A CHESS HORROR STORY - FRANKENSTEIN VS DRACULA

Chess humour is a constant topic in most of my posts so perhaps now is the time to discuss something completely different.

  

According to “The Oxford Companion to Chess”, there are 1327 named chess openings and variations. Out of all these openings/variations which one is the SCARIEST? Which chess opening can make you wake up in the morning in cold sweat?

If we only consider the names of chess openings we don't really have to go any further than the aptly named “Frankenstein-Dracula variation” (yes, that is indeed the name of a REAL opening and not a silly invention of mine) of the Vienna game. The character of this variation was deemed so bloodthirsty that one monster alone was deemed insufficient to express the horrors associated with it. (Read more about Frankenstein & Dracula if you are unfamiliar with them)  

Let’s see what’s so scary about this "one-monster-is-not-enough-so-let's-have-two" variation. But be afraid. Be very afraid….

1.   e4          e5

2.   Nc3       Nf6

3.   Bc4

   

Nothing scary so far… But all that will soon change with 4 checkmating attempts to follow within the next 5 white moves.

3.    …          Nxe4

4.    Qh5  

The fun starts here. Both 4.Nxe4 and 4.Bxf7 are not known to cause any problems for black.

4.      …          Nd6

Now the simplifications caused by 5.Qxe5 is certainly not worthy of either of the two monsters, so play usually continues with

5.     Bb3         Nc6

6.     Nb5         g6        (6. … Nxb5 ?? 7.Qxf7#)

7.     Qf3

White tries to checkmate black again… ( 8.Nxd6+ followed by 9.Qxf7 #)

7.      …             f5

8.      Qd5

And again…

9.       …             Qe7

In the true spirit of the opening, black sacrifices a rook in order to develop a dangerous initiative.

9.      Nxc7 +      Kd8

10.    Nxa8         b6

The general theory ends here. Black will eventually capture the knight on a8 and proceed with a strong attack. In some countries they have thematic tournaments on the Halloween day (31^st of October) with every game starting with this position.

You can watch the full force of the Frankenstein-Dracula variation being unleashed in the following game. Renowned British grandmaster John Nunn played the black pieces here and created a horror story for the white king.

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