2...Nf6 is fairly unambitious, but I do not know any line where white can claim an advantage.
Both 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.d3 Nc5 5.fe5 d5 6.d4 Ne6 (Shaw uses his own game against Crouch as an example) and 3.fe5 Nxe4 4.Nf3 Be7 give Black very little to worry about (if anything), and 3.Nc3 is a Vienna.
The king's gambit is not the right opening to search for an objective white advantage.

Regarding 2...Nf6, I think the traditional book thing has been to cite Fischer-Wade as leading to +=.

ErictheRed wrote on 04/02/14 at 05:52:28:


I cant remember for definite, but i think i saw this line in Gallaghers book. May have involved white exchanging on e5 and then chasing/trapping the knight somehow while developing.

RdC wrote on 04/01/14 at 20:02:25:


Some footballers have fallen over when taking penalties. But it is not recommended practice.

kylemeister wrote on 04/01/14 at 17:22:31:


Search a big database. The sequence 1. e4 e5 2. f4 g5 has been played and not just on 1st April.

RdC wrote on 04/01/14 at 16:13:56:


What development?  What activity?  That's the question.  What useful thing could the queen possibly do on g6?  Black does better to pass on move two, or play 1.e4 e6 2.f4 e5, than to play 1.e4 d5 2.f4 g5?.  At least in the first case he can meet 3.fxe5 with 3...Qh4+.  

2...g5? is just a terrible move.  I honestly can't think of a worse one (except 2...Ba3), in fact it's the only way to blunder the e5-pawn on this move.  This is an early April Fools joke, surely.

kylemeister wrote on 03/31/14 at 23:40:02:


Well, it's his move, I suppose.

Not sure Hebs still plays the Cunningham, TopNotch. I remember noticing a game of his some time fairly recently when he was playing something else, though I forget what.

ErictheRed wrote on 03/26/14 at 18:35:13:


Yeah that does appear to be the case - despite it doing relatively well in the few practical recorded games I could find, white blundered in all of them where black did well.  Often at move 3 taking the wrong pawn.  Looking over some games and engine analysis, initially I could not believe it was quite as bad as engines were suggesting and thought there must be some horizon effect strangeness going on.  But after more lengthy analysis and review of games where black won - it looks like what can be said for the opening is that it surprises white and can give white some rope with which to hang themselves.   They will only hang themselves once though.