Italian Game

36. Traxler: 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3

With 4...Bc5 Black invites 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+, a very sharp line. White chooses 5.Bxf7+: the black king loses castling, the bishop retreats to b3 and White castles a pawn up, ready for c3 and d4.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3 Rf8 7.O-O d6 8.c3

Move by move

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 2.Nf3 – Development with an attack: the knight hits the e5 pawn, controls d4 and prepares quick kingside castling.
4. 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing and adds control of d4, the square White wants for a pawn.
5. 3.Bc4 – The Italian Game move: the bishop aims at f7, defended only by the king, and controls d5, making ...d5 harder to achieve.
6. 3...Nf6 – The Two Knights Defence: instead of 3...Bc5 Black develops the knight and immediately attacks e4. It is an active choice, but it allows White the 4.Ng5 attack against f7.
7. 4.Ng5 – The knight attacks f7 together with the c4-bishop: the point is defended only by the king and Black has to answer with ...d5. The price is a knight moved twice in the opening.
8. 4...Bc5 – The Traxler Counter-Gambit: Black ignores the threat to f7 and counterattacks f2 with the bishop, counting on ...Bxf2+ if White takes with the knight.
9. 5.Bxf7+ – The safest choice: White takes f7 with the bishop with check, takes away Black's castling and does not allow the complications of 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+.
10. 5...Ke7 – The king cannot take the bishop, protected by the g5-knight: on e7 it stays in the centre but leaves the f-file free for the rook.
11. 6.Bb3 – The bishop retreats before being attacked by ...Rf8 or ...Qe8, keeps the extra pawn and stays on the diagonal towards g8.
12. 6...Rf8 – The rook occupies the semi-open f-file: when the f6-knight moves away, it will aim at f2 together with the c5-bishop.
13. 7.O-O – White castles and defends f2 with the rook: the white king is safe, the black one stays on e7.
14. 7...d6 – Black supports e5 and opens the c8-bishop's diagonal, so that it can go to g4.
15. 8.c3 – Prepares d4, which will attack the c5-bishop and open the centre against the king on e7; the pawn also takes b4 and d4 away from the c6-knight.

How to exploit the position

White has an extra pawn and a safe king; Black has the f-file and rapid development, but the king on e7. No trap works any more: White only has to open the centre.

• d4 attacks the c5-bishop and opens the centre against the king on e7.
• The g5-knight will return to f3 after ...h6; from there it supports d4 and attacks e5.
• Re1 or Qe2, then Nd2-f3: complete development before opening the lines.
• Black looks for ...Bg4, ...Qe8-g6 and ...Nh5-f4 against the kingside: keep f2 and g2 defended and answer ...Bg4 with h3.

Master tips

How to avoid the Traxler

Against 4...Bc5, 5.Nxf7 leads to the ...Bxf2+ sacrifice and huge complications. 5.Bxf7+ leaves you a pawn up without risk and the black king in the centre.