Kevin (rated 1919) asks:

I recently have been doing very well with this line of the Portuguese as white; please refute me:

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.f3 Bf5 5.c4 e6 6.Qb3! exd5 7.Qxb7 Nbd7 8.c5 Be7 9.Bf4 0-0 10.Qxc7 Qxc7 11.Bxc7 Rac8 12.Bf4 Rfe8 13.Ne2 Nh5 14.Bc1! and the idea of g4.

GREEDY, AND PERHAPS SUICIDAL

Silman replies:

We have already addressed this interesting opening in an article called AVOIDING THE DREADED PORTUGUESE, but your recommendation of 6.Qb3 caught my attention since it just seemed too greedy to work. Here we have an opening where Black is willing to part with several pawns in order to gain a lead in development, and you want to send your Queen on a pawn hunting expedition! The gall! The hubris! The innocence!

I say “innocence” because it looks good from a materialistic stance (and your computer will dance in sheer delight!), but not to eyes hardened by endless crushing defeats when they employed such “grab everything” tactics themselves.

So, though my intuition tells me to reject your 6.Qb3 out of hand, I can see that the only way I can stop you from playing Russian roulette with this Queen move is to illustrate its shortcomings. After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.f3 Bf5 5.c4 e6 6.Qb3 I did what any true professional with an axe to grind would do, I rushed to my database! There I found just a few games, and Black’s most successful reply was 6…c5, which does indeed appear to be best.

Before looking at 6…c5, I should quickly address your analysis: 6…exd5 7.Qxb7 Nbd7 8.c5 Be7 9.Bf4 (You don’t give an alternative, but something like 9.Nc3 should be taken into account: 9…0-0 10.Nxd5 Rb8 11.Qc6 Nxd5 12.Qxd5 Bh4+ 13.g3 Re8+ 14.Be2 Be6 15.Qc6 Bf6 and the steaming wreck that is White’s position doesn’t make a happy impression.) 9…0-0 10.Qxc7 and now you give 10…Qxc7, but why would Black want to exchange Queens in such a position? Instead we get interesting play by 10…Qe8 11.Ne2 Rc8 12.Qxa7 Bxc5! 13.dxc5 Nxc5

DIE FRITZ DIE!

Anyway, let’s go back to Black’s most important reply to 6.Qb3, namely 6…c5!

A PROMISING RETORT

Now White has A. 7.Qa4+ and B. 7.dxe6.

A. 7.Qa4+!? Nbd7 8.dxe6 fxe6 9.Be3 (Not the only possibility, but this time we’re actually following a game!) 9…Qb6 10.Qb3 (10.b4!?) 10...cxd4 11.Qxb6 axb6 12.Bxd4 Bxb1 13.Rxb1 Bb4+ 14.Kd1 Rxa2 led to an eventual draw in Mas-West, Sydney 1999.

B. 7.dxe6 fxe6 and now we have another parting of the ways: B.1. 8.Qxb7 and B.2. 8.d5.

B.1. 8.Qxb7 Nbd7

WHITE HAS RENOUNCED ALL DEVELOPMENT

So White got the b-pawn that he lusted after so badly, but Black is happily preparing his men for a snuff film: 9.Ne2 (9.g4 Rb8 10.Qxb8 Qxb8 11.gxf5 cxd4 12.fxe6 Nc5 and Black went on to win in Solomon-Wohl, Gold Coast 1998) 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Qc6+ (or 11.Qb5+ Kf7 12.Nxf5 Rb8 13.Nd4 Rxb5 14.Nxb5 Nd3+ 15.Bxd3 Qxd3) 11...Kf7 12.Nxf5 Rc8 and the ravenous Queen has fallen!

B.2. 8.d5 exd5 9.Qxb7 (9.cxd5 Qxd5 10.Bc4 Qd7 11.Ne2 Nc6 was nothing for White in A. Grosar - Ljubicic, Pula 2000) 9…Nbd7 and now one final split: B.2. a. 10.Nc3 and B.2.b. 10.cxd5.

B.2.a. 10.Nc3 d4 11.Nb5 (11.Nd5 Rb8 12.Qxa7 Nxd5 13.cxd5 Bd6 14.Qa6 Qe7+ 15.Kd1 0–0 is almost comical; didn’t anyone teach the guy playing White to get his pieces out?) 11...Kf7 12.Nc7 (12.Ne2 a6 13.Ng3 Bg6 14.Nc7 Rb8) 12...Qe7+ (perhaps 12…Qc8!? is worth a look) 13.Kd1 Nb6 14.Bf4 and now Black can take an instant draw with 14…Bc8 15.Qc6 Bd7, but a real man would play 14…Re8 and try to give White the punishment that he’s obviously longing for.

B.2.b. 10.cxd5 Rb8 11.Qxa7 (Continuing to feast while Rome burns, but 11.Qc6 Rb6 12.Qa4 Nxd5 13.Na3 Re6+ once again leaves Black with an enormous advantage in development.) 11...Nxd5

TWO PAWNS FOR ONE MILLION TEMPI

12.a3 (trying to stop …Nb4, which would be the reply to 12.Qa4) 12…Ra8 13.Qb7 Nb4 is “annoying” for White, whose Queen is probably imploring the rest of her army to lend a helping hand!

Please DON’T take this analysis as gospel! It’s just meant to give the reader a glimpse of the horrors that are laying in wait for those that think taking pawns is the soul of chess.

Kevin, thanks for the question. My recommendation: drop 6.Qb3 like a hot potato (or, if you’re Republican, potatoe) and check out our earlier Portuguese article (linked above) for a safer way to battle this dangerous attacking scheme. Remember: you must not only take into account the material situation, but ALSO the dynamic one. In this case, you are merely throwing fuel on Black’s fire.