ Kf5 40. Kxd3 b5 41. Be3 a5 42. Ra8 c4+ 43.
Kd4 Rh4+ 44. Kc5 Ke4 45. Re8+ Kd3 46. Kxb5 c3 47. Kxa5 c2 48. Re7 Kc3 49. Bc1
Rh1 50. h7 Kb3 51. Rb7+ Ka2 52. a4 Rxc1 53. h8=Q Rb1 54. Qg8+ Ka3 55. Qf8+ Ka2
56. Qf7+ 1-0
[Event "olm14 qual GP1 B4 corr"]
[Site "ICCF email"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolgov, Igor Mikhailovich"]
[Black "De Groot, Adrianus Dingeman"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2341"]
[BlackElo "2427"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2000.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{We now come around to the theoretically critical, but risky, option for Black
of taking the second pawn on b2. Black then follows up with 6.Bxb2 Bb4+, which
is one of the two most critical replies. This game is a typical example of
White's unsound but dangerous approach with Qc2 and 0-0-0, in which White's
attack proves succeeds.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 cxb2
6. Bxb2 {Diagram [#] In return for two pawns, White has powerful bishops on b2
and c4 and a large development advantage. The main advantage of this
move-order over the Danish Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.
Bxb2) is that Black cannot easily get in ...d7-d5 with the queen's knight
committed to c6, and this narrows down Black's options.} Bb4+ {Other moves,
with the exception of 6...d6, do not seriously test the soundness of White's
second pawn sacrifice.} (6... Nf6 {looks sensible, but does not seriously
challenge the soundness of White's second pawn sacrifice.} 7. O-O Be7 8. e5 {
(this move is important, forcing Black's f6-knight to an unfavourable square.)}
Nh5 (8... Ng4 9. Qc2 O-O 10. h3 Nh6 11. Nc3 $44) 9. Nc3 Nf4 10. Qc2 $44) (6...
f6 {causes too many weaknesses around the light squares on Black's kingside, e.
g.} 7. O-O d6 8. Nc3 Bg4 9. Nd5 $16) 7. Nc3 Nf6 {Diagram [#] In this line,
Black is ready to meet attacks on f7 by castling kingside, so White cannot
rely upon that method of generating compensation for the sacrificed pawns.
Instead, White must choose between playing Qc2, castling queenside and pushing
the kingside pawns, or castling kingside and playing Nc3-d5 with the idea of
causing disruption in the black kingside.} (7... d6 {does not prepare kingside
castling and so White can go ahead with the usual attacks against f7.} 8. Qb3 {
is quite promising for White- the attack on f7 works because Black is not
ready to castle out of danger.} Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. O-O Qd7 11. Nd5 $5 $44 {
Y.Yu-R.Jumabayev, Moscow 2011.}) 8. Qc2 {This is most often played and
generally intends queenside castling, though it is also possible to combine
this move with kingside castling. White develops further and protects e4.} (8.
O-O {is the main alternative, though White can also consider castling short on
the next move as well.}) (8. Qb3 $6 O-O {and White's threat to f7 has been
nullified.} 9. Ng5 $6 Qe7) 8... O-O (8... d6 9. O-O-O (9. O-O $5 {makes sense,
since Black's ...d7-d6 rules out the possibility of meeting Nc3-d5 with ...
Bb4-e7, e.g.} O-O (9... Bxc3 10. Bxc3 O-O 11. Rae1) 10. Nd5 Ba5 11. Nxf6+ gxf6
12. Nd4 $44) 9... Bxc3 {is my main problem with this line for White, simply
trading a couple of pairs of minor pieces and then setting about opening the
c-file against White's king.} 10. Qxc3 (10. Bxc3 Be6 11. e5 Bxc4 12. exf6 gxf6
13. Rhe1+ Be6 $15) 10... Be6 11. Rhe1 (11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. Ng5 e5) 11... Bxc4 12.
Qxc4 O-O 13. e5 Nd7 {(With this move, Black returns one pawn, but opens up
lines against White's king)} 14. Qg4 f6 15. exd6 Rf7 $15 {D.Mastrovasilis-A.
