Lost a game again...

Originally posted by bahus
true, 5.d4 is the important move here (although 5.0-0 might transpose).

after 5...exd4 6.0-0! black might try to keep the extra pawn with 6...dxc3 7.Nxc3 but white has probably enough compensation (6...Qxd4?? 7.Re1 and 1-0).

playing 5...exd4 is a bit dangerous as both black king & queen are on the semiopen e-file.

main line seems to go 5...Bb6 6.0-0 d6

- bahus

Yes, this occurs about 56 times on my database. After 5. d4 exd4 white normally castles, although both 6. cxd4 and 6. Ng5 have been tryed; the former unsuccessfully but it's not as bad as it at first looks, the latter has a win and a defeat. After 6. 0-0 black's only response seems to be dxc3, as both 6. ... d3 and 6. ... Ne5 score 80% for white. Then after white's 7. Nxc3 black's best move seems to be 7. ... d6 and although white scores less than 50% there are only 10 games and this game between Sultan Khan Mir and an unknown player, played in Moscow in 1914 shows what can happen:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 exd4 6. 0-0 dxc3 7. Nxc3 d6 8. Nd5 Qd8 9. b4 Bd6 10. Bb2 Nf6 11. Nxf6+ gxf6 12. Ng5 0-0 13. Nxh7 Kxh7 14. Qh5+ Kg7 15. Qg5+ 1-0