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This is a good alternative to the Two Knights Defence lines and it seems that Black can equalise with a well-timed ...d7-d5. After 5.c3 dxc3 6.bxc3, Black can try 6...d5 whereupon 7.exd5 Be7 (see Kotainy-Zhigalko, Bad Wiessee 2011) is very comfortable for Black. In that line 7.cxb4!? is an interesting alternative, which generally gives White a superior pawn structure as compensation for a pawn. Instead there's 6...Bc5 7.e5 d5 8.exf6 dxc4, which resembles the Max Lange Attack but with accurate play leads to an equal endgame. Perhaps 9.Qxd8+ may offer the most play.
Instead White can boldly sacrifice a second pawn with 6.0-0, and White gets dangerous compensation after 6...cxb2 7.Bxb2. However, Black can side-step this with 6...0-0 again intending 7.bxc3 d5 8.exd5 Be7=. White has a couple of speculative alternatives, but it is not clear if either are sufficient; 7.e5 (whereupon 7...d5 is awkward) and my own suggestion 7.a3, which can be met by 7...d5 8.exd5 cxb2 9.Bxb2 Bd6 or 7...Be7!? 8.Nxc3 d6. See Hausner-Kaiser, Prague 2002, for detailed discussion of these 6.0-0 lines. |
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4...Bc5 adds protection to the d4-square and threatens ...Nxe4 under more favourable circumstances. White can now head into a Max Lange-esque line with 5.e5 d5 6.exf6 dxc4 7.Qe2+ Be6 8.fxg7 Rg8 9.Bg5, with chances for both sides. With precise play White might be able to get a slight edge, see Zavanelli-Nielsen, corr. 1999.
Also playable is 5.0-0, since 5...Nxe4?! runs into the 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 trick, which works better for White than in the Two Knights Defence lines where Black has played ...Nc6 instead of ...Bc5. 5...Nc6 6.e5 transposes directly to the Max Lange Attack, which is currently looking quite promising for White. 5...d6 gives White a pleasant choice between 6.Nxd4, which may offer a slight advantage, and the gambit 6.c3, so the critical response is probably 5...0-0 (threatening ...Nxe4, as White no longer has any Re1, Bxd5 tricks down the e-file once Black has castled) and then the gambit continuation 6.e5 d5 7.Bb3 Ne4 8.c3. These lines are discussed in the notes to Zavanelli-Nielsen, above. |
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This was recommended in some earlier sources as an easy way to decline the gambit and reach equality, but this looks doubtful. White might well get a slight advantage with 5.exd5 Bb4+ 6.c3 Qe7+ 7.Be2 dxc3 8.Nxc3 (instead of the more common 8.bxc3); see Laes-Flores, corr. 1975. 6.Kf1!? wins a pawn, although Black does get some compensation due to the exposed white king and weak white pawn on d5, and my investigations suggest that Black's compensation may be sufficient; see Volkmann-Penz, Austria 1997. At club level you may well see the obvious 5...Nxd5 instead, but then after 6.0-0 White gets to the open e-file first, which is enough for some advantage.
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Michael Goeller has mapped White's best way to get some advantage against this declining option. White should continue with 5.0-0, again relying on the trick 5...Nxe4?! 6.Re1 and if 6...d5 7.Bxd5, leaving White with an important extra tempo on one of the main lines of the Two Knights Defence. Black's best is probably to block the e-file and get castled with 5...Be7 (now threatening ...Nxe4 under far more favourable circumstances) 6.Re1 0-0.
Then White should avoid being tempted by the gambit 7.c3?!, as it leads to transposition to a dodgy line of the Göring Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 d6 6.Nxc3 Nf6 7.0-0?!) where White has some positional pressure, but not enough, for the pawn. Instead 7.Nxd4 is advisable, leading to a line of Philidor's Defence (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4) with a slight advantage. It's not as aggressive as the approaches with Bf4, Qd2 and 0-0-0, but White still has some scope to push the kingside pawns even after having castled kingside; see Agrafenin-Van Tricht, online 2011. |
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This leaves Black with a hole on d5, but the move is not as bad as it looks. White's best is 5.0-0, and again it is inadvisable to play 5...Nxe4?! here because of 6.Re1, and if Black defends the knight with 6...d5, White has the trick 7.Bxd5. Compared with one of the main lines of the Two Knights Defence, Black has played ...c5 rather than ...Nc6. 5...Nc6 6.Ng5 (6.Re1 is a good alternative) 6...Ne5 7.Bb3 h6 8.f4 is the most critical line, see Amann-Zuccotti Bozzano, email 2008. Play is reminiscent of some lines of the Göring Gambit. White is slightly better with best play, but Black is not without chances.
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