Vienna Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3!?
This is less popular than 5.d3!? and especially 5.Nf3, but has been tried by Magnus Carlsen and can lead to sharp play.
5...Nxc3
This is the commonest response in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database, but refusing to capture with, say, 5...f5!?, is more circumspect.
6.dxc3
Building a centre with 6.bxc3 is marginally more popular.
6...Be7 7.Bf4 0-0 8.0-0-0
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| Both sides have quickly castled - how would you assess the position? |
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White leads in development, has pressure against d5, has more space in the centre and has a useful half-open f file. Black has no weaknesses, and the white a pawn is unprotected, but the position looks, to me, easier for White to play. Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 favour White, but not by much.
8...Be6 9.Bd3 f5?!
The engines strongly dislike this blocking move, which seems to be a novelty, preferring queenside development with 9...Nd7.
10.h4 Bxh4??
Grabbing a pawn in front of a castled king is rarely wise, especially where, as here, the pawn cannot be held. The engines agree White now has a won game.
11.Qh5 g5 12.Nf3 Qe8 13.Qxe8
Also strong is 13.Qh6.
13...Rxe8 14.Bxg5 Bxg5+ 15.Nxg5 Re7 16.Rh6 Bc8
Even worse is 16...Bd7 17.e6.
17.e6 Rg7 18.Nf3
White is still winning after this, according to the engines, but there are much stronger lines, eg 18.Nxh7! Rxh7 19.Rxh7 Kxh7 20.Bxf5+ Kg8 21.e7 Bd7 22.Bxd7 Nxd7 23.Rxd5 etc and 18.Bxf5! Rxg5 19.e7 Bd7 20.Rd5 Rg7 21.Be6+ Kh8 22.Bxd7 Rxe7 23.Bc8 c6 24.Rd8+ Kg7 25.Rh3 Na6 26.Rg3+ with a huge attack as 26...Kf7 (best, according to the engines) can be met by 27.Be6+!
18...Rg6 19.Rdh1
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 19.e7!? Bd7 20.Rxg6+ hxg6 21.Ne5 Kg7 22.Bxf5! gxf5 23.Rxd5.
19...Rxh6 20.Rxh6 Kg7 21.e7?
White is still much better, according to the engines, after, for example, 21.Rh3 Bxe6 22.Nd4.
21...Bd7 22.Rh5 Nc6 23.Bxf5 Bxf5 24.Rxf5 Nxe7 25.Re5 Kf6 26.Rh5 Rg8 27.Rxh7
RPD offered a draw.
27...Rxg2 28.Nd4 c6 29.b4!? Rg7 30.Rxg7 Kxg7 31.Kd2 Kf6 32.Kd3 Ke5 33.a4 Nc8 34.Nb3 Nd6 35.Na5 Kf4 36.c4 dxc4+ 37.Nxc4 Nxc4 38.Kxc4
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| Black to play and draw |
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38...Ke4?
Three moves draw, according to the engines: 38...Ke3, 38...Ke5 and 38...Kf5!?. Stockfish15 reckons 38...b6!? also draws, but Komodo13.02 reckons it loses, or at least gives White the upper hand. Best play after 38...b6!? seems to be 39.b5 c5 40.Kd5 Ke3 41.Kc6 c4 42.Kb7 c3 43.Kxa7, which the Syzygy endgame tablebase shows is a draw.
39.Kc5 Ke5 40.a5
There is no defence to this.
40...b6 41.axb6 axb6 42,Kxc6 1-0
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