I have algebraicised the notation; notes in italics are from the book.
Stuart Milner-Barry - Hugh Alexander
Cambridge 1932
Vienna Gambit
A feast for the eye and mind.
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6
More popular today is 2...Nf6. Both moves can be met by the gambit 3.f4, but in the line with 2...Nf6 it is generally regarded as largely disarmed by the reply 3...d5.
3.f4
Garry Kasparov preferred the more-common 3.Bc4 in a 2016 win over Fabiano Caruana, but the text was Magnus Carlsen's choice in a 2017 loss to Yangyi Yu (both games were at blitz time controls).
3...exf4 4.Nf3 g5
There is nothing better than this 'classic defence'.
5.d4!?
The Pierce Gambit offering the KN, as in the famous Muzio Gambit, is not to be taken lightly.
Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 prefer 5.g3!?, and if 5...g4 then 6.Nh4, although they reckon Black is better.
5...g4
Accepting the challenge, for after 5...Bg7 6.d5 Ne5 7.d6 etc White has the advantage. 5...d6 6.d5 is also in White's favour.
6.Bc4 gxf3 7.0-0
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| How should Black proceed? |
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7...d5?!
Necessary emancipation. If 7...Bg7 8.Bxf4 Bxd4+ 9.Kh1, White has enduring chances.
This was tested in a 1993 game between two unrateds. White won, but the engines reckon 9...fxg2+ 10.Kxg2 Nf6 gives Black a winning advantage. The text is a mistake, according to the engines. Komodo13.02 gives 7...Nxd4!?, eg 8.Qxd4 Qg5 9.Rf2 Bc5 etc, while Stockfish15 prefers 7...Bg7 8.Qxf3 Bxd4+ 9.Kh1 Ne5 10.Qxf4 Qf6!?, claiming a large advantage for Black.
8.exd5 Bg4!? 9.Re1+
But 9.Qe1+ is better and affords equal opportunities. A bold but insufficient idea is the queen sacrifice: 9.dxc6 f2+ 10.Rxf2 Bxd1 11.cxb7 Bg4 12.Bb5+ Bd7 etc.
In this line the engines reckon 12.bxa8=Q!? Qxa8 13.Bxf4 equalises, even though White only has rook and two pawns for a queen.
9...Nge7!? 10.gxf3?!
More astute would be, first, 10.Ne4 Bg7 11.gxf3.
The engines strongly disagree with this analysis, preferring Milner-Barry's choice and, even more so, 10.Qd2!?
10...Bh3 11.Bxf4 Rg8+
The counter-pressure begins.
12.Bg3 Na5
At last the knight goes off prise.
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| White has little material compensation for being a piece down, but it is anyone's guess as to which king is safer |
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13.Bn5+ c6 14.Ne4?!
Better, according to the engines, is 14.dxc6, although they prefer White after both 14...bxc6 and 14...Naxc6.
14...Bg7 15.Kh1?
If 15.dxc6 [then] 15...Qxd4+, and White, in view of the piece which has has given up, could not think of agreeing to an exchange of queens.
The engines continue this line with 16.Kh1, one point being 16...Qxd1?? loses to 17.cxb7+. Instead they give 16...0-0-0 17.cxb7+ Nxb7, albeit preferring Black. Nevertheless the text is a mistake, the engines reckoning 15.Bf1 or 15.d6 keeps White well in the game.
15...Qxd5
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| Now White has just a pawn for a knight, and has a bishop en prise |
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16.c4 Qd7 17.d5!?
Seeking to obtain fresh resources.
White's only realistic hope is to get at the black king before Black's material preponderance determines matters.
17...Kf8!?
Also possible, but hair-raising, seems to be 17...cxb5!?, eg 18.d6 Bxb2!? (this appears stronger than 18...0-0-0?!) 19.Nc5 Qf5! 20.Rxe7+ Kf8!? 21.Nd7+ Kg7 22.Ne5 Bxe5 23.Rxe5 Qg6!, after which the engines reckon White's attack has run out of steam.
18.d6!?
Probably objectively better is 18.dxc6, but 18...Naxc6 leaves Black well on top.
18...Nf5 19.Nc5 Nxg3+ 20.hxg3 Qf5 21.d7
This looks very alarming.
21...Bd4!
An ingenious reply, fulfilling many functions: (i) masking the d file, (ii) unmasking the g file, (iii) deflecting the adverse queen eventually (22.Qxd4 Qxf3+), (iv) attacking the knight, (v) cutting off the king's flight as long as this bishop remains safe.
22.Nxb7!?
This allows a mating sequence, but White was lost anyway.
22...Qh5! 23.Re8+ Rxe8 24.dxe8=Q+ Kxe8 25.Qe2+ Kf8 26.Nxa5 Bg4+ 0-1
The young opponents have dared, in our scientific era, to play one of the most dangerous gambits in a masters' tournament, and it may well be said that the game does credit to winner and loser alike.
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