The following effort against Rudolf Spielmann features an opening still popular today at club level, although it has fallen from fashion among the elite.
Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book.
Tartakower - Spielmann
Ostend 1907
Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4
Although the Vienna is no longer popular at the highest level, it is still occasionally played by very strong grandmasters, including Carlsen, Caruana, Nakamura and Ivanchuk. The text, which can lead to wild play, is particularly popular with Hikaru Nakamura.
3...Nxe4
An answer not devoid of commitments. If 3...Nc6 [then] 4.f4 Nxe4 5.Nf3 with a fine attack.
Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 continue this line with 5...Nxc3 6.dxc3 Qe7!?, claiming Black has the upper hand. Garry Kasparov (2812) - Fabiano Caruana (2795), St Louis Blitz 2016, went 4.d3 Bc5 5.f4 d6 6.Nf3 exf4 7.Bxf4 0-0 8.Bg5!? (the engines suggest 8.Qd2) h6 9.Bh4 Be6 10.Bb3 Nd4 with a roughly equal position (but 1-0, 69 moves).
4.Qh5
The correct reply. Neither 4.Nxe4 d5 etc nor 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe4 d5 etc would favour White's chances.
4...Nd6 5.Bb3
Lively play. 5.Qxe5+ Qe7 6.Qxe7+ Bxe7 etc could only equalise.
5...Nc6?!
More solid is 5...Be7, still giving back the pawn of his own free will (6.Qxe5), but speeding up his chances of castling.
The text leads to complications once considered as favouring Black, but, as explained below, theory has changed.
6.Nb5
Accepting the challenge, and initiating a clash of arms full of unexpected turns. If 6.d3 g6, White already loses some valuable territory.
6...g6
Compulsory, for if 6...Nxb5 [then] 6...Qxf7#.
7.Qf3
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| How should Black meet the renewed mating threat? |
*****
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7...Nf5!?
The mainline runs 7...f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6, reaching a position theory used to consider as very promising for Black. However modern engine analysis favours White's 'greed', although Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 reckon White should avoid the commonest move in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database, 11.d3. They prefer the little-played 11.Ne2!? Bb7 12.Nxb6 axb6 13.Qd3. However there are many alternatives along the way and it is probably fair to say the position is unclear.
8.g4 a6
Or 8...Nh6 9.d4 threatening Bxh6.
9.d4 can be met by 9...d5, so the engines prefer 9.g5 Nf5 10.Qd5 Qe7 11.Nxc7+ Kd8 12.Nxa8, when White probably has a better version of the mainline given in the previous note.
9.gxf5 axb5 10.fxg6 Qe7
Forced, because of 10...f6 11.g7 Bxg7 12.Qh5+ Ke7 13.Qf7+ Kd6 14.Qxg7 and wins.
11.gxf7+
Quo non ascendam? [To what heights can I not rise?] Well-guarded by the king's bishop, this advanced passed pawn strongly influences events and imparts to the game a particularly original character.
11...Kd8 12.d3 Nd4 13.Qh5 Bg7
If 13...Nxb3 then not 14.Bg5 Nxa1 15.Bxe7+ Bxe7 etc (Black thus obtains three pieces for the queen), but 14.cxb3 with the threat eventually of 15.Bg5.
The engines much prefer 14.Bg5, but not rushing with capturing on e7, eg 14...Nxa1 15.Ne2 Nxc2+ 16.Kd2.
14.Nf3 Ra6
An active defence.
15.Nxd4
An active attack, without fearing the opening of the e file, which sooner or later must fall under White's domination.
15...exd4+ 16.Kf1
More plausible would b3 16.Kd1, but then Black would defend himself by the sacrifice of the exchange, 16...Re6, and White's queen's rook would remain out of action, whereas now both the white rooks find important work to do, one on the e file and the other on the g file.
The engines reckon Black is lost after either king move.
16...Rg6 17.Bd2 d6 18.Re1?!
The engines much prefer 18.Rg1.
18...Bg4!
An ingenious reply.
19.Rxe7
Better seems to be the engines' 19.Qxg6!?, meeting 19...Bh3 with 20.Qg2+ Bxg2 21.Kxg2, after which White has rook, bishop and pawn for a queen, but also the bishop-pair - a winning advantage, according to the engines. A better response may be 19...hxg6 20.Rxe7 Bh3+ 21.Ke2 Kxe7, although the engines much prefer White.
19...Bxh5 20.Re1 Bf3?!
This looks very threatening. If 20...Bg4 [then] 21.h3, and clearly not 20...Rf6 21.Bg5.
The engines reckon 20...Bh6!? 21.Bxh6 Rxh6 leaves White only slightly better.
21.Rg1 Be5
Obstructing at least the more dangerous file. After 21...Rxg1+ 22.Kxg1 h6 there follows 23.Re6.
The point being White threatens 24.Rg6 Bf8 25.Rg8. Black can stop this with 23...Bh5, but then 24.Re4 Rf8 25.Rh4 Bxf7 26.Bxf7 Rxf7 27.Bxh6 leaves White a pawn up and with two kingside passed pawns.
22.Bh6
An 'indirect irruption'. Now Black would like to give up the exchange if only to eliminate the obsession of the advanced pawn.
22...Ke7 23.Bg7!?
Continuing its mysterious zig-zag evolutions.
23...Rd8 24.Bxe5
Showing his hand at last. He prefers the gain of a second pawn with an intensified action of his queen's rook to the gain of the exchange by 24.f8=Q+ Rxf8 25.Bxf8+ Kxf8 etc.
24...dxe5 25.Rxe5+ Kf8 26.Rg3
Without pausing for 26.Rxb5 White presses the pursuit of the disorganised enemy. His aim is to outflank the adverse king on the right wing (g or eventually h file).
26...Bc6 27.Reg5 Rdd6 28.Rh5 Rxg3
If 28...h6 [then] 29.Rxh6, forcing, as already adumbrated, the entry into the hostile fortress.
29.hxg3 h6 30.g4
Still the same objective (31.g5 hxg5 32.Rh8+).
30...Bf3 31.Rxb5
Now the pawn has fallen, like a ripe fruit, into White's hands.
31...b6 32.Re5 Rd8 33.g5 h5 34.g6 1-0
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