Opening Discussion

I am presenting a little known variation of the Traxler Counterattack which has very little theory on it.  I want a good discussion with the community to determine the soundness of the variation.  Arm yourselves with your novelty weapons.

The variation in question is the Schmidt attack.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.b4!?

Theory concludes with three variations 6...Nxb4, 6...Bxb4, and 6...Bxf2+.

Any important revelations will be added to the overall knowledge of the group Traxler Analysis.

maybe it has so little theory because most will play 5. Ng5xf7 (forks rook and queen), most people would play that i think.

 Also I think black nearly always plays 4...d5 here I don't understand 4...Bc5. It just looks bad for black to me. I could be missing something tactical...

The extensive analysis done so far in the Traxler Analysis group seems to suggest that 4... Bc5 is a draw with best play.

Hmmm, that's an interesting point, because published analysis is quite pessimistic for black. But who knows ? This is soooo complicated

 My post was pretty stupid because obviously ...Bc5 is played if it's a named variation.

Yeah, it's very complicated!

Well, the point of the discussion is the soundness of the 6.b4 move. My instincts want to throw out the 6...Nxb4 move because it does not look positionally correct.  Analysis?

6...Nxb4 7.c3 h6! 8.cxb4 Bd4 9.Nc3 Bxc3 10.dxc3 hxg5 11.Bb3 Nxe4 and white's position is a mess.  Black has a great advantage.

Eh, isn't that with the wild Nxf7 rather than the safe and good Bxf7, though?

hmm.. good..!

The 5.Bxf7+ variation has been analysed to be fine for black so far, albeit with a lot less risk.  Black is trying to justify the compensation of pawn, rather than a rook in the 5.Nxf7 variation. 

Thank you eainca for your database of games.  That will help with developing the theory for this line.

I looked at this line when I was playing the italian game I think whites proper continuation is 6.bb3 where white then turns on the defensive.

6...Nxb4 7.d4 Bxd4 8.c3 Bc5 9.cxb4 Bd4 10.Bb3 Rf8 11.f4 d6 12.fxe5 Bxe5 13.Nf7 Rxf7 14.Bxf7 Kxf7 and white will lose his queenside rook.  White will remain down a piece and a pawn with a losing position.

6...Nxb4 is looking very strong, or 6.b4?! is somewhat dubious.

Not if Bxf7 is best play, because then what I said wouldn't make sense. 

So after 6...Nxb4, it appears that 7.c3? and 7.d4? are both errors.  If this is true, then white needs to find a really good response or the entire variation with 6.b4?! is bad.

7.0-0 maybe?

Suggestions are welcome.

Nope castling would be met by 7...h6 and black wins a piece.

Another move then is 7.Bc4

I wouldn't be surprised. You can't expect everything to work out alright in the end. This might be an interesting sideline, but white simply doesn't get the compensation.

Well, I remember seeing the variation and it was played by a very strong player so I thought it should be addressed.

In my opinion though, it is unlikely that you will ever see this over the board.

The best line for the 6...Nxb4 variation appears to be...

6.b4 Nxb4 7.Bb3 Rf8 8.0-0 d6 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.d3 Qe8 11.Nbd2 Kd8 12.Rb1 Qg6 13.Kh1 Nh5 14.h3 Qh6 15.Nc4 Nf4 16.Bxf4 Rxf4 17.Ncd2 g5 and black has a significant advantage.

6...Bxb4

This variation is very risky for black, requiring accurate play to equalize.

7.Bd5! Rf8 8.0-0 d6 9.c3 Ba5 10.d4 exd4 11.cxd4 h6 12.Nf3 Nxd5 13.exd5 Nb8 14.Bd2 Bb6 15.a4 a5

Black needs to castle manually to keep the balance.

I would not play this variation as black as this justifies white's 6.b4?!.