Karel Traxler's Brilliancy

Lesson of the Week

My advanced students spent half an hour on the game that gave the Traxler Counter-Attack its name.

Reinisch,J -- Traxler,Karel [C57]
Hrána vs. Hostoun, Hostoun, 20.03.1890

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5

4...d5 is the most common move here, leading either to the Fried Liver Attack or a variation, considered safer for Black, that has several names for different White approaches. These were mentioned briefly.

Someone entered notes by Karel Traxler in this game on chessgames.com. Traxler wrote concerning 4...Bc5, which he appears to have been the first to play, "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." His entire notes to the game, published in Zláta Praha (14 October 1892), are available online at Digitalizovaný Archiv Časopisů.

White to move

This position is exercise 9 in my Knight Award Problems (see the complete set at "Knight Award Problems"). I use this position to encourage students to chose a few opening tableaus that they study with the intention of being better prepared than their opponents. It is a position that is often reached in youth chess tournaments.

5.Nxf7!?

5.Bxf7 Ke7 and then either 6.Bd5 or 6.Bb3 leaves White a pawn ahead and thus an advantage.

5...Bxf2+ 6.Ke2

Two other lines must be explored as well, if the student is to be well prepared to play 5.Nxf7.

a) 6.Kf1 seems best.
b) 6.Kxf2 invites 6...Nxe4 7.Kg1 is best, and there are very good drawing chances after 7...Qh4 8.g3 Nxg3 9.hxg3 Qxg3+ 10.Kf1 Rf8.

In line b, 7.Ke2 leads to 7...Nd4+ and Black seems to be winning.
7.Ke3 is playable, but risky. A game in our school club a few years ago continued 7...Qh4 8.Nxh8?? (the decisive error) 8...Qf4+ 9.Kd3 Nb4+ 10.Ke2 Qf2#.

6...Nd4+

Students suggested 7.Kxf2! Nxe4+ 8.Kg1 and it is not clear that Black's attack will prove decisive. Meanwhile, both sides have problems.

7.Kd3 b5!

White to move

Already, White's position is very difficult.

8.Bb3

Traxler planned to meet 8.Nxd8 with 8...bxc4+ 9.Kxc4 Ba6+ 10.Kb4 and Black's attack is worth more than the sacrificed queen.

Of course, after 8.Bxb5, Black has 8...Kxf7.

8...Nxe4 9.Nxd8

9.Kxe4 is no good. 9...d5+ 10.Kd3 Bf5+ 11.Kc3 Ne2+ 12.Qxe2 Bd4+ 13.Kb4 a5+ and checkmate next move.

Black to move

Black now has a forced checkmate in nine.

9...Nc5+ 10.Kc3 Ne2+ 11.Qxe2

11.Kb4 leads to checkmate one move faster.

Bd4+ 12.Kb4 a5+ 13.Kxb5 Ba6+ 14.Kxa5 Bd3+ 

14...Bxe2+ does not lead to a faster win. Traxler chose the poetic option.

15.Kb4 Na6+ 16.Ka4 

16.Ka3 Bc5+ 17.Ka4 Nb4#.

16...Nb4+ 17.Kxb4 c5# 0–1

Checkmate

White has all of his pieces, having given up only two pawns in the battle. But, chess is about the king, not material superiority.

My beginning students completed the worksheets, Essential Tactics 5 and 6. Here are two of the exercises.

White to move

White to move

All of the exercises from these worksheets, as well as the solutions are now available in a Kindle book: Essential Tactics: Building a Foundation for Chess Skill (2017).

Fried Liver Attack

In the second week of after school chess club, my beginning group doubled in size and includes several who have never played chess. While emphasizing how the pieces move and other first things, I showed the group Gibaud -- Lazard 1924, then offered assistance as the students paired off and played.

The advanced group saw this game, but not with all of the annotations presented here.

