CraigEvans wrote on 01/29/09 at 19:25:45:
As far as I can see, the 6.Bc4 line is still busted. I am a huge fan of Stefan Bucker, but he very often skips over or ignores completely lines which go against his articles or suggestions, and with his Over The Horizons article (that gave me so much hope that I might be able to play 3.Nf3 with some confidence) there is sadly no change from this pattern.
After 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.d4 O-O! [8...Nh5 transposes in the next move, but I think this is more accurate] 9.Nc3 [Else 9.Bxf4? Nh5! and black is already getting the upper hand] Nh5 10.Ne2 and now Bucker gives 10...Qe7 an '?', giving 11.Nxf4 Nxf4 and yadda, yadda, yadda...
However, after 11.Nxf4, 11...Ng3! seems to give white a huge headache. Maybe I'm missing something. Mayble Rybka is missing something. But neither me nor my trusty cyber-friend are able to find much to keep white afloat here. The only shot seems to be 12.Ne6!, but after 12...fxe6 13.Qxg4+ Qg7 14.dxe6 Qxg4 15.Nxg4 b5!!, white just seems busted to me, with a guaranteed material disadvantage and black's pieces swarming rather nicely. Even if the Rf1 survives, it's gonna be embarrassed... And white's alternatives on move 12 seem even less prospectful.
I hope one of you can point out in which way I'm being an idiot this time, but sadly I fear that the hope over 6.Bc4 is very short-lived. Any ideas?
I also think you're right - not in being an idiot of course
- but in your variations.
Actually 8...0-0 is thought to be inaccurate since it allows 9.Bxf4 Nh5 10.g3 f6 11.Nxg4, in addition to the transposition 9.Nc3 Nh5.
If I recall correctly, Bücker mentioned in his ChessCafe article that certain "experts" disgreed with him in recommending 10.Ne2, preferring instead 10.Ne4.
There is a greatly expanded version of the Over the Horizons article in the recent Kaissiber 33, which contains exactly the refutation (11...Ng3! etc) of 10.Ne2 that you mention, and includes analysis of 10.Ne4 - here White seems to hold the balance, as well as 7...Bg7, 6.Nxg4 and 6.d4. On top of that there is a nice article by Henk Smout on a number of variations after 5...Nf6.
I have also looked at all these lines and came to the conclusion that 8...0-0 9.Bxf4 is playable
8...Nh5 9.Nc3 0-0 (or 8...0-0 9.Nc3 Nh5) 10.Ne4 is about equal (this line was discussed here on Chesspub in October), while 10.Ne2 is clearly better for Black. The alternatives as move 11 are dismissed in Kaissiber 33, including 11.0-0 f3!, 11.Bxf4, 11.Qd3, and 11.Bd3.
I would suggest the line 10.Ne4 f5 11.Ng5 needs serious testing.