! Better than 6...Be7, 6...Qe7, and 6...Be6, which all passively defend and surrender the extra pawn and the initiative to White. Although Black must be very careful about the e-file and the b1-h7 diagonal, his own threat of 7...Qxb2 is overpowering. White must spend at least two moves to force matters over the e-file (whether with g4 and gxf5 plus Qxe4+ or dxe4 plus exf5+ or f3 and fxe4 plus exf5+). Black's replies to White's various threats include: 7 g4 Qxb2 8 gxf5 Qxa1 9 Qxe4+ Be7 OR 7 f3 Qxb2 8 fxe4 Qxa1 9 exf5+ Be7 OR 7 dxe4 Qxe4 8 Qxe4+ Bxe4.

Prevents ...Qxb2 and keeps up the pressure on e4. The downside to this move is the same as with 6 Qe2 in that both require a follow up move to be effective. Black's seventh move will tie in nicely with the counterattack started with 6...Qd4.

Threatening 8...Bxc3+ 9 bxc3 Qxc3+ 10 Kd1 Qxa1+, 7...Bb4 keeps the situation the same by neutralizing White's Knight, except that the tension has been increased. The combinative power of both players' central pieces is growing. White's strength against e4 and the possibility of equalizing material and then trading into the endgame with a position edge is tempered by his undeveloped kingside. Black's centralized pieces are constrained by the need to keep the e-file closed until Black's King can flee.

Freeing the pinned Knight and increasing central tension by threatening a discovered attack against the Black Queen. Unfortunately Black can still positionally weaken White's queenside with a capture at c3 and if he can escape the e-file pin Black's chances will at the least equal White's. Arguably better is 8 Nf3, increasing tension even more than 8 0-0-0. It appears to fall to 8...Bxc3+ 9 Kd1 Qc5 10 bxc3 (10 dxe4 0-0 11 bxc3 Qxc3 12 Rb1 Rd8+ ends similar to the main variation) Qxc3 11 Rb1 0-0 and Black stays up material with good chances of forcing a Queen trade by threatening mate due to weaknesses on the b- and d-files. However, the combination of an open position with lots of pieces remaining results in a murky position open to further analysis.

Better than 8...0-0 because the Knight would capture on e4 next move now that it is not pinned. 8...Bxc3 forces a weakness in White's queeside. He will lose the game due to the weak dark squares around his King. Black threatens 9 bxc3 Qxc3 10 dxe4 Be6 with a small material advantage and the ability to meet 11 Qb4+ with 11...Nd7, defeating 12 Qxb2 with 12...Rb1, going on to use the b-file in a mating attack.

?! The impact and therefore value of this move is delayed due to Black's ability to play 9...Bxb2+, which will allow him to save both the dark-squared Bishop and the Queen. From then on, Black can save a tempo and preserve castling rights if the White Queen's check is uncovered on the e-file by responding with ...Be5. The tempo which would have been gained by uncovering the attack on Black's Queen is lost because the Queen will relocate in a position to give check again, keeping up Black's counterattack.

After 9 dxe4 Bxb2+ the dark squares around White's King are very weak. White's Rook and Queen, though powerful, hem in his King and make it hard to escape an attack by Black. Furthermore, Black's recently captured e4-pawn kept White's entire kingside undeveloped by attacking f3 and keeping White's d3-pawn fixed. These conditions mean Black has a good chance at a mating attack with only his dark-squared Bishop, Queen, and kingside Rook. The key will be avoiding trades, or if forced into a trade to gain further positional or material advantage on top of what he has already. Black's counterattack has relied heavily on the two tempi required by White to take advantage of the e-file pin. The rest of the game shows how that time is well spent.

With a retreat to the e-file out of the question in light of 11 Nf3, Black needs a move that keeps up the pressure. Black's Queen controls the weak dark squares surrounding White's King. The precarious nature of Black's position is evidenced by the fact that 11 Qb4+ would destroy his attack and leave him only a small material advantage.

? A poor choice. An immediate Qb4+ was necessary to keep White in the game. This would have forced some trades and equalized the players' development, leaving the onus on Black to trade both sets of rooks to ensure he kept his extra pawn.

The only viable choice.