37. Traxler: 6.Bd5 and the c3-d4 Centre
After 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 White retreats the bishop to d5. Black develops with ...d6, ...Qe8, ...h6 and ...Bg4; White castles and breaks with d4, a pawn up against the black king left on e7.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bd5 d6 7.c3 Qe8 8.O-O h6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.d4
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...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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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+.
- 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.
- 6.Bd5 – A central retreat: from d5 the bishop attacks the c6-knight, stays on the diagonal towards g8 and leaves the c-pawn free for c3. Black can drive it away only with ...Nxd5, which opens the e-file.
- 6...d6 – Black supports e5 and frees the c8-bishop, preparing ...Bg4 or ...Rf8.
- 7.c3 – Prepares d4, which will drive away the c5-bishop and open the centre against the black king on e7; c3 also takes b4 and d4 away from the c6-knight.
- 7...Qe8 – The queen prepares to go to g6 or h5 to attack White's kingside, exploiting the f-file.
- 8.O-O – White makes the king safe before opening the centre; the f1-rook defends f2.
- 8...h6 – Black drives the g5-knight away before playing ...Bg4, so that the knight cannot come back to g5.
- 9.Nf3 – The knight returns to f3, from where it supports the d4 push and attacks the e5-pawn.
- 9...Bg4 – The bishop pins the f3-knight to the d1-queen and reduces the support for the d4 push.
- 10.d4 – The central break: the pawn attacks the c5-bishop and the e5-pawn and opens lines towards the black king on e7.
How to exploit the position
White has an extra pawn and a strong centre; Black has the f-file, the ...Bg4 pin and the king still on e7. Now the c5-bishop is attacked and the centre opens.
- After ...exd4 cxd4 White has the e4-d4 centre; if ...Bb6, d4-d5 or dxe5 open lines against the king on e7.
- h3 asks the g4-bishop to decide: breaking the pin is the premise for using the f3-knight.
- Qb3 attacks the b7-pawn and joins the diagonal towards g8.
- Black plays ...Qh5 and ...Rf8 against f3: Nbd2 reinforces the knight and shuts Black's play on the kingside.
Master tips
Castle before opening up
Black has the f-file and the queen ready for g6 or h5: castle and defend f2 before playing d4.