Christopher Nield (1831 ECF/1773 Fide) - Spanton (1931 ECF/1980 Fide)
Vienna Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3!?
This is third in popularity behind 5.d3 and especially 5.Nf3.
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| How should Black respond? |
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5...f5
The text and 5...Nc6!? are the top choices of Stockfish16.1 and Dragon1, but most popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 5...Nxc3.
6.exf6!?
This seems to help Black more than White. The mainline in Mega24 runs 6.d3 Nxc3 7.bxc3 d4!?, with an equal game, according to the engines.
6...Nxf6 7.h3?
Slow and weakening. The engines suggest 7.d4, meeting 7...Bg4 with 8.Qe3+, and if 8...Be7, then 9.h3 with tempo.
7...Bd6 8.d4?!
Not 8.Nxd5?? Nxd5 9.Qxd5?? Bg3+ etc. However the engines much prefer giving check with the queen, eg 8.Qe2+, and if 8...Kf7!?, then 9.Qf2 Re8+ 10.Kd1, although they agree Black is winning.
8...0-0 9.Bg5 Qe8+ 10.Qe3?
Much better, according to the engines, is putting a piece on e2, whether it be queen, bishop or king's knight.
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
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10...Bg3+?
This deprives White of castling rights, but throws away almost all of Black's considerable advantage, whereas the simple 10...h6 wins a piece. The problem with the text is that after ...
11.Kd2
... Black is more-or-less obliged to swop queens, after which White's king is safe.
11...Qxe3+
Not 11...Ne4+? 12.Nxe4 Qxe4 13.Qxg3 Qxd4 as Black does not get enough compensation after 14.Bd3.
12.Bxe3 Bf5 13.Bd3 Bxd3 14.cxd3!?
The engines marginally prefer the conventional 14.Kxd3.
14...c6 15.Nge2 Bd6 16.Rhf1 Nbd7
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| Now both sides have connected rooks, how would you assess the position? |
*****
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The engines give Black a slight edge, presumably based on the pawn-structure and, perhaps, Black having the marginally better bishop.
17.Nf4 Rf7 18.Rf3 Re8 19.Raf1 Rfe7 20.g4!? h6 21.a3 a5 22.Ng6 Rf7 23.g5!? hxg5 24.Bxg5 Kh7 25.Nh4 Bf8 26.Nf5 b5 27.Bf4 b4!?
This seems fine, if followed up correctly.
28.axb4 axb4 29.Na4?!
White probably should have played 29.Nd1, holding.
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
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*****
*****
29...b3?
This makes the pawn weak. Instead the engines give 29...Ra8 30.b3 Ne4+!, taking advantage of the hanging knight on f5. After 31.dxe4 dxe4 White seems to have nothing better than 32.Nh6 gxh6 33. R3f2, ceding a pawn, as 33.Re3?! apparently loses to 33...Nb6!, eg 34.Nxb6 Ra2+ 35.Ke1 Ra1+ 36.Ke2 Rxf1 37.Rxf1 Rxf4+, when White is even worse off than in the first line.
30.Nd6 Bxd6 31.Bxd6 Re6 32.Bg3 Rf8 33.Nc3?
Black does not have a decent answer to 33.Kc3.
33...Rfe8 34.Ra1 Nh5 35.Bh4 Rg6 36.Ra7 Rg2+ 37.Rf2 Rxf2 38.Bxf2 Rf8 39.Ke3 c5!? 40.Rxd7 cxd4+ 41.Kxd4 Rxf2 42.Rxd5
CN offered a draw.
The game finished:
42...Nf6 43.Rb5 Rxb2 44.Kc4 Rh2 45.Rxb3 Rxh3 46.Ne4 Rh4 47.Kd4 Kg6 48.Rb5 Kh6 49.Ke3 Ng4+ 50.Kf3 g6 51.Kg3 Rh5 52.Rxh5+ gxh5 53.Kh4 Ne5 ½–½
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