White wins the black queen and later promotes a pawn to gain a second queen, but Black also has chances.
Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book.
Robert Franz - Carl Mayet
Berlin 1858
Bishop's Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6
This is the active defence which first tarnished the reputation of this opening and caused it to disappear almost altogether from the modern repertory.
3.Nf3
An identical position occurs in Petrov's Defence after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6, and now 3.Bc4, instead of the accepted continuations 3.Nxe5 or 3.d4 or 3.Nc3.
3...Nxe4 4.Nxe5!?
This recovers the pawn but allows Black to obtain a footing in the centre (4...d5). Better is the sacrifice of a pawn for the sake of a prospective attack by 4.Nc3.
The text, which is Stockfish14.1's choice, scores just 33% in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, against 53% for 4.Nc3, which Komodo12.1.1 marginally prefers over 4.d3.
4...d5
Throwing back the bishop, and hoping later on to get rid of the knight as well.
5.Bb3?!
The engines much prefer 5.Be2.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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5...Be6
5...Qg5!?, as apparently first played by Johannes Zukertort in an 1862 club game against an unknown opponent, is very hard to meet. That game continued 6.0-0? (the commonest move in Mega22, but already losing) Qxe5 7.d3 B d6 8.g3 Ng5 9.Re1 Nf3+ 10.Kf1? Bh3#. The engines reckon White should probably play 6.d3, but 6...Qxg2 7.Qf3 Qxf3 8.Nxf3 Nf6 was very good for Black in Yury Krasnov (2368) - Vladimir Afromeev (2573), Igriashvili Memorial (Tula, Russia) 2006 (0-1, 51 moves).
6.0-0 Bd6 7.d4 Qf6?
7...f6 would be faulty on account of 8.Qh5+ g6 (8...Ke7 9.Nd3 etc) 9.Nxg6 Bf7 10.Bxd5 etc. The simplest would be 7...0-0.
It seems correct that 7...f6?! (the engines recommend 7...0-0 or 7...Nc6) is faulty, but 10.Bxd5? allows Black to survive with 10...Bxg6. Instead the engines reckon 10.Nc3!? is strong, and if 10...Bxg6 then 11.Qxd5, eg 11...f5 (this is best, according to the engines) 12.Qe6+ Qe7 (12...Kf8?? 13.Bh6#) 13.Qc8+ Qd8 14.Qxb7 Nd7 15.Nb5 Rb8 16.Nxd6+ cxd6 17.Qxa7, when White has four pawns and a bishop for a pair of knights, and Black's king is exposed.
8.f4?
Guarding the outpost and threatening 9.f5, which incites Black to take immediate countermeasures.
The engines show 8.f3 greatly embarrasses Black's awkward piece-configuration, eg 8...Ng5 9.Nc3 c6 10.f4 Ne4 11.f5 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Bd7 13.Qh5! Be7 14.Qe2! 0-0 15.Ng4, or 9...Nc5 10.Ng4 Bxg4 11.fxg4 Qh4 12.g3 Bxg3 13.Qe2+ Ne6 14.hxg3 Qxg3+ 15.Qg2.
8...c5?
Meaning to reply to 9.f5 by 9...cxd4 10.fxe6 Qxe5 etc. A passive and more cautious course would be 8...c6 9.f5 Bc8.
The engines reckon 8...c6 9.f5 Bc8 is good for White after, for example, 10.Nd2, while the first line is a disaster for Black, as shown below. They reckon Black needs to play 8...Nc6 or possibly 8...0-0!?
9.Ba4+?!
Far more troublesome than 9.c3 because of 9...Nc6, with the threat 10...cxd4 11.cxd4 Nxd4.
The engines reckon 9.c3 Nc6?! (they prefer 9...0-0) fails to 10.f5, but this is academic as White has 9.f5 cxd4 10.fxe6 Qxe5 (as given in the book after Black's eighth move) 11.exf7+ Kf8 12.Bf4 Qe6 13.Bxd6+ Qxd6 14.Qxd4 with a strong attack.
9...Ke7?!
Forfeiting castling with a good grace, for if 9...Nd7 [then] 10.f5 cxd4 11.fxe6 Qxe5 12.exd7+, winning a piece. The most rational continuation, however, is 9...Bd7.
The engines reckon 9...Bd7 10.c4 is good for White, and so prefer 9...Nc6!?, meeting 10.Nxc6 with 10...Bd7, and 10.Bxc6 bxc6 11.Nxc6 with 11...0-0. In the last line Black is a pawn down but has a handy lead in development.
10.c4
Instead of being content with the solid 10.c3, White throws his forces into the turmoil.
10...dxc4?
If 10...cxd4 11.cxd5 Bxd5 12.Nc3 etc, White has the advantage.
12.Nc3?? is a blunder that leaves Black on top after 12...dxc3 13.Qxd5 Bc5+, the point being 14.Kh1? results in mate, viz 14...Ng3+! 15.hxg3 Qh6#. However the engines reckon 12.Nd2 does give White an advantage. In any event 10...cxd4 is better than the text.
11.Qc2
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 11.Qe1.
11...Bf5
With the counterthreat of 12...Ng3. If 11...Bd5 [then] 12.Re1, winning a piece, eg 12...Qf5 13.Nc3 etc, or 12...Bxe5 13.Rxe4 etc.
