42. Evans: Compromised Defence (7...dxc3 8.Qb3)
Black takes the c3-pawn too. White plays 8.Qb3, with the battery on f7; after 8...Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Nxc3 it is two pawns down but has all its pieces ready for the attack.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O dxc3 8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Nxc3
Move by move
- 1.e4 – Occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop, which in the Italian Game goes to c4 to aim at the weak f7 point.
- 1...e5 – Black contests the centre at once: the e5 pawn controls d4 and f4 and opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop and the queen.
- 2.Nf3 – Development with an attack: the knight hits the e5 pawn, controls d4 and prepares quick kingside castling.
- 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing and adds control of d4, the square White wants for a pawn.
- 3.Bc4 – The Italian Game move: the bishop aims at f7, defended only by the king, and controls d5, making ...d5 harder to achieve.
- 3...Bc5 – The Giuoco Piano: Black replies symmetrically, aiming at f2 and controlling d4 to hinder the d2-d4 advance.
- 4.b4 – The Evans Gambit: White offers the b-pawn to deflect the c5-bishop. After ...Bxb4 it will play c3 with tempo and then d4, building the centre with a lead in development.
- 4...Bxb4 – Black accepts the pawn: the bishop leaves the a7-g1 diagonal and will be attacked at once by c3.
- 5.c3 – The pawn attacks the b4-bishop with tempo and prepares d4: this is the point of the gambit, development and centre in exchange for the pawn.
- 5...Ba5 – The most common retreat: from a5 the bishop keeps an eye on the c3-pawn, which will stay pinned to the king until White castles.
- 6.d4 – White builds the centre: d4 attacks e5 and opens the c1-bishop's diagonal.
- 6...exd4 – Black captures: now the c3-pawn is pinned by the a5-bishop and cannot recapture on d4 as long as the white king stays on e1.
- 7.O-O – White castles and breaks the pin on the c3-pawn: now cxd4 is possible, and the f1-rook can go to e1.
- 7...dxc3 – Black takes the c3-pawn too: this is the Compromised Defence, with three extra pawns but a serious lag in development.
- 8.Qb3 – The queen aims at f7 together with the c4-bishop (threat Bxf7+) and also attacks b7: Black must defend at once.
- 8...Qf6 – The queen defends f7 and controls the e5 square, against the white pawn's push.
- 9.e5 – White offers another pawn to drive the queen away from f6: taking on e5 would open the e-file and the diagonals towards the black king.
- 9...Qg6 – The queen retreats to g6, from where it keeps defending f7 and presses on the g2-pawn.
- 10.Nxc3 – The knight regains a pawn while developing: White is two pawns down but has a big lead in development, with Nd5 and Ba3 ready.
How to exploit the position
A very sharp position: Black has two extra pawns but has developed only the queen, the c6-knight and the a5-bishop, and the king is on e8. White must exploit the lead in development at once.
- Nd5 centralises the knight and controls c7, e7 and f6, the squares Black would like to use to develop.
- Ba3 prevents short castling and attacks the knight if it goes to e7.
- Bd3 attacks the g6-queen with tempo, and Rad1 or Rfe1 bring the rooks onto the central files.
- Black wants ...Nge7, ...O-O and ...b6: every tempo White loses lets him consolidate the material.
Master tips
Development against material
Two pawns down, only time counts: every move must develop a piece or create a threat.