Von der Lasa,Tassilo -- Mayet,Carl [C57]
Berlin Berlin, 1839

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5

White's aggressive move immediately presents Black with some problems.

4.d3 is the main line and scores best.

4...d5

4...Bc5 is the other principal way of meeting White's threats. 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 and White should be better 6...Qe7 7.Nxh8; 4...b5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3.

4...h6 5.Nxf7 Qe7 6.Nxh8 was played in De Wit -- Soylu 1999.

5.exd5 Nxd5

Accepting the Fried Liver gives White strong practical chances. Black is okay, and probably better, but it is much easier for Black to err. Moreover, errors are often fatal.

5...Na5 is a recommended alternative, as we saw last week.

White to move

6.Nxf7

6.d4 is an alternative, leading to:

a) 6...Bb4+ 7.c3 Be7 8.h4 Bxg5 9.Bxg5 Qd7 10.dxe5 Nb6 and was drawn in 47 moves Stoltz,G (2487) -- Karaklajic,N (2436), Belgrade 1952.

b) 6...exd4 7.0–0 Be6

7...Be7 was played against Paul Morphy when he was playing blindfold 8.Nxf7 Kxf7 9.Qf3+ Ke6 10.Nc3 dxc3 11.Re1+ Ne5 12.Bf4 Bd6 13.Bxe5 Bxe5 14.Rxe5+ Kxe5 15.Re1+ Kd4 16.Bxd5 Rf8 17.Qd3+ Kc5 18.b4+ Kxb4 19.Qd4+ 1–0 Morphy,P -- Amateur,New Orleans 1858.

8.Re1 Qd7 9.Nxf7 Kxf7 10.Qf3+ Kg8 11.Rxe6 is the line recommended by Tartakower and Du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess (1952). Last week's game also came from this book.

6...Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6

Beginners sometimes play 7...Ke8 8.Bxd5 Qf6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qxf6 gxf6 11.d3 and White has a clear advantage with both material and positional superiority.

8.Nc3

Black to move

8...Nce7

8...Ncb4 is Black's principal alternative, and one that I prefer as Black.

White's main responses are:

a) 9.Qe4 c6 10.a3 Na6

Alternately, Black can return the material in hopes of finding a secure home for the king 10...Nxc2+ 11.Qxc2 Kf7.

11.d4 Nac7 12.Bf4 Kf7 13.Bxe5 Be7 14.0–0–0 with a clear lead in development for White.

b) 9.Bb3 c6 10.a3 Na6 and Black is surviving for now.

c) 9. a3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Nxd5 Kd6 12.d4 Be6

In a correspondence game ten years ago, I played 12...b5 13.Ne7!? and I spent several hours finding Bg4.

The knight is untouchable:

13...Bxe7 14.Qd5#
13...Kxe7 14.Qf7+ Kd6 15.Qd5+ Ke7 16.Qxe5+ Be6 17.Qxe6#
13...Qxe7 14.Qd5#

13.Re1 b5 14.Nb4 bxc4 15.Qc6+ Ke7 16.Bg5+ Kf7 17.Bxd8 Rxd8 18.Qxc7+ Rd7 19.Qxe5 Rd6 20.d5 Bd7 21.Qf4+ Kg8 22.Qxc4 a5 23.Nd3 a4 24.Nc5 h5 25.Nxd7 Rxd7 26.d6+ Kh7 27.Re6 g6 28.Rxg6 1–0 Shirov,A (2709) -- Sulskis,S (2544), Tromso 2014.

9.d4 b5 10.Nxb5 

Black to move

10...c6

Students were asked to find White's refutations of 10...Ng6.

11.Bxd5+ Qxd5 12.Nxc7+

11.Nc3 Qb6

11...Bb7 is met by 12.Ne4.

12.dxe5 Bb7 13.Ne4 Qb4+?

13...Kd7 may be Black's best chance.

14.Bd2 Qxc4

White to move

This position offers a good example of materialism vs. piece activity and coordination. White has sacrificed two minor pieces, netting three pawns, but has a decisive attack.

