Göring Attack

The Göring Attack is a line of play which occurs in the Evans Gambit chess opening. It begins with the moves:

	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

Göring Attack (10.Bg5)

1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 Nc6

3.Bc4 Bc5

4.b4 Bxb4

5.c3 Bc5

6.0-0 d6

7.d4 exd4

8.cxd4 Bb6

9.Nc3 Na5

10.Bg5

After the Evan's Gambit (4.b4) is accepted (4...Bxb4) and the riposte (5.c3) has prompted the defensive (5...Bc5) (the second most popular retreat), play continues until 10.Bg5, the defining move of the Göring Attack. It is named after Carl Theodor Göring, who played it in several games against Johannes Minckwitz in 1869. The Goring Attack came into fashion after Tchigorin played it against Steinitz in 1883. We are told Tchigorin scored his most brilliant successes with this variation^[1] The MCO describes it as a “tricky” opening, “which can be refuted only if you know the right moves”.^[2]

Notes

1. Notes Otago chess club (recording Brunn v Troppan game)
2. MCO,13th Ed. Nick De Firmian, Barnes & Noble

External links

• Chess Openings Viewer Club Aranjuez de Ajedrez
• ChessCafe.com article about the Evans Gambit (PDF)
• Handbuch des Schachspiels