Pragmatism is the key to this tricky and menacing variation of the King's Gambit
Black to move.
The Allgaier variation of the King's Gambit arises after 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 g5 4 h4 g4 5 Ng5. Seldom seen, but not to be underestimated.
RB I don't know this variation. It looks very tricky and very dangerous. I suppose the first thing to decide is whether to take up White's offer of the knight: 5...h6 6 Nxf7 Kxf7. The black king is terribly exposed, but is White's sacrifice sound? Can Black fight off the assault with accurate play? If I were White I'd probably follow up with 7 Bc4+ when the most sensible defence seems to be 7...d5, giving up a pawn but allowing the light-squared bishop out and defending the g-pawn. After 8 Bxd5+ what's the best square for the king – e8 or perhaps g7?
What if we decline the sacrifice? 5...Nf6 develops a piece and defends the g-pawn. 5...d6 also defends the g-pawn but blocks in the dark-squared bishop. 5...d5 might be better, and if 6 exd5 Qxd5. What I'm saying is I really don't know what to do, and what I'd be worried about if I faced this line over the board would be getting blown away before I'd even got out of the opening.
DK White's strategy is brutal: open the king and play for mate. In the line 5...h6 6 Nxf7 Kxf7 7 Bc4+ d5 is correct, and after 8 Bxd5+ Black does best to play 8...Kg7! 9 d4 f3! This is a key defensive move in many variations, blocking the f-file. A computer will tell you that Black is winning, but if White simply brings out his pieces the defensive task, at least for human brains, is problematic.
The German grandmaster Jan Gustafsson recently recommended a more pragmatic defence. He likes 5...d5, but after 6 exd5, not Ronan's 6...Qxd5: White gains time with 7 d4 followed by Nc3. Instead 6...h6. The piece sacrifice on f7 is less dangerous without a check on c4, and if 7 Ne4 f5 8 Nec3 Nf6, Black's clump of kingside pawns is menacing. This is the modern way: the initiative counts for more than material.
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