12.Qxc4
Here again White could have maintained a pressure by 12.g4 or 12.Re1, eg [after 12.Re1] 12...Bxe5 13.Rxe4 etc, or 12...Ng3 13.Ng4+ etc.
12...cxd4 13.Qb5 b6 14.Re1 Bc5 15.b4
Both sides display much imagination.
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| After a complicated opening, Black is a pawn up but White has the safer king and is winning, according to the engines |
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15...a6 16.Qc4 b5 17.Qd5 Bxb4 18.Rxe4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 Rc8
Intrepid play. The following alternatives would lead to nothing: 20...Ng4+ 21.Qe6, or 20...Nc6+ 21.Kd8 [this must be a typo for 21.Kf8 or 21.Kd6, both of which win for Black] etc.
20.Qb7+
Winning the adverse queen by force. The continuation 20.Bd2 (or 20.Ba3 or 20.Bb2) is playable.
20...Kd8?!
The engines reckon 20...Nd7 is less catastrophic.
21.Nxf7+ Qxf7 22.Qxf7 Rxc1+ 23.Kf2 Nd7 24.Bb3
Or 24.Qg8+ Bf8 25.Bb3 Kc7, and White still has to cope with difficulties.
24...Kc7 25.Qxg7 Bc5
Although Black has only a rook for a queen, he never relaxes his threats.
26.f5
Better is 26.Be6 at once.
26...Re8 27.Be6 Re7 28.Qg3+ Kb7 29.Qd3 Kb6 30.a4 Ne5 31.a5+ Kc7 32.Qe4 d3+ 33.Kg3 Bd6 34.Qa8!? Nc6+ 35.Kh4 Be5!?
Objectively Black should probably prefer 35...Rxe6 36.fxe6 d2 37.Nxd2 Rxa1, after which White's material advantage is 'only' queen and pawn for rook and bishop, but the position is much simplified, so reducing Black's swindling chances.
36.Qc8+ Kd6 37.Nd2?
White is still winning after this, but much stronger is 37.Ra3, maintaining his queen-for-rook advantage.
37...Bxa1
By hard work Black has doubled the compensation for his lost queen, but now White's passed f pawn is showing enterprise.
38.Ne4+ Ke5
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| White to play and win |
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39.f6?
Winning, according to the engines, is 39.Nf2!, eg 39...Kd6 (39...d2 40.Qg8 seems even better for White) 40.Nxd3 Rd1 41.Nf2 Rd4+ 42.Kg3, while 39.Nd2 is apparently good enough for a draw after 39...Kf4! 40.Nb3.
39...Rxe6 40.f7 Rh6+ 41.Kg5 Rg6+ 42.Kh5
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| Black to play and win |
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42...Kxe4
There is no answer to the engines' 42...Rf1!, eg 43.Qe8+ Kd5 44.Ng3 Rxg3! 45.hxg3 Bg7 etc, or 43.Ng4 d2 44.Nf3+ Rxf3 45.gxf3 Rf6 etc.
43.f8=Q
The balance of power between two queens and two rooks, bishop and knight does not tell the whole tale. Black's passed and advanced d pawn represents a permanent asset.
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| Black to play and draw |
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43...Be5?
Black has to play 43...Bf6! to block the f file, according to the engines, but not 43...Rf6? as then White has 44.Qg4+
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| White to play and win |
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44.Qf3+?
A cursory glance at the position makes it hard to believe that the two white queens cannot, between them, engineer a perpetual check.
The position is indeed now drawn, according to the engines, but 44.Qf2 is good for White and even more convincing is 44.Qcf5+, eg 44...Kd4 45.Qf2+ Kd5 46.Q8f7+ Kd6 47.Qxh7.
44...Kd4 45.Qcf5 Rc3 46.Q3e4+ Kc5 47.Qf8+?!
Best seems to be Stockfish14.1's 47.Qe1!?, but the myriad of possibilities makes it hard even for engines to be definite.
47...Rd6 48.Qf2?!
Best may be 48.Qe1!?, but then 48...b4 is winning, according to Stockfish14.1, although Komodo12.1.1 only gives Black a slight edge.
48...Rd4 49.Qf8+ Bd6 50.Qf2 d2
The charter of victory.
51.Qxc6+ Kxc6 52.Qxd4 Rc5+ 53.Kh6 Rd5 54.Qb6+ Kd7 55.Qb7+ Ke6 56.Qc8+ Ke5 57.Qh8+
The checks also eventually run out after 57.Qc3+ or 57.Qe8+
57...Kf4 58.Qf6+ Ke4 59.Qf3+ Kd4 60.Kxh7
Or 60.Qf2+ Kc3 61.Qf3+ Rd3 62.Qf6+ Kc2 etc.
60...Kc4 61.Qe4+ Rd4 62.Qc2+ Kd5 63.Qf5+ Be5 64.Qf3+ Kc4 65.Qd1
A queen's agony.
Also insufficient is 65.Qe2+ Kc3 66.Qf3+ Rd3 67.Qc6+ Kb2 etc.
65...Rd3 66.h4 Bc3 67.h5 Re3 68.Qf1+ Kb3 69.Qd1+ Kb2 0-1
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