Annotated chess game: Traxler Counter-Attack

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ANNOTATED GAME

Traxler Counter-Attack
emile32 (1331) vs. lapsekili (1143)
Annotated by: lapsekili (1200)
Chess opening: two knights defence (C57), Wilkes Barre (Traxler) variation

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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6	Most played moves in the first moves of a chess game,i think.



3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5	The counter attack starts.
	1 comment nuntar (1702) on 17-Aug-08: Ah yes, the wild Traxler Variation. 5. Bxf7+ Kf8 6. Bd5 is considered safer for White as it prevents Nxe4.


5. Nxf7	He forks the queen and rook.But no matter,i will win a pawn for now.



5... Bxf2+ 6. Kf1	He doesn't capture the bishop because 6.Kxf2 Axe4 black gains tempo and with 7...d5 he gets a strong attack.
	2 comments nuntar (1702) on 17-Aug-08: 7...d5 drops the queen. I don't see Black having sufficient compensation. archduke_piccolo (2332) on 09-Dec-08: Black gets quite a strong attack after 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1! Qh4 8.g3 ( Not 8.Qf1? Rf8) 8...Nxg3! 9.Nxh8! d5! and if 10.Bxd5? Bh3! threatening 11...Qd4#.


6... Qe7	Naturally, i prefer queen than the rook.



7. Nxh8	He takes my rook.



7... d5	I will give the pawn to let my bishop a free diagonal.



8. exd5 Nd4 9. Kxf2 Ne4+	Gaining tempo when he captures the bishop and this attack will force to draw.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 09-Dec-08: 9.Kxf2? The position at White's 9th move has been subjected to a great deal of scrutiny, and several moves being tried. For a long time 9.h3 was considered just about essential, but Yakov Estrin recommended 9.d6 as a refinement. Meanwhile, Estrin gave a quick win by Black (Brancic vs Maric corr. 1967) to discredit 9.Kxf2 (9...Bg4 10.Qf1(?!) Ke4+ 11.Kg1(??) Ne2+ -/+). But Black had quite a bit of help from White in this brief sequence. But Black's choice of check is no improvement. At once 9...Ng5+ seems the best chance for Black.


10. Kg1 Qh4 11. g3 Nxg3 12. hxg3 Qxg3+ 13. Kf1 Bh3+ 14. Rxh3 Qxh3+ 15. Kf2 Qh2+	i have checked again and again cause i did not want to try to find the winning line.It was good to draw a higher rated player i thought and did not wanna take risk.However no development at white's side maybe i could win.If someone found the winning variation please tell me.
	4 comments nuntar (1702) on 17-Aug-08: But Black is so far behind on material that winning the knight solves nothing -- it gives White time to get his pieces out and consolidate. Black must find a mate or a perpetual, or he loses. And I don't think there's a mate. lapsekili (1200) on 17-Aug-08: And found the perpatual below. ruachessnut2 (1200) on 19-Aug-08: 15....0-0-0 attacks the knight 16. Nf7 attacks the rook Qf5+ wins the knight. Then place the rook on the open f file behind the queen. IF 17. Ke3 Qf4+ 18. Kd3 Qg3+ 19. Qf3 Qxf3# Or if 17. Ke1 Nxc2+ 18. Ke2 Qg4+ 19. Kd3 Qxd1 Does winning the Queen solve anything? 20. Nc3 Qf3+ 21. Kxc2 Qxf7 & push the g h pawns. . archduke_piccolo (2332) on 09-Dec-08: White had to play 11.Qf1!, after which Black would have had no worthwhile attack. After 11.g3??, on the other hand, 11...Qf6!! was the demon move that would have turned the tables: 12.Qf1 Bh3!! 13.Qxf6 gxf6 and White can delay, but not prevent, the d4-N delivering checkmate at f3 or e2.


16. Ke3 Qf4+	And with triple repeat game was decided as draw.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 09-Dec-08: White had the draw for the taking with 15.Kg1 when Black has insufficient attack for more than a perpetual. By advancing, White offers Black very good winning chances. Of course, retreat (16.Ke1 or Kf1) were both out of the question, since 16...Qh1+ won White's queen. However, though ...Qf4+ forms part of the plan to exploit the WK's exposure, at move 16 it is mistimed. More accurate would have been 16...Nf5+! 17.Ke4 (this transposes after a move into the 17.Kd3 line ...) 17...Qf4+ 18.Kd3 Qg3+ (... thus) 19.Ke2 (Not 19.Ke4?? Nd6#) 19...Qg4+ 20.Ke1 Qg1+ 21.Ke2 Nd5+ and White's Queen falls. With her goes White's game. After the text move, Black's chances become very nebulous.


17. Kd3 Qg3+ 18. Ke4 Qf4+ 19. Kd3 Qg3+ 20. Ke4 Qf4+ 21. Kd3	Here is the final position.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 09-Dec-08: Probably a wise choice. Black still had some chance of pushing for a win, but it is very hard to assess. Let's take it from move 17 as follow: 17.Kd3 Qg3+ 18.Ke4 Qh4+! 19.Kd3! (19.Kxe5? 0-0-0 or ...Kd2 and the WK's chances of survival don't look too flash!) 19...Qh3+ 20.Ke4 Qf5+ 21.Ke3 Nxc2+. At this point White would have to give up Q for N, as 22.Ke2?? loses Q and R. So: 22.Qxc2 Qxc2 23.Na3 Qf5 24.d6 (to retrieve the N stranded on f7). The position looks favourable for Black, but he will have Q+3P for 4 minor pieces, and anything might happen. Ain't the Traxler fun, though?