15.Qg4+! Kxe5 

15...Kf7 16.Nd6+ Kg8 17.Qe6#
15...Nf5 16.Ng5+ Kd7 17.Qxc4+-.

16.f4+ Kd4 

16...Kxe4 17.Qe6+ Kd4 18.Be3+ Nxe3 19.Qe5#.

17.c3+ 

17.0–0–0 wins as quickly.

17...Nxc3 18.Bxc3+

Black to move

18...Kxe4

18...Qxc3+ 19.bxc3+ Kc4 20.Qe2+ Kd5 21.0–0–0+ Ke6 22.Ng5+ Kf5 23.Qe6+ Kxf4 24.Nh3#.

19.f5+

Von der Lasa missed a quicker checkmate:19.0–0–0 Qd3 20.f5+ Kd5 21.Rxd3+ Kc5 22.Qb4#.

19...Kd5 20.0–0–0+ Kc5 21.b4+ Kb5 

21...Kb6 22.Qxc4

22.a4+ 1–0

White regains far more material than he sacrificed to create an attack against the king.

Lesson of the Week

A new scholastic chess season has begun. The first tournament for Spokane's youth will be held October 22. My chess clubs started this week. For my beginning students, we looked at three instructive miniatures from the Encyclopedia of Chess Miniatures (2014). My advanced students saw a game from 1936.

The opening played in this game is popular in scholastic chess.

Spielmann,Rudolf -- Eliskases,Erich [C59]
Match Semmering AUT (7), 1936

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 

8.Qf3 has been recommended by a local chess teacher and appears in many games.

8...h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qc7 11.d4 exd3 12.Nxd3 Bd6

White to move

13.Na3 

This game was the only one in the database with this move. The most popular response was played by none other than Garry Kasparov.

13.b3 0–0 14.Bb2 Re8 15.h3 Ne4 16.0–0 Qe7 17.Nc3 Nxc3 18.Bxc3 Qxe2 19.Bxa5 Bf5 20.Re1 Qxd1 21.Raxd1 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Rb8 23.g4 Bg6 24.Kf1 h5 25.Re3 Rb5 26.Bd2 f6 27.f4 Rd5 28.Ke2 hxg4 29.hxg4 f5 30.c4 Rd4 31.Bc3 Re4 32.Rxe4 fxe4 33.Ne5 Bxe5 34.Bxe5 Be8 35.Ke3 Kf7 36.Kxe4 g6 37.Kd4 Ke7 38.Kc5 Kd7 39.Bb8 Kc8 40.Bxa7 Kb7 41.Bb6 Bd7 42.g5 Bf5 43.b4 Bc2 44.a4 1–0 Kasparov,G (2805) -- Timman,J (2620)/Moscow 1994.

13...Ba6 14.g3 0–0 15.0–0 Rad8 16.Be3 Nd5 17.Bc5 Bxc5 18.Nxc5 Nc3 19.Nxa6 Qe5 20.Qe1 Nxe2+ 21.Kh1 Rfe8 22.Rd1

22.f3

22...Qh5 23.h4 Qg4 24.Kh2 Nxg3 25.fxg3

Black to move

25...Re2+

25...Rxe1 26.Rxd8+ Kh7 27.Rxe1+-

26.Rf2 Rxf2+ 27.Qxf2 Qxd1 0–1

A Plate of Fried Liver

A Tasty Dish

The Fried Liver Attack scores about 75% for White, which helps explain why chess coaches everywhere urge the Traxler Counter Attack (4...Bc5) or 5...Na5, which seems to go by several names. Despite Black's abysmal record, I am of the opinion that Black is no worse with correct play. In fact, I believe White's sacrifice of a knight is unsound. My view is not universally shared.

