SACRIFICING AGAINST THE GIUOCO PIANO

Mr. Brenco (ELO 1724) asks:

I recently read your excellent article on the Giuoco Piano from 2002. You probably know that Tim Harding has also published a series of articles on this opening in his “The Kibitzer” column on chesscafe.com. To be precise, they were The Kibitzer n. 64, 65, 69 and 70.

In the last issue he examined the uncommon variation 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4!?, suggesting 6...Bb6 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4 9.b5 as main line. Tim doesn’t give a clear assessment of these lines, suggesting that the reader should explore them by himself.

I tried this variation, sometime with success, but only in fast games so far. Before I’m going to employ it in tournaments, I would really like your opinion: is this opening playable, or is it something unsound, just good as a surprise weapon from time to time?

 EXCITING LINE

Silman replies:

Actually, I wasn’t familiar with Mr. Harding’s articles on this line, but it’s all quite interesting. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4 Bb6 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4 9.b5 (I don’t trust 9.Qe2+ Be6 10.b5 due to 10…d3 11.Qe4 Nb4! 12.0-0 [Not 12.cxb4 Qxf6] 12…Nc2 13.fxg7 Rg8 14.Bg5 Qd5 15.Qxh7 Kd7 16.Nbd2 Nxa1) we reach a very important position. This line would probably be to White’s taste after 9…Na5, but White’s whole concept seems to fall flat on its face after 9…0-0!, sacrificing a piece. The key position arises after 10.bxc6 (Harding mentions 10.0–0 dxc3 11.fxg7 Re8 12.bxc6 Qxd1 13.Rxd1 c2, Estrin - Grigoriev, Moscow 1940) 10...Re8+ 11.Kf1 d3

 WHITE'S POSITION SUCKS

A glance is enough to make me never want to play the White side: Black will get two to three pawns for the piece, he is way ahead in development, and Black has a monster pawn on d3. In exchange, White’s King is in great danger and it’s hard to see how he will ever get his army out of its cage.

Let’s take a look at a few sample lines: 1) 12.fxg7; 2) 12.Bg5; 3) 12.Be3

1) 12.fxg7?? Re2 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Qe7 and White is completely busted.

2) 12.Bg5 Re2 13.Bh4 Qd5 (13…g5!? 14.Nxg5 Qxf6 is also worth looking at) 14.cxb7 (okay, this is suicide, but the superior 14.Nbd2 Qxc6 15.a4 Bg4 also leaves Black with all the fun) 14…Bxb7 and I’ll let the reader explore, but it doesn’t end well for White.

3) 12.Be3 (Keeping the Rook off of e2!) 12…Qxf6 13.Nbd2

Worse is 13.Bxb6 axb6 14.Nbd2 b5 15.Nd4 bxc6 when we’ve arrived at one of the strangest positions I’ve ever seen.

 IS THIS FOR REAL?

One sample: 16.Qf3 Qh6 17.Qxc6 Qxc6 18.Nxc6 Re2 and White’s toast.

13…Qxc6 (13…Bxe3!? also gives Black good chances) and now: 3.a) 14.Nd4; 3.b) 14.Bxb6. Both moves allow Black to have all sorts of fun!

3.a) 14.Nd4 Bxd4 15.Bxd4 Re2 16.Kg1 b5 17.Nf1 Bb7 18.f3 Rae8 with a rout in view.

3.b) 14.Bxb6 axb6 15.Nd4 Qd5 16.a4

16.Qf3 allows 16…Qa5, which is quite strong. However, even swapping Queens is miserable for White: 16…Qxf3 17.N2xf3 Bd7 18.Nd2 b5 19.f4 c5 20.N4f3 f6.

16…c5 (Also good is 16…Bd7) 17.Nb5 Re2 18.Nc7 Qf5 19.Nf3 Bd7!!

Having a good time. The sane 19…Ra5 is also strong.

20.Nxa8 Bc6!

 WHITE IS TOAST

The fanciful 20…Qxf3 is hard to resist and might also win: 21.gxf3 Bh3+ 22.Kg1 Re6 (This reminds me of some old Morphy game!) 23.Qf1 Rg6+ 24.Qg2 Bxg2 (24…Rxg2+ 25.Kf1 Rxh2+ 26.Kg1 Rg2+ is only a draw) 25.h4 Bxf3+ 26.Kh2 f5! 27.Rhg1 Rxg1 28.Rxg1 d2 29.Nxb6 d1=Q 30.Rxd1 Bxd1 31.a5 Kf7 32.Nxc4 Ke6. Cool stuff, however 20…Bc6 seems to crush White in a more heavy-handed fashion.

21.Kg1

21.Rg1 h6 (Stops backrank mates and tells White that he’s completely helpless. Naturally, 21…Bxf3 is also good.) 22.Nxb6 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Qxf3 24.Rg2 Rxf2! 25.Rxf2 Qh1 mate.

21…Bxf3 22.Qf1

22.gxf3 Qxf3 23.Qf1 Re6 24.Qg2 (24.h4 Rg6+ 25.Kh2 Rg4 mates) 24…Rg6 25.Rxg6 hxg6 is game over.

22…d2 23.h3

23.gxf3 Qg6+ 24.Qg2 Re1+.

23…Qg6 24.Kh2 Qd6+ 25.g3

25.Kg1 Re6 does the trick.

25…Qe7 26.Rg1 Qe3 and it’s time for White to resign.

If White can’t avoid the variation after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4 Bb6 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4 9.b5 0-0!10.bxc6 Re8+ 11.Kf1 d3, then the whole system with 5.d4 exd4 6.b4 has to be thrown in the trash heap.

Readers are welcome to put me in my place and show me that I’m completely off the mark!