Graf, Furth 2002.}) 9. O-O-O (9. O-O {is again worth considering. A couple of
sample lines:} Ng4 {is a tricky response, intending ...Nge5.} (9... Be7 10. e5)
10. Nd5 Bd6 11. Rae1 Nge5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bb3 $44) 9... d6 10. e5 Ng4 {
Diagram [#]} 11. h4 (11. Nd5 $6 Bc5 12. exd6 cxd6 {opens up the c-file against
White's king, for example,} 13. h4 Nce5 14. Ng5 g6 15. Ne4 Bf5 $17 {G.Good-M.
Morss, corr. 1999.}) 11... Ncxe5 (11... Ngxe5 $6 12. Ng5 g6 13. Nce4 $44) 12.
Ng5 g6 13. Nce4 {This is a better version of the note to 11...Ngxe5, because
Black has the following option, recommended by Tim Harding.} c6 {This is the
critical response and is theoretically good for Black, though in practice
Black's defence is still difficult, and in the game Black was unable to
withstand the white attack.} (13... Bf5 14. Qb3 $1 $44) 14. h5 (14. f3 {is
another idea, e.g.} Ne3 15. Bxf7+ Rxf7 16. Qb3 Nxd1 17. Bxe5 Qe7 18. Bf6 Qf8
19. Rxd1 {and White has some attacking chances, though objectively probably
not quite enough for the sacrificed material.}) 14... d5 15. hxg6 fxg6 16. Nxh7
Rf4 (16... Bf5 {was a better defence, pinning the knight on e4.} 17. Nxf8 Qxf8
18. Bb3 $15) 17. g3 Rf7 18. Nhg5 Rxf2 {Diagram [#]} 19. Qxf2 $1 {This is a
powerful queen sacrifice.} Nxf2 20. Bxe5 Nh3 21. Nf6+ Kf8 22. Nxh3 Bf5 23. Ng5
Ba3+ 24. Kd2 dxc4+ 25. Ke3 Bc1+ 26. Kf3 {Black ends up having to give back the
queen.} Bxg5 (26... Qa5 $2 27. Rh8+ Ke7 28. Rh7+ Kf8 29. Rf7#) 27. Rxd8+ Rxd8
28. Nh7+ Ke8 29. Nxg5 c5 30. g4 Rd5 31. Kf4 Bxg4 32. Ne4 g5+ 33. Nxg5 Be2 34.
Ne4 1-0
[Event "CFriend Superturnier email 3rd"]
[Site "Chessfriend.com"]
[Date "2007.08.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nogler, Schimun"]
[Black "Rosner, Dirk"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2320"]
[BlackElo "2201"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "2007.??.??"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{In this game White meets ...Bb4+ with a relatively rare and unexplored, but
logical, alternative, playing 0-0 and the Nc3-d5. This, too, is pretty
dangerous for Black and may well give White two pawns' worth of compensation.
In the game Black defends well early in the middlegame, but then goes astray
and loses.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 cxb2 6. Bxb2 Bb4+
7. Nc3 Nf6 8. O-O {This is the main alternative to the usual plan with Qc2 and
0-0-0, and I don't know of a refutation.} O-O 9. Nd5 {[%cal Rd5f6,Rb2f6]
Diagram [#]} (9. Qc2 {is a good alternative, leading to variations discussed
in the previous game under 8.Qc2 followed by 9.0-0. Some sample lines:} d6 (
9... Be7 10. e5) (9... Ng4 10. Nd5 Bd6 11. Rae1 Nge5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bb3) 10.
Nd5 Ba5 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Nd4 $44) 9... Be7 {This prevents White from
shattering the kingside pawn structure with Nxf6+, by adding more protection
to the f6-knight.} (9... Nxe4 $6 10. Qc2 {is too dangerous for Black. A sample
continuation:} Ng5 11. Nxb4 Nxf3+ 12. gxf3 Nxb4 13. Qc3 $16 {for White
threatens Qxb4 and Qxg7# and Black cannot save the b4-knight.}) 10. Rc1 (10.
