The Traxler Counterattack (also called the Wilkes-Barre Variation) is one of chess's boldest replies to the aggressive 4.Ng5 in the Two Knights Defense. Instead of defending f7 with the routine 4...d5, Black plays 4...Bc5, daring White to grab the pawn. If White snatches the knight with 5.Nxf7, Black unleashes 5...Bxf2+!, sacrificing a bishop to drag the king into the open and launch a ferocious attack with ...Nxe4+ and ...Qh4. Material becomes secondary; initiative is everything. White's calmest path is 5.Bxf7+, returning to a quiet position a pawn up while Black seeks activity. A razor-sharp, romantic weapon, the Traxler rewards preparation and fearless calculation, handing Black dangerous practical chances and a built-in perpetual-check safety net against unprepared opponents.
Key ideas & plans
- Black's core idea: after 5.Nxf7, strike with 5...Bxf2+ and 6...Nxe4+, dragging the white king out and chasing it with ...Qh4 and ...Rf8 - the attack, not material, is the goal.
- Use the half-open f-file and a big lead in development; even a piece down, the exposed white king gives full compensation and frequently a mating attack.
- Know the perpetual-check draws (the ...Qxg3+ shuffle after g3 lines) as a safety net, so the variation is essentially never losing even against best defense.
- White's most practical antidote is 5.Bxf7+ instead of 5.Nxf7, declining the complications and staying a clean pawn up; Black answers with ...Ke7, ...Rf8, ...d6 to generate activity.
- White's bravest defense is the king walk 7.Ke3, trying to consolidate the extra piece - Black must keep the initiative alive with checks and threats like ...Qf4+ and the ...d5 break.
- The ...d5 lever recurs for Black to rip open lines and free the c8-bishop, while White aims to trade queens or return material to blunt the attack and convert the extra pawn.
Main lines
Traxler Counterattack: Main Line, 5.Nxf7 (Kxf7)
→The critical main line: White grabs the rook on f7, but Black sacrifices a bishop on f2 to rip open the king and generate a raging attack down the f-file and around the exposed monarch. With the rook pinning along the f-file and queen on g3, Black has full compensation and practical chances.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kxf2Nxe4+
- 7.Kg1Qh4
- 8.g3Nxg3
- 9.hxg3Qxg3+
- 10.Kf1Rf8
Traxler: 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Bxf7+ Variation
→When White declines to take the bishop with 6.Kf1, Black calmly develops with ...Qe7 and the strong central break ...d5, trapping the knight on h8 and building a powerful initiative with the bishop pair pointing at the king.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kf1Qe7
- 7.Nxh8d5
- 8.exd5Nd4
- 9.d6Qxd6
- 10.c3Bg4
Traxler: 5.Bxf7+ (the safe try)
→White takes the safe route with 5.Bxf7+, giving back the bishop but unbalancing Black's king. Black calmly tucks the king on e7, regroups behind the f-file rook, and uses the half-open f-file and active bishop for full equality.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Bxf7+Ke7
- 6.Bb3Rf8
- 7.O-Od6
- 8.c3Qe8
- 9.d4exd4
- 10.cxd4Bb6
Traxler: 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Kf1 Rf8
→In this attacking branch Black ignores the trapped knight and goes straight for the king with ...Nd4, ...Bg4 and the crushing ...Nf3, exploiting the pin and the open lines toward f1.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kf1Qe7
- 7.Nxh8d5
- 8.exd5Nd4
- 9.h3Bg4
- 10.Qe1Nf3
Traxler: 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Qf3+ (the queen check)
→After 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ White tries the bold 7.Ke3, walking the king up the board. Black hunts it relentlessly with ...Qh4 and tactics around g3, regaining material with a continuing attack.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kxf2Nxe4+
- 7.Ke3Qh4
- 8.g3Nxg3
- 9.Nxh8Nxh1
- 10.Qxh1Qf2+
Traxler: 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Kg1 (declining the bishop)
→White retreats with 7.Kf1 to hide the king; Black builds with ...Qh4 and ...Nd4, exploiting pins and the loose king to win back material and reach a comfortable, double-edged middlegame.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kxf2Nxe4+
- 7.Kf1Qh4
- 8.Qe1Nd4
- 9.Nc3Qf6+
- 10.Qf2Nxf2
Traxler: 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Kf1 d5 (the d5 break)
→When White grabs on d5 with the bishop, Black recaptures, plays the standard ...Nd4 and ...Bg4, and generates a powerful attack with the bishop pair while White's pieces remain disorganized.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kf1Qe7
- 7.Nxh8d5
- 8.Bxd5Nxd5
- 9.exd5Nd4
- 10.c3Bg4
Traxler: 5.Nxf7 Kxf7 6.Kf1 Qe7 7.Nxh8 Nd4 (immediate Nd4)
→A direct attacking try where Black plays ...Nd4 before ...d5, mixing piece pressure and the central break to dominate the light squares around White's king and win the b3-bishop while the corner knight stays trapped.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Nxf7Bxf2+
- 6.Kf1Qe7
- 7.Nxh8Nd4
- 8.d3d5
- 9.Bb3Bg4
- 10.Qe1Nxb3
Traxler: 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bd5 (bishop retreat)
→In the quiet 5.Bxf7+ line, White tries Nd5+ to trade off Black's strong knight; Black recaptures, redeploys the queen to g6 eyeing the kingside, and stands fully equal with active pieces and the open f-file.
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bc4Nf6
- 4.Ng5Bc5
- 5.Bxf7+Ke7
- 6.Bb3Rf8
- 7.O-Od6
- 8.Nc3Qe8
- 9.Nd5+Nxd5
- 10.Bxd5Qg6