1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 d6 3.Nf3
Tim Taylor paints a rather negative image of this move
in his book, but with practical play considerations in mind, I think
this move is quite respectable for White. Black does not get the
typical strong attack which comes in the From Gambit's main lines, and
White can usually maintain his first-move edge.
3...dxe5 4.e4 Bc5
The thematic and principled move here. Black has
various alternatives, but most will transpose back to main lines (part
1, 2, or 3).
With 4...Nc6 White has a strong plan as follows.
5.Bb5! Bc5 6.d3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.g4 Bg6 9.Qe2 Nge7 10.Nxe5 Boldly
grabbing the pawn. (10.Be3 is the safer alternative.) 10...0-0
11.Bxc6 Nxc6 12.Nxc6 Qh4+ 13.Kd1 bxc6 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Qxe3 Rab8 16.Kc1
h5 17.Rg1 hxg4 18.hxg4 Rb5 19.Nc3 Rg5 20.b3 Rxg4 21.Rxg4 Qxg4 22.Kb2
Black has won his pawn back, but he has too many pawn
weaknesses to save the game. 22...Ra8 23.Rg1 Qe6 24.Rg5 Qd6
25.Ne2 Bh7 26.Qg1 Qh6 27.Kb1 Kh8 28.Nf4 g6 29.e5 Re8 30.Qg3 Rg8 31.Nh3
Re8 32.Nf2 Re6 33.Ne4 Kg7 34.Kb2 Bg8 35.Nf6 Qh1 36.Rh5 Qf1 37.Qg5 Rxe5
38.Qh6+ Kxf6 39.Qh8+ Ke7 40.Rxe5+ Kf8 41.Qh6# 1-0 J.Granda
Zuniga (2588) - D.Martinez Martin (2395), La Roda 2008. An
impressive display by White!
5.c3
This is commonly referred to as Tartakower Attack or
Tartakower Variation via a King's Gambit move order: 1 e4 e5 2 f4 Bc5
3 Nf3 d6 4 fxe5 dxe5 5 c3.
Although it is rather rare for a KG player to play 4
fxe5, but it does happen. Regardless, I believe Tartakower
Attack is a good label here.
5...Nc6 6.b4
A key move in this line. White puts a question to the
bishop.
6...Bd6
Mission accomplished for White: Black's dark-squared
bishop has left the a7-g1 diagonal.
6...Bb6 Another critical move in this variation.
Look at next note too. 7.Bb5 This move is a bit bold in
conjunction with c3 and b4. However, I have included this game
reference since the move was played by Tartakower himself!
7...Nf6 8.Nxe5 0-0 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bxc6 Nxe4 11.d4 Qf6 12.Bxe4 Qh4+
13.Kd2 White has gotten himself in trouble and was unable to
escape. 13...Qxe4 14.Qf3 Qh4 15.g3 Qg5+ 16.Qe3 Qd5 17.Re1 Bg4
18.Kc2 a5 19.bxa5 Rxa5 20.Ba3 c5 21.dxc5 Rxa3 22.Nxa3 Bxc5 23.Qe5 Bf5+
24.Kb2 Qb7+ 25.Kc1 Bxa3+ 26.Kd2 Rd8+ 27.Ke3 Rd3+ 28.Kf2 Qf3+ 29.Kg1
Rd2 30.Qb8+ Bf8 0-1 S.Tartakower - A.Burn, Karlsbad 1911. A nice
attacking game for Amos Burn.;
6...Bb6 7.Qc2!? Henrik Danielson's has played
the Tartakower Attack several times with common databases. I
suspect more times based on his "Polar Bear" videos at YouTube.
Henrik is a great hero of the Bird's Opening and the plan he uses in
this game is worthy of close study. 7...Qf6 8.a4 Bg4 9.Be2 a5
10.b5 Nd8 11.Na3 White seeks to annoy the dark-squared bishop. White's
position is solid here. 11...Ne6 12.d3 Nf4 13.Bxf4 Qxf4 14.Nc4 Bxf3
15.Bxf3 Bc5 16.Rd1 h5 17.d4 exd4 18.cxd4 Bb4+ 19.Ke2 White king is
safe in middle. Black hurries to get attackers, but the
grandmaster grabs material and then converts smoothly. 19...Ne7 20.g3
Qg5 21.e5 0-0 22.Bxb7 Rad8 23.Qe4 Nf5 24.Rhf1 Nd6 25.exd6 Rde8 26.Ne5
cxd6 27.Bc6 Re7 28.Rf5 Qh6 29.Qh4 dxe5 30.Rxh5 exd4+ 31.Kf1 Qf6+
32.Qxf6 gxf6 33.Rxd4 Re5 34.Rg4+ Rg5 35.Rgxg5+ fxg5 36.Rxg5+ Kh7 37.b6
f6 38.Rb5 1-0 H.Danielsen (2512) - P.Andreasen (2309), Denmark 1999.
7.Na3
Thematic, but not the only move here. White
intends Nc4 shortly.
7.b5 seems slightly overt to me. 7...Nce7 8.d4 Ng6
9.Bc4 Nf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bg5 Be6 12.Nbd2 Qe8 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.Qb3 Qe7
15.Rae1 Kh8 16.Kh1 Rg8 17.Bxe6 fxe6 18.Nc4 Rg7 ½-½ M.Drtina -
V.Priehoda, Trnava 1985. White is slightly better.;
7.Bc4 Nf6 8.d3 Be6 9.Qe2 Qe7 10.0-0 h6 11.a4 a5
12.Bxe6 Qxe6 13.b5 Ne7 14.Nbd2 Ng6 15.Nc4 0-0 16.Kh1 M.Drtina (2290) -
R,Lukac, Trnava 1986. I'd rather be White here, but objectively
the position is even. Eventually White outplayed Black and won.
7...Nf6 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Be2 Nh5 10.d3 f5 11.0-0 Qe8
12.Nc4 f4 13.d4
White is taking control of the game. Notice how
effectively placed the queen on c2 and knight on c4 are.
13...a6
13...exd4 14.Nxd6 cxd6 15.Nxd4 White has better
pieces, the position is starting to open up for the bishop pair.
14.Qb3 Kh8 15.Nfxe5
White wins a pawn since the Black queen is overworked.
15...Bxe5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 g5 18.Qc4 Be6
19.Qxc7 b5 20.Qb6 Rc8?
Blundering a piece in a bad position. 20...Ng7.
21.Bxh5 Qxh5 22.Qxe6 Qe2 23.a4 Rc4 24.axb5 f3
25.gxf3 g4 26.Bg5 gxf3 27.Bf6+ Rxf6 28.Qxf6+ 1-0 H.Danielsen
(2512) - M,Lyell (2238), Copenhagen 1999.