Qc2 d6 11. Rae1 {is a good, and probably superior, alternative. At the
Chesspublishing.com forum, Mark Nieuweboer (following the slightly inferior 11.
Rad1) offered the following line:} Be6 12. Ng5 Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne5 14. f4 Ned7 {
but then White gets a dangerous attack, seemingly out of nowhere, with} 15. Bd3
$1 $16 {Diagram [#] For example,} g6 16. Ne6 $1 fxe6 17. dxe6 Nb6 18. Bxg6 $1)
10... d6 11. Qd3 Be6 12. Rfd1 Bg4 13. Qe3 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 {So far Black has
defended well, but White still has a fair amount of pressure for the two
sacrificed pawns.} Rb8 15. h3 Be6 (15... Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Bg5 {is a good
alternative.}) 16. Rd2 a5 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Nd4 Bd7 19. Nxc6 Bxc6 20. Rxc6 {
Diagram [#] White has regained one pawn, but Black has reduced the extent of
White's initiative.} Re8 21. Qd3 Bg5 22. Rdc2 Rb7 23. Qd5 Qe7 (23... h6 {may
have been better. After the move played in the game, White regains the second
sacrificed pawn.}) 24. e5 dxe5 25. Qxa5 Qd8 26. Rxc7 Rf8 27. R7c5 Qd1+ (27...
Qxa5 28. Rxa5 f6 {leaves a roughly equal endgame although Black has to be
careful of White's passed a-pawn.}) 28. Kh2 Rbb8 $6 {Black lets e5 drop off in
return for counterplay, but it doesn't work.} (28... f6 29. Qa6 Rd7 30. Qe6+
$14) 29. Bxe5 Rb1 30. Rc8 Bd8 31. Qc5 Qh1+ 32. Kg3 Rg1 33. Qd5 Rd1 34. Bd4 Rd3+
35. f3 Qe1+ 36. Kh2 Qh4 37. g4 Be7 38. Qe5 Qh6 39. Kg2 Rd2+ 40. Bf2 Rxc2 41.
Rxc2 Bh4 42. Bxh4 Qxh4 43. a4 Qd8 44. a5 Qa8 45. Rd2 h6 46. Rd7 Qa6 47. Kf2 Qc4
48. Qd5 Qc2+ 49. Qd2 Qc8 50. Kg2 Qa8 51. Rd6 Re8 52. a6 Rc8 53. Qd4 Re8 54. a7
Qc8 55. Qa4 Rf8 56. Rb6 Qc1 57. Qa2 Qc7 58. a8=Q Qxb6 59. Qe4 Qf6 60. Qac2 g6
61. Qd2 Kh7 62. Qed4 Qxd4 63. Qxd4 Rc8 64. f4 1-0
[Event "LSS WC-2009-S-00013"]
[Site "LSS email"]
[Date "2006.09.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dolgov, Igor Mikhailovich"]
[Black "Vaassen, Jack M"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C44"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2006.09.06"]
[EventType "corr"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{In this game Black goes for the other critical line, 5...cxb2 6.Bxb2 d6,
which has been recommended by numerous sources including Batsford Chess
Openings 2, John Emms in "Play the Open Games as Black", and by John Watson.
White's three main options are 7.Nc3, 7.0-0 and 7.Qb3. This game features 7.
Nc3.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 cxb2 6. Bxb2 d6 {
Diagram [#] This is the other critical response, against which White's three
options are 7.Nc3, 7.0-0 and 7.Qb3. This game features the first of these
options.} 7. Nc3 {This move intends to get in Nc3-d5 before Black can force an
exchange of the c4-bishop with ...Be6.} Be7 {Black intends to blunt White's
pressure down the long diagonal by playing ...Be7-f6.} (7... Be6 8. Nd5 {plays
into White's hands somewhat.} Nge7 (8... Na5 9. Bd3 c6 10. Nf4 $44) 9. Ng5 Ng6
10. Qh5 $44 {Stukalov,A (2164)-Kutepov,A (2083) Vladimir 2004}) (7... Nf6 {is
met by an assault on f7, where White's accelerated development helps White's
chances relative to the similar line of the 5.Nxc3 d6 variation:} 8. Qb3 Qd7 9.