Practically speaking, accurate defense of the Black side can be tortuously difficult under time pressure. In correspondence chess, I have not lost to the Fried Liver. Nor have I courageously faced it in serious over the board play. Occasionally, however, I invite the Attack in blitz. This post presents a game that I played yesterday in a three minute game.

Nomen Nescio -- Stripes,J [C57]
Online Playing Site, 10.04.2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5

Inviting the Fried Liver Attack. 4...Bc5 sacrifices a pawn if White chooses the safer route: 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bd5. White is more likely to play the double-edged 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kf1.

5.exd5 Nxd5

Black steps to the edge of the abyss. 5...Na5 appears to equalize.

6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3 Ncb4

White to move

9.Nxd5

I don't recall playing against this move in the past.

9.a3 is considered a mistake, but was played in one of my memorable games. In that correspondence game, I spent well in excess of two hours per move through the critical portion of the game and was happy with a 22 move draw.

9...Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Nxd5 Kd6 12.Re1 (12.Ne7!? is interesting. 12...Kxe7 would be a blunder. 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Qd5+ Ke7 15.Qxe5+ Kd7 16.Qe6#).

9.0–0 scores well for White.

9.Qe4 was played against me in another memorable correspondence game.

9...Nxd5 10.d4 Be7

I considered 10...c6 which was the correct move.

11.0–0

11.Qe4 was played in the sole game in the database after 10...Be7. The players were unrated.

11...Rf8 12.Qe4 c6

White to move

13.Qxe5+?

13.Qxh7 maintains the vulnerability of the Black king by making g8 somewhat more exposed.

13...Kf7 14.Re1 Bf6 15.Bxd5+ Qxd5

White to move

16.Qxd5+

16.Qc7+ Kg8

16...cxd5 17.c3

Black to move

Black has a material advantage and no longer faces the abyss. Hence, Black has a clear advantage. The rest of the game holds less interest.

17...Bf5 18.Bf4 Rae8 19.Bd6 Be7 

19...Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Re8

20.Be5 Kg6 21.h3 h5 22.f3 h4 23.Kf2 Bf6 24.f4 Be4 25.g4 hxg3+ 26.Kxg3 Bxe5 27.fxe5 Rf3+ 28.Kg4 Rd3 29.Rf1 Rh8 30.h4 

Black to move

30...Kh7?

Throwing away a nice position

30...Bg2 was stronger.

31.e6

31.Rf2 exploits Black's inaccuracy.

31...Re8 32.Rf7 Rxe6 33.Rxb7? Rg6+ 34.Kf4 Rf3+ 35.Ke5 Rf5# 0–1

Fried Liver Attack

The Fegatello Attack, or Fried Liver, favors White in practice. White scores nearly 80% wins in the selection of games available in the ChessBase database. It should be no surprise that Black usually prefers to avoid the line with 5...Na5.

In The Oxford Companion to Chess (1996), David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld offer the assessment that the opening favors White and suggest the origin of the intriguing name.

...an extensively analyzed variation that favours White. It was known to the 16th-century Italian masters and the name is Italian for a piece of liver, perhaps implying that the sacrifice of White's knight is like a slice of liver used as bait in a trap.

The Wikipedia entry currently offers, "White has a strong attack, but it has not been proven to be decisive." That is my view, but it is not universally shared.

The opening begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6

White to move

8.Nc3

Now Black makes the first important choice.

Although 8...Nce7 is a frequent move, it is my view that 8...Ncb4 is Black's best choice.

White to move

White has a problem to solve. The most common response here may not be the best.

9.Qe4

In my best game on the Black side of the Fried Liver, my opponent played 9.a3. That game continued 9...Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Nxd5 Kd6 12.d4 b5!? and I was in the process of repeating moves when we agreed to a draw on move 22.

9.Bb3!? has been explored in a small number of games. It may deserve more attention.

In a challenge on Chess.com that resulted from my claim that the Fried Liver is unsound, and Black is fine if he or she defends accurately, my opponent continued with 9.Qe4.

When that game finishes, I plan to post it.