Just to recap, we have been looking at the variation: 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bc5 6.d4 Bb4 7.Bd2 Bg4 8.Bd3. As for your question MNb on earlier deviations, both 7...Nxd2 8.Qxd2 Nc6 and 7...Nxd2 8.Qxd2 Bf5 (Vorotnikov-Kuzmin 1997) look very reasonable to me. (IM Gary Lane likes 8...Bf5, see his book "Vienna game", 2000). As white you may encounter them, but as black I prefer 7...Bg4, which leads to more interesting positions in my opinion. You can check the variations below. They are far from perfect and I expect many improvements, but this is how far I am at the moment. For the sake of clarity, I will follow the numbering of the variations as before. C2] yes, good observation MNb, 11.Be3 is unpleasant indeed. D] 8...Nxd2 9.Qxd2 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qh4+ 11.Qf2 Qh6 looks playable, I need to check it further. And now into deeper waters, the critical line: C3] 8...Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qh4+ 10.g3 Nxd2 here we have 2 remaining alternatives (11.Qxd5 loses, we have discussed it): _________________________ *C3b] 11.Qf5 Qxd4. I start to get the feeling that black is winning here, see the variations below. However, it is sometimes tricky. A further split (all with advantage to black): **12.Qc8+ Ke7 13.Qxh8 (13.Qxc7+ Nd7) 13...Ne4 **12.Kxd2 white's minor pieces get pinned this way: 12...Nd7 13.e6 Nf6 14.exf7+ Kxf7 15.Rhf1 Rae8 **12.O-O-O and then: ***12...Bxc3 seems to draw with best play: 13.bxc3 Qxc3 14.Qc8+ Ke7 15.Qxh8 Nf3 16.Kb1 Qb4+ draw with perpetual checks ***12...Nc6 could be winning for black. It avoids tricks with e6 (as black could then castle queen-side), and prevents Qc8+. Then: 13.Kxd2 g6 14.Qg5 O-O favours black in my view. _________________________ *C3c] 11.Kxd2 Qxd4 gives 3 possibilities: **12.a3 perhaps the best. It is still unclear to me. Then 12...Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Qc5 14.e6 (or 14.Rhf1!?) O-O 15.exf7+ Rxf7 16.Bxh7+ Kf8 17.Qe2 (17.Qh5 Rf2+) 17...Nd7 18.Rhf1 Nf6 19.Bg6 Re7 **12.e6 O-O looks good for black **12.Rhf1 (the most likely of all variations in OTB games) O-O 13.Rae1 Nc6 and black has the advantage (he can continue with Rae8 attacking e5 or play g6 when necessary). So, that is all for now. As I said, these variations are not yet perfect (I am not a strong player). I appreciate any improvements (especially in variation C3c with 12.a3, the only one in fact which may keep 8.Bd3 playable for white). Let me know what you think. Thanks a lot, feb
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