Ng5 Ne5 10. Bb5 c6 11. f4 $16) 8. Qb3 {White attacks f7, thus forcing Black to
make a concession that prevents Black from parrying Nd5 with an immediate ...
Be7-f6.} (8. Nd5 {is parried by} Bf6) 8... Nh6 (8... Na5 9. Bxf7+ Kf8 10. Qa4
Kxf7 11. Qxa5 $44 {Black's exposed king leaves White with sufficient
compensation for the pawn. Wilkes,T-Pickering,P England 2000}) 9. Nd5 {Diagram
[#]} O-O {Recommended by John Watson. This is Black's most challenging
response to the 7.Nc3 variation. Black intends to play ...Ng4 and then ...Bf6.
} (9... f6 {is the most popular response, threatening ...Na5. However, White
can exploit the weakened light squares around Black's king:} 10. Nf4 (10. O-O
$6 Na5 11. Qa4+ c6 $17 {I.Csom-L.Barczay, Hungary 1967.}) 10... Na5 11. Qa4+ c6
12. Ne6 $44) 10. h3 {Suggested in Danish Dynamite, preventing Black's idea of .
..Ng4 followed by ...Bf6. It is probably White's best bet in this position.} (
10. Qc3 $6 Bf6 {returns one pawn in order to get the queens exchanged.} 11.
Nxf6+ Qxf6 12. Qxf6 gxf6 13. Bxf6 Ng4 $15) (10. O-O Ng4 11. Rac1 Bf6 $15) 10...
Re8 (10... Be6 {was suggested by John Watson, whereupon White should not
immediately grab the pawn on b7.} 11. O-O (11. Qxb7 $6 Na5 12. Qa6 Nxc4 13.
Qxc4 Bxd5 14. exd5 Bf6 $15 {(Watson)}) 11... Re8 12. Rac1 {and White has a
fair amount of pressure for two pawns, though it is not clear if it is enough.}
) 11. Nxe7+ (11. O-O {was probably better, though the move played in the game
envisages the dangerous sacrifice of a third pawn.}) 11... Rxe7 12. O-O Rxe4 (
12... Be6 {was a safer alternative:} 13. Bxe6 Rxe6 14. Qxb7 Ne7 {although
White has some compensation for a pawn.}) 13. Rfe1 Bf5 14. Bd5 Rxe1+ 15. Rxe1
Rb8 16. g4 {Diagram [#] Now Black has to be very careful, for most of White's
pieces are pointing at Black's kingside.} Bd7 (16... Bg6 {is probably better
as it prevents White's next move, Re4.}) 17. Re4 {This threatens Rf4 putting
more pressure on f7.} Qf8 18. Ng5 Ne5 19. Qc2 Ng6 20. Qxc7 Qc8 21. Qxd6 {White
has regained two of the three sacrificed pawns and has enough compensation for
the other pawn, though the game fizzled out into a draw:} Bc6 22. Rc4 (22. Qb4
Qf8 23. Qc4 Bxd5 24. Qxd5 Qd8 25. Qc5 {keeps the queens on the board, which is
probably to White's advantage.}) 22... Qf8 23. Qxf8+ Nxf8 24. Bxc6 bxc6 25. Bd4
f5 26. a4 fxg4 27. Bxa7 Ra8 28. Bb6 gxh3 29. a5 Nf7 30. Nxf7 Kxf7 31. Rxc6 Ne6
32. Kh2 g6 33. Kxh3 Ke7 34. Kg3 Kd7 35. Rc1 1/2-1/2
[Event "GRE-chT Cup"]
[Site "Athens"]
[Date "2006.09.30"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios"]
[Black "Michos, Thomas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2562"]
[BlackElo "2264"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "2006.09.30"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "GRE"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
[WhiteTeam "Thessaloniki"]
[BlackTeam "Athens"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GRE"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GRE"]
{In this game White tries 7.0-0 instead of 7.Nc3.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 cxb2 6. Bxb2 d6 7. O-O {This is the most popular move
for White, and I believe that White has a couple of promising sidelines in
this variation that are worth investigating, should the main line fail to
provide two pawns' worth of compensation.} Be6 {Diagram [#] Other moves are
not a serious test for White, for White can then play 8.Nc3 followed by 9. Nd5.
