"Chess For Dummies" the monster vienna confusion

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Avatar of Zurinna

i am reading "Chess For Dummies" and it looks really flawed. ive only played chess once or twice but the first tactic it shows is this one; 

Avatar of Twinchicky

Black's 3...Nxe4 is exploiting the mistake that was 3.Bc4. In reality, white doesn't have to recapture on e4 and he can play down a pawn, but it's an unclear game from there in the Vienna.

Avatar of AyoDub

The tactic it is demonstrating is that both pieces are attacked at once, and both cannot be aved, not necessarily the move order itself.

White does not need to play Bc4 which is probably a mistake if not followed up correctly. However, the author requires one side to make a mistake in order to demonstrate what a 'fork' is.

Avatar of GreenCastleBlock
fireflashghost wrote:

White's best option from there is 4. Qh5, where he threatens Qxf7#.  Afterwards, Black is forced to play 4...Nd6, where White can play a safe game with Qxe5+ or play into the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation with 5.Bb3.  Really, playing 4. Nxe4, allowing 4...d5, gives Black the slightly better game, in my opinion.

4...Ng5 is also a move.

Avatar of DiogenesDue

A new account that joins Tirades and Vendettas on her first day.  Interesting choice.

Avatar of johnmusacha
btickler wrote:

A new account that joins Tirades and Vendettas on her first day.  Interesting choice.

We can all sleep better in our beds at night knowing that Chief Inquisitor Busybody Btickler is on the case.

Avatar of DiogenesDue
johnmusacha wrote:

We can all sleep better in our beds at night knowing that Chief Inquisitor Busybody Btickler is on the case.

You're welcome.  

Perhaps there's some problem with simple observations?  Surely there's nothing going on on here that could be construed as deceptive or untoward...so there'd be no problem in mentioning it, either.

Avatar of MonkeyH

Bc4 is best place to develop the bishop, there is not any knight on c6 to pin with Bb5, Bd3 blocks the D pawn. It isn't really a trap, a knight was already caught the move before by White. Also white wants to castle asap in this e4 e5 opening. Bc4 controls  e6, f7 (f7 is only protected by the king, a lot of attacks happens on f7 in king pawn openings).

I don't know why white wants to capture that knight if he sees that fork, better is to develop further I think ( or am I missing any traps?).

Avatar of pfren

3...Nxe4 is a perfectly sound move.

White could (and should) play 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 (5.Qxe5+ Qe7 is already dead equal) when Black may gamble by the extremely complex Dracula variation (5...Nc6 6.Nb5 with some twenty moves of theory to follow) or play the simple and good 5...Be7 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Nxe5 g6! when he is very comfortably equal, without any complications.

The Dracula is very hard to evaluate. Objectively white's material (exchange plus pawn, in the main line) should be preferred over Black's huge center. In practice, and especially at the club level, I think Black is more than fine, as his position is much easier to play.

For the record, white can also ignore Black and play 4.Nf3 after 3...Nxe4. Now 4...Nc6 is a well-known two knights variation (most people believe Black is at least equal, although I do not share their opinion, for very concrete reasons) while alternatively Black, after 4...Nxc3 5.dc3 may try the ambitious (and certainly risky) 5...f6, or play it safe by 5...c6(!) 6.Nxe5 d5 7.0-0! Bd6! 8.Re1 0-0, when he has no problems (as Sakaev rightly assumes in his Petroff repertoire book).

Avatar of johnmusacha

Thanks, brah