Confirmed traxler counterattack is a great weapon!

I said around a couple of months ago how this attack might work, but now analyzing it even more, I find out it works!

The postion starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5? and then 4.Bc5!! this is the traxler counterattack.

Now if white goes for 5.O-O-O then game continues with black castling and its an equal game.

Main move is Bxf7+, but first lets view 5.Nxf7??

5.Nxf7?? Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 (i will also talk about kxf2 and ke2) 6.Qe7 7.Nxh8 d5!! 8.exd5 Nd4! now white has 3 choices,c3,kxf2,or d6!

If 9.Kxf2? then 9.Ng4+ 10.ke1 Qf6! 11.Rf1 ( to defend Qf2#) only now 11.Qh4+ 12.g3 Qxh2 (with mate in 2 threatened Qxg3, then Qxf2#) so 13.d3! by white 13.Nxc2+ and white must give up his queen 14.Qxc2 Qxc2 and black's position is simply better.

If 9. c3?? then 9.Bg4! 10.Qa4+ Nd7! 11.Kxf2 (otherwise Qf6 wins on the spot) 11.Qh4!+ 12.Ke3! (if kg1 then Qe1+,Ne2, if g3 then Qf6+ ke1 Qf5 and black is totally winning, if kf1 then O-O-O with Rf8+ threatened, Qb4 to prevent Rf8+ Nc2 and white queen is lost) thats why 12.Ke3 is a must by white. 12.Qh6+ 13.Kf2 (otherwise Bf5#) 13.Qf4+ 14. Kg1 (ke1 also loses) and then 14.Ne2+ 15.Bxe2 (is a must) then 15.Qxa4 and black is totally winning!

Also 9.d3?? is losing on the spot to 9.Bg4! 10.Qd2 Bh4 11.g3 Bh3+ and there will be a fork with queen and king on next move.

So 9.d6! has to be played by white! 9.Qxd6 now white has 2 choices 10.Nf7 and 10.c3?

Lets view 10.c3? Bg4 11.Qa4+ Nd7! 12.Kxf2 Qf6+ 13.Ke1 O-O-O!! 14.Nf7 ( if cxd4 then exd4 Nc3!! ((Be2 is even worse)) Nc5!!! Qxa7 ,dxc3, Qa8+, kd7, Qxd8, Qxd8 and white wins!) so after whites 14.Nf7! black plays Nc5!! 15.cxd4!! Nxa4 and after white's 16.Nxd8 we have an equal game!

So 10.Nf7! is better! 10.Qc5! 11.d3! Bg4! 12.Qd2 Bh4 13.Nc3 b5! 14.Nxe5!! ( most players would play b4 however) and white's potions is a tiny bit better! Also noting about b4 if 14.b4 then 14.Qe7 15. Bb3 Nd5!! 16.Bxd5 Qf6+ 17.Kg1 Be2!! 18.Bf3!! Bxf3 19.Qe3!! kxf7 20.gxf3 Nxf3+ 21.Kg2! Qg6!!+ 22.Kxf3 Qh5+ 23.Kg2 Qg4+ and 24. Qg3!!! and white is a bit better.

So we can say we reviewed all lines for Nxf7, so lets view Bxf7+. I analyzed this line and with all best stockfish moves will lead to equal endgame, lets see the moves. 5.Bxf7+ ke7 6.Bb3 d6 7.d3 Qe8! 8.c3! Bg4 9.f3! Bd7 10.f4 Bg4 11.Nf3 Qh5 12.h3 Raf8!! 13.Rf1! Bxf3 14.Qxf3 Qh4+ 15.kd1 exf4 16.Nd2 Be3 17.Kc2!! Qh5! 18.g4!! Qc5 19. Nc4! b5! 20.Bxe3! fxe3 21.d4! Nxd4+!! 22.cxd4 Qc6 23.kd3! bxc4 24.Bxc4 kd8! 25. Qxe3 Re8 26.e5 h5! 27.g5 Nd5! 28.Bxd5 Qxd5 29.Qe4 Rxe5! and totally equal drawing position!

If you think I missed some interesting lines or you think its refuted i will be glad to see your opinion about it.

Thanks for reading
By: Ben2006Tor

Maybe there will be more response if you put the lines in a study and link the study?

Yeah, I can't follow your notation. You mean 4) ... Bc5 and then 5) O-O, and I can't be bothered to read further.

i will do study guys now

sry for mess of writing

finally study is ready! lichess.org/study/auQOYlM5

Honestly, I don't understand this opening. Is is unsound of course, but the database says white loses quite a lot, and there aren't a lot of games. I guess, I'll play more 1...e5 and try it it the action. There are some mistakes for white to make if they are to greedy.

@Negmek it's usually because it looks like a retarded move. Black gets a serious attack tho, so you have to be careful and not mess up.

Shhhh! Don't tell everybody. Yes, Traxler will knock the socks off of white player going for the cheap attack on f7, but let's keep it to ourselves.

Good job Ben! Often White will take the free B, intending to tuck behind the pawn after N captures and checks...and it looks like White is up a B to a pawn with no trouble in sight...BUT...
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5
5. Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6. Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7. Kg1 Qh4 8. g3 Nxg3
9. hxg3 Qxg3+ 10. Kf1 Rf8 11. Qe2 d5 (at some point, d5 is a key move)
12. Bxd5 Nb4
13. Bb3 Nxc2 14. Bxc2 Rxf7+

White must play very sharply...this is an attack for Black that Tal would love.