Vienna Game, Frankenstein–Dracula Variation
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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Frankenstein monster Count Dracula | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Vienna Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Frankenstein–Dracula Variation is a chess opening, usually considered a branch of the Vienna Game, but can also be reached from the Bishop's Opening. The opening involves many complications; however, with accurate play the opening is very playable for both sides.
The variation was given its name by Tim Harding in his 1976 book on the Vienna Game, in which he said that the bloodthirstiness of the character of play was such that "a game between Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster would not seem out of place."
The line is seen extremely infrequently in top-level play, mainly because the Vienna Game is seen so little at top-level play. Ivanchuk used the opening against Anand in Roquebrune in 1992 in a game that ended as a draw. Alexei Shirov had also played this in a simultaneous exhibition with black in Canada 2011.
Annotated moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4
- The moves which bring about the variation. Another common way of reaching the same position is 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 (Bishop's Opening) Nf6 3.Nc3.
3... Nxe4
- This is the move that defines the Frankenstein–Dracula Variation. White cannot of course win material immediately, since 4.Nxe4 brings 4...d5.
4. Qh5
- 4.Nxe4 d5 is considered to give Black no problems. 4.Bxf7+?! Kxf7 5.Nxe4 is considered good for Black as long as he avoids 5...Nc6 (5...d5) 6.Qf3+ Kg8?? 7.Ng5! and White wins (7...Qxg5 8.Qd5#). 4.Qh5 threatens Qxf7#, a threat that White continues to renew in this line.
4... Nd6
- Surprisingly, this awkward move is the only good response to White's dual threats against f7 and e5; 4...Ng5 would be met by 5.d4 Ne6 6.dxe5 with some advantage. Also possible is 6.d5, when 6...g6?? loses to 7.dxe6!, as in Böök–Heidenheimo, 1925.[1] Instead, 6.d5 Nd4 led to very complicated play in Kis–Csato, Hungarian Team Championship 1993.[2]
5. Bb3
- Swedish grandmaster Ulf Andersson recommended 5.Qxe5+ Qe7 6.Qxe7+ Bxe7 7.Be2!, claiming that White has some advantage. (See Harding's 1998 column cited below.)
5... Nc6
- 5...Be7 (returning the pawn) is a quieter alternative, e.g. 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Nxe5 0-0 8.Nd5 Nxe5 9.Qxe5 Re8 10.0-0 Bf8 11.Qf4.
6. Nb5 g6 7. Qf3 f5
- David Bronstein once won a game with 7...f6!? 8.Nxc7+ Qxc7 9.Qxf6 b6 10.Qxh8 Bb7 11.Qxh7 0-0-0, but he has not found followers.[3]
8. Qd5 Qe7
- 8...Qf6 has also been tried and may be better.
9. Nxc7+ Kd8 10. Nxa8
- Black almost always continues 10... b6, preparing Bb7 to trap the knight (see diagram). Black is at the moment a rook down, but will eventually regain the knight, leaving Black down the exchange. In return, Black will play for an attack.
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
| 8 |              | 8 | |||||||
| 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5 | ||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | ||
Competing strategies
In return for his material, Black has a good pawn centre and his bishops will be well placed on the long diagonals. He will try to justify his sacrifice by avoiding a queen exchange and attempting to checkmate White. White will secure his king (usually by castling queenside) and his queen (which for the moment is somewhat short of squares), hold onto his extra material and eventually may go on the offensive and attack the Black king stuck in the centre of the board. Whether Black has sufficient compensation is a matter of opinion. One possible continuation is 11. d3 Bb7 12. h4 (threatening to win Black's queen with Bg5) 12... f4 13. Qf3 Nd4 (13...Bh6 14.Bd2 is also possible) 14. Qg4 (a 1969 recommendation by Anthony Santasiere, threatening to trade queens with Qg5), when Black chooses between 14...Bh6, 14...Bg7, and 14...Bxa8. (See Harding's 1998 column cited below.)
Notable game
- Ost-Hansen vs. Nunn Jacob Ost-Hansen vs. John Nunn, Teesside 1974, 0–1
Notes
External links
