vienna game frankenstein dracula variation

Or the complexities of 5.Nc6 6.Nb5 g6 7.Qf3 f5 8.Qd5 Qe7 9.Nxc7+ Kd8 10.Nxa8 b6, which the Irish correspondence chess player and theorist Tim Harding extravagantly dubbed 'the Frankenstein–Dracula Variation'. ģ.Nxe4, 4.Qh5 (threatening Qxf7#) 4.Nd6 5.Bb3 when Black can either go for the relatively quiet waters of 5.Be7 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Nxe5 g6 8.Qe2 (or 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.Qe5 0-0) Nd4 9.Qd3 Nxb3 10.axb3 Nf5 11.0-0 d6, which led to equality in Anand– Ivanchuk, Roquebrune 1992. Black has several choices here 3.Bc5 can transpose to the King's Gambit Declined after 4.d3 d6 5.f4 Nc6 6.Nf3 3.Nc6 4.d3, 4.Na5, 4.Bc5 or 4.d6 are all playable 3.Bb4 4.f4 Nxe4 5.Qh5 0-0 leads to wild but probably equal play, according to de Firmian in MCO-15. The move 3.Bc4 leads to a position which can also be reached from the Bishop's Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4). Material is not as important as the attack in this position, so White should not be afraid to sacrifice. Other lines for Black include 3.d6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.d3, when the threat of Bxc6 followed by taking on e5 induces 6.exf4 7.Bxf4, leaving White with a pleasant position and also 3.Nc6? 4.fxe5! Nxe5 5.d4, when both 5.Nc6 and 5.Ng6 are met by 6.e5 with a winning advantage to White. Retreating immediately with 4.Ng8 is better, but after 5.Nf3 with the idea of d4 followed by Bxf4, White has a nice game. The gambit should not be accepted, since 3.exf4 4.e5 Qe7 5.Qe2 forces Black's knight to retreat with 5.Ng8, and after 6.Nf3, Black must be careful not to lose on the spot, for example after 6.d6? 7.Nd5!, when the dual ideas of Nxc7 and exd6 will win the game quickly. Lines other than 3.d5 give White at least an edge, however, making this a good choice for aggressive play at lower levels, where opponents are unlikely to know that 3.d5 is best. White obtains open lines and attacking chances, but Black can usually hold the balance with correct play. Also possible is 5.d3, but the normal continuation is 5.Nf3. The variation 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3 has been popularised by the International Master and chess streamer Levy Rozman but this variation is well met by 5.Nc6, with the point 6.Nxe4 Nd4. It is best met by 3.d5, striking back in the center.

At grandmaster level, the gambit move 3.f4 is considered too risky an opening.

Vienna game frankenstein dracula variation