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Traxler & Polerio

Gambit26 linesYou play Black

Two ways to meet 4.Ng5 in the Two Knights. In the Traxler, 4...Bc5 ignores the threat on f7 and counter-attacks f2. In the Polerio, 5...Na5 gives a pawn to chase White's bishop and develop quickly.

Traxler & Polerio after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6

The idea

Two ways for Black to meet 4.Ng5 in the Two Knights. The Traxler, 4…Bc5, ignores f7 and counterattacks with …Bxf2+; the Polerio, 4…d5 5.exd5 Na5, gives a pawn to drive the bishop away and get fast development. Both avoid the dreaded Fried Liver.

What happens next

In the Traxler, after 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ Black follows with …Qh4 and the white king is chased across the board. In the Polerio, after 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 Black has space, open lines and a safe king, with …Bd6 and …O-O next.

How to play against it

White's best against the Traxler is the calm 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3, keeping the pawn; against the Polerio, 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 and then d3 and Nc3, holding the extra pawn and slowly unravelling.

A key line

Traxler Countergambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5

More lines

17...Nd4+ 18.Ka3 Bc5+ 19.b4 …
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Qe7 6.Nxh8 Ng4 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 Qh4+ 9.Ke2 Qf2+ 10.Kd3 Ngxe5+ 11.Kc3 Bd4+ 12.Kb3 Na5+ 13.Kb4 Bb6 14.d4 Nec6+ 15.Kb5 a6+ 16.Ka4 Bd7 17.d5 Nd4+ 18.Ka3 Bc5+ 19.b4 Nxc4#
Polerio Defense (anti-Fried Liver)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5
8...Qf4+ 9.Kd3 Nb4+ 10.Ke2 …
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Ke3 Qh4 8.Nxh8 Qf4+ 9.Kd3 Nb4+ 10.Ke2 Qf2#
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All 26 lines in this gambit

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