German chess master Alexander Fritz (1857–1932) suggested 5…Nd4 in the Italian: Two Knights Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4) to Carl Schlechter who publicized the line in a 1904 issue of Deutsche Schachzeitung. Sixty years later, the Fritz Variation famously re-emerged during Bobby Fischer’s crushing loss to Robert Eugene Burger at a simultaneous exhibition in San Francisco.
Fast forward another sixty years and today the Fritz Variation is championed by attacking maestro Francisco Anchondo. Francisco has played several brilliancies, such as the one below, keeping Alexander Fritz’ invention alive.
[Event “Casual Blitz game”]
[Date “2022.03.15”]
[White “Anonymous”]
[Black “Francisco Anchondo”]
[Result “0-1”]
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4 6.c3 b5 7.cxd4 bxc4 8.dxe5 Qxd5
9.O-O Bb7 10.f3 Bc5+ 11.Kh1 h6 12.exf6 hxg5 13.fxg7 O-O-O 14.gxh8=Q Rxh8 15.Nc3
Qd6 16.f4 Rxh2+ 17.Kxh2 Qh6+ 18.Kg3 Qh4#
0-1
Join our Free Online Summer Chess Camp and learn how to win with The Fritz Variation during a masterclass taught by Francisco Anchondo. The next camp rubs from July 11th – 15th.