With this bishop move Black forces the exchange of White's important c4-bishop.
} 8. Bxe6 {This is almost invariably played, but since I am not convinced that
the main line gives White enough for two pawns, I think White should
investigate two ways of defending the bishop on c4 and side-stepping the main
line.} (8. Nbd2 {is a good, and largely unexplored, alternative, and I believe
that White is able to avoid transposing into the main line.} Qd7 (8... Bxc4 9.
Nxc4 Qd7 10. Qb3 O-O-O {is another option for Black, but the black queenside
is likely to come under heavy fire.}) 9. Qb3 Nf6 (9... Na5 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11.
Qb4 $44) 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. Ng5 Nd8 12. e5 $13) (8. Na3 {may also be playable.
A sample line:} Qd7 9. Qb3 Na5 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. Qc2 $13) 8... fxe6 9. Qb3 {
White starts to pressure e6.} Qd7 (9... Qc8 $6 {is an inferior version of the
main line for Black, as the queen is more passively placed here, and there is
no threat to b7 because of White's bishop on b2, which can come under attack
down the b-file.}) 10. Ng5 {Increasing the pressure.} (10. Qxb7 $2 Rb8 {wins
the bishop on b2.}) 10... Nd8 {The previous moves see White attacking e6 and
Black having to go passive in defending e6, but Black still retains two extra
pawns. White now sets about advnacing the e and f-pawns.} 11. f4 {Diagram [#]}
Nf6 {This move prepares ...Be7, since White now cannot answer ...Be7 with Bxg7.
} (11... Ne7 {allows White a strong attack with} 12. f5 e5 13. Qh3 $44) 12. Nd2
(12. f5 e5 13. Nc3 (13. Qh3 Be7) 13... c6 {(John Watson)} 14. Rac1 Be7 $15)
12... h6 (12... Be7 {is more critical.} 13. e5 dxe5 14. fxe5 {Diagram [#]} Nd5
({The piece grab} 14... Qxd2 $6 {is too risky:} 15. exf6 Bc5+ 16. Kh1 Qxg5 17.
fxg7 Rg8 18. Bf6 $1 $16 {and Black will do very well to avoid being mated, for
White is set to break through in the centre.}) 15. Nde4 Bxg5 {(D.Smit)} 16.
Nxg5 Qe7 {leaves White with some compensation for two pawns, but it is not
clear if it is enough.}) 13. Qh3 (13. Ngf3 {was probably best, e.g.} Be7 14. e5
Nd5 15. f5 {with attacking chances.}) 13... e5 14. f5 Rg8 (14... Be7 {was
probably the critical test.}) 15. Ne6 Nxe6 16. fxe6 Qc6 $2 {Diagram [#]} (16...
