50. Evans: 7...Nge7 8.Ng5
After 7...Nge7 White plays 8.Ng5, against f7. Black defends with ...d5, but after 9.exd5 Ne5 10.Qxd4 material is level and the white queen attacks the e5-knight.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O Nge7 8.Ng5 d5 9.exd5 Ne5 10.Qxd4
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...Nge7 – Black develops the knight to e7, where it does not suffer the e5 push, and prepares ...d5 to free itself by returning material.
- 8.Ng5 – The knight attacks f7 together with the c4-bishop: with the knight on e7 the point is defended only by the king.
- 8...d5 – Black closes the c4-f7 diagonal with the pawn and frees the c8-bishop.
- 9.exd5 – White reopens the diagonal towards f7 and attacks the c6-knight with the d5-pawn.
- 9...Ne5 – The knight leaves the pawn's attack, centralises on e5 and attacks the c4-bishop.
- 10.Qxd4 – The queen recaptures the d4-pawn and attacks the e5-knight, which has no defenders: material is level again and the black king is still in the centre.
How to exploit the position
Equal material: White has the advanced d5-pawn, knight and bishop aimed at f7 and the central queen; Black has not castled yet and the e5-knight is attacked.
- f4 drives the e5-knight away with tempo.
- Ba3 attacks the e7-knight and prevents short castling.
- Re1 brings the rook onto the e-file against the e5-knight and the king.
- Beware of ...Bb6, which attacks the d4-queen and f2 together: keep the queen on safe squares.
Master tips
Regaining the material with 10.Qxd4
After 9...Ne5 the queen recaptures d4 and attacks the e5-knight, which has no defenders.