And the position is the same as given in the leading variation of the Giuoco Piano, see page 622. Should Black instead play: P. takes Q. B"s P., you take his K. B"s P. with your B. (ch.); and if he takes the Bishop with King, play Q. to Q"s 5th (ch.), and then take his Bishop.
_Variation A. on Black"s 4th Move._
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K"s 4th. 1. P. to K"s 4th.
2. K"s Kt. to B"s 3d. 2. Q"s Kt. to B"s 3d.
3. P. to Q"s 4th. 3. P. takes P.
4. B. to Q. B"s 4th. 4. B. to Q. Kt."s 5th. (ch.) 5. P. to Q. B"s 3d. 5. P. takes P.
6. Castles. 6. P. to Q. B"s 7th.
Instead of 6. Castles, you might adopt Mr. Cochrane"s method of continuing the attack, by 6. P. takes P.
N.B.--It would be very bad play of Black to take the Q. Kt."s P., instead of the move in the text.
7. Q. takes P. 7. P. to Q"s 3d.
8. P. to Q. R"s 4th. 8. B. to Q. R"s 4th.
9. P. to Q. Kt."s 4th. 9. B. to Kt."s 3d.
10. Q. to Q. Kt."s 3d, with a fine game.
There is another not uninteresting method of attack, which White might adopt at his fifth move, instead of 5. P. to Q. B"s 3d; viz., K"s Kt. to his 5th.
5. K"s Kt. to his 5th. 5. K"s Kt. to R"s 3d. (best.) 6. Kt. takes K. B"s P. 6. Kt. takes Kt.
7. B. takes Kt. (ch.) 7. K. takes B.
8. Q. to R"s 5th. 8. P. to K. Kt."s 3d.
9. Q. takes B. 9. P. to Q"s 4th.
Black"s 9th move was first suggested in an able a.n.a.lysis on this variation by Messrs. Jaenisch and Schummoff, in the "Chess Player"s Chronicle" for July, 1850. It is far superior to the old move of P. to Q"s 3d, and without great care on your part will give him an irresistible attack.
10. Castles. 10. P. takes P.
This is your strongest move, and appears to have been overlooked by the talented authors of the article in question:--
10. P. to Q. B"s 3d. (best.) 10. R. to K"s sq.
If Black play 10. P. to Q"s 6th, you reply with Q. to Q. B"s 4th (ch.), winning the King"s p.a.w.n.
11. B. to K. Kt."s 5th. 11. Q. to Q"s 3d.
12. Q. takes Q. 12. P. takes Q.
13. P. takes P. 13. Kt. takes P.
14. Q"s Kt. to B"s 3d.
And Black will have great difficulty in avoiding the loss of a p.a.w.n.
There is another variation of this opening hitherto, we believe, una.n.a.lysed, which, although it presents many points of interest, seems altogether unknown to the majority of amateurs.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K"s 4th. 1. P. to K"s 4th.
2. K"s Kt. to B"s 3d. 2. Q"s Kt. to B"s 3d.
3. P. to Q"s 4th. 3. P. takes P.
4. B. to Q. B"s 4th. 4. B. to Q. B"s 4th.
5. Castles. 5. P. to Q"s 3d.
6. K"s Kt. to his 5th. 6. K"s Kt. to R"s 3d.
7. P. to K. B"s 4th. 7. P. to Q"s 6th. (dis. ch.)
If he play 7. B. to K. Kt."s 5th, your best reply seems to be Q. to K"s sq., although you might obtain a strong but hazardous attack by playing Q. to her 3d, and afterwards, on his attacking her, with Q"s Kt. to Q.
Kt."s 3d.
8. K. to R"s sq. 8. P. takes P.
9. Q. takes P. 9. Q"s Kt. to Q"s 5th.
10. Q. to Q. B"s 3d.
And although minus a p.a.w.n, you have a fine game. If he now play P. to K.
B"s 3d, you reply with B. to K"s 3d.
THE KING"S BISHOP"S OPENING.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K"s 4th. 1. P. to K"s 4th.
2. K. B. to Q. B"s 4th. 2. K. B. to Q. B"s 4th.
By this move you attack his weakest point, viz. the K. B"s P. Most of the cla.s.sical writers on Chess concur in recommending the same move as Black"s best reply. Major Jaenisch and the German authors unanimously recommend 2. K"s Kt. to B"s 3d in preference, the move generally adopted in actual play. (See Game III.)
White has now several methods of continuing the attack. He may play the move recommended by Philidor, viz. P. to Q. B"s 3d, to which Black may reply with either K"s Kt. to B"s 3d, or Q. to K. Kt."s 4th, or P. to Q"s 4th, in every case with at least an equal game.
You may also play K"s Kt. to B"s 3d, and upon Black"s bringing out his Q"s Kt., the position is resolved into the Giuoco Piano.
If you play Q. to K. R"s 5th, (a move frequently adopted by young players,) Black will reply with Q. to K B"s 3d, or to K"s 2d, with no inferiority of position. Besides these moves you have two others at command, viz. Q. to K"s 2d, and P. to Q. Kt."s 4th, which we will proceed to examine.
GAME I.--THE LOPEZ GAMBIT.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K"s 4th. 1. P. to K"s 4th.
2. K. B. to Q. B"s 4th. 2. K. B to Q. B"s 4th.
3. Q. to K"s 2d. 3. Q"s Kt. to B"s 3d.
By playing thus you threaten at once to take his K. B"s P. (ch.), and if K. takes B, to win his Bishop in return by the check of the Q. The move in the text is Black"s best reply, any other move would leave you with at least an even position.
4. P. to Q. B"s 3d. 4. K"s Kt. to B"s 3d.
Instead of P. to Q. B"s 3d, you may take the adverse K. B"s P (ch.); see Variation A.
5. P. to K. B"s 4th. 5. B. takes K"s Kt.
6. R. takes B. 6. Castles.
7. P. to Q"s 3d. 7. P. to Q"s 4th.
With a superior game.