Qe7) 17. Rxf6 $1 {This exchange sacrifice, if accepted, allows White to
penetrate into Black's kingside with the queen. Black declines the sacrifice,
but goes a piece down as a result.} Be7 (17... gxf6 18. Qh5+ Kd8 19. Qf7 {and
I don't think there is a good defence for Black.}) 18. Rf2 O-O-O 19. Rc1 Qa4
20. Qc3 c6 21. Nc4 Rgf8 22. Rf7 Rxf7 23. exf7 Rf8 24. Qh3+ Kd8 25. Qe6 Qb4 26.
Ba3 1-0
[Event "Troon Centenery op"]
[Site "Troon"]
[Date "1984.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Bryson, Douglas M"]
[Black "Teichmann, Erik OMC"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[WhiteElo "2245"]
[BlackElo "2285"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "1984.??.??"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "SCO"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.11.25"]
{In this game White goes for 7.Qb3} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3
5. Bc4 cxb2 6. Bxb2 d6 7. Qb3 {This continuation was recommended in Danish
Dynamite, though if Black plays ...Be6 here, play will most likely transpose
to 7.0-0 lines, since if White regains one pawn on e6 or b7, it slows down the
white initiative too much.} Qd7 {This move threatens ...Na5, and denies White
the option of Qa4+ in reply. I think White has enough tricks to get two pawns'
worth of compensation in this lline, though.} (7... Be6 $5 8. Bxe6 (8. Nbd2 $5
Qd7 9. O-O {transposes to 7.0-0 Be6 8.Nbd2 Qd7 9.Qb3}) (8. Qxb7 $6 Nge7 9. Bxe6
fxe6 10. Qa6 Rb8 11. Bc3 d5) 8... fxe6 9. Nbd2 (9. O-O {transposes to 7.0-0
Be6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 9.Qb3.}) (9. Qxe6+ $6 Qe7 10. Qf5 Nf6) 9... Qd7 10. Ng5 Nd8 11.
O-O Nf6 12. f4 {transposes to 7.0-0 Be6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 9.Qb3 Qd7 10.Ng5 Nd8 11.f4
Nf6 12.Nd2.}) (7... Na5 8. Bxf7+ Ke7 9. Qd5 c6 10. Qh5 {Diagram [#] gives
White sufficient compensation for a pawn in view of the exposed black king. If
Black tries} Qb6 {(Tim Harding) there follows} 11. Bxg8 ({Not} 11. Ba3 $6 Nf6
$15 {Coleman,D (2240)-Morris,P (2375) Eastbourne 1990}) 11... Qxb2 12. Qf7+ Kd8
13. Qxf8+ Kc7 14. e5 $1 $16 {with very dangerous attacking chances for White.})
(7... Nh6 8. Na3 $5 {allows ...Na5 under quite favourable circumstances.} Na5 (
8... Bd7 9. Bc3 Qe7 10. O-O $44) 9. Qa4+ c6 10. Bd3 {and if} b5 {then} 11. Nxb5
$5 {This is a strong sacrifice, e.g.} cxb5 $6 12. Bxb5+ Ke7 13. e5 $16) 8. Bc3
Nf6 {Recommended in Batsford Chess Openings 2, which (wrongly, in my opinion)
assesses the position as clearly better for Black.} (8... Nh6 {was recommended
by John Watson.} 9. O-O f6 {Diagram [#]} (9... Ng4 {transposes to the game
continuation.}) 10. Nbd2 (10. Na3 $5 {might be even better, as it gives White
the additional option Na3-b5 in some lines and means that Rad1 pins the
d6-pawn against the queen on d7.}) 10... Nf7 11. Rad1 Nce5 12. Be2 Nxf3+ 13.
Bxf3 Be7 {Watson stops here, claiming an advantage for Black, but I think that
White's chances of breaking through are quite favourable after} 14. Nc4 $44 {
intending e4-e5.}) 9. O-O Ng4 10. Rd1 Qe7 {Diagram [#]} 11. Rd3 {I'm not sure
about this move. Presumably White wants to keep the d3-rook pointing at the
d6-pawn after playing Nbd2.} (11. Na3 {is a good option, for if} Nce5 $6 {then}
12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bxe5 dxe5 (13... Qxe5 14. Bxf7+ Kd8 15. Nc4) 14. Rac1 $16 {
with various threats to c7 and f7.}) 11... Rb8 (11... f6 {intending ...Nce5 is
probably Black's only good defence here.} 12. Nbd2 Nce5 13. Nxe5 Nxe5 14. Bxe5
dxe5 15. Rc1 c6 $13) 12. Nbd2 f6 13. Re1 Bd7 14. h3 Nge5 15. Nxe5 dxe5 (15...
Nxe5 16. Bxe5 fxe5 17. Rd1 $44) 16. Nf3 {Now Black's defence is extremely
difficult.} a6 $6 17. Red1 Bc8 18. Bb4 Nxb4 19. Bf7+ Qxf7 20. Rd8+ Ke7 21.
Qxb4+ 1-0