Korch wrote on 01/01/10 at 14:52:04:



12..Nf6 is impossible, so the Queen is on "f6", so perhaps 12..Qg6 13.Rb1 (or 13.Bb2) then -both- 13..Nf6 etc.


                    And what's about Classical Main line with 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.d4 d6 5.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.f3 exf3 8.Qxf3  ?. In this key position:


                    1a) 8..Nc6 9.Nb5! Bg4 10.Qc3! threating on "c7" was already pointed by Kosten. In his book there are some games with 10..Rc8, 10..0-0-0 and 10..Kd8 all dubtious for Black, but I remember strong CC player Peter Leisebein suggested 10..d5!?; now "natural" 11.Nxc7+?! Kd7 etc. had success as Black in three games, but finally was refuted in a good way in Melchor-Zielinski, corr.,LADAC thema (sf.), 2008/09 with 11.Bd3! etc. 
 
                    1b) 8..Nf6 has been totally discredited by 9.Ne3! ( instead less clear and more known 9.Bd3 ) in later games. White decides to make "g4" unavailable for exchange the Queens, and Black play is totally passive. There are many games with this moves sequence
 
                    1c) 8..Qg4!? is less known and played, buy It was reccomended by myself. Kosten only analyzes 9.Qf2 ( I don't think exchanging Queens is good for White ) 9..Nf6 10.Be2 and now instead of Kosten's 10..Qe6?! I suggest 10..Qg6!?; In this order, THERE ARE NOT ANY GAME still played ( only traspositions, so they are very important ! ). Some examples:
 
                     11.Bd3 Qh5 12.0-0 Be7 (or 12..Nc6) 

                   *13.Ne2 0-0 14.h3 Nc6 15.Nf4 Qe8 (15..Qf7) = Fleischmann-Cano, corr., 1970 by trasposition

                   *13.Be3 0-0 14.h3 (14.Qg3 Nc6 15.Rae1 Bd7=) 14..Nc6 15.Qg3 Be6 = Gaard-Müller, corr., 1988/89 by trasposition 

                   *13.Bf4 0-0 14.h3 Nc6 15.Rae1 Bd7 16.Ne3 White has more space, but Black is solid (Kosten)-- Bergsma-Wijnands, Rotterdam, 1939 by trasposition 1/2-1/2 in 60 moves)

                   *13.Bd2 0-0 14.h3 Nc6 15.Qe3 Bd7 16.Rae1 Rae8 17.Ne2 1/2-1/2 Hewitt-Thornton, 1998, also by trasposition.

                   *13.Bd2 0-0 14.h3 Nc6 15.Rae1 Bd7 followed by ..Rae8 = Knostenbergs-Melchor, corr., 2001/02 (1/2-1/2 in 31 moves)

                    White can try15.Ne3 or Qg3, but they may be met by15..d5.

                    So perhaps White has to try for an improvement earlier. Ideas?, maybe 13.Nb5!?; 11.Ne3!?


                    Last times many players - as I myself - have tested 7..Be7!? to re-evaluate whole variation. Although we have got nice positions after 8.fxe4 Nh6! - or 8..Nc6 and 9..Nh6 -, I'm not sure about it if White plays 8.Nxe4 or 8.Ne3!?
 

Korch wrote on 01/01/10 at 14:32:42:


11.Ne3 Bxc4 12.bxc4!? is not a bit risky with "b" open file? ...

About 7...Be6 - I feel black might face problems after 8.Bc4 Na6 (I don`t see anything better as 8...Bd6 fails to 9.Qe2) 9.Bxa6 bxa6 10.Ne3 Nf6 11.f4!

AMM wrote on 12/30/09 at 02:16:19:


In my opinion 7...Be6 can be played also after 7.Nexd5. 7...c6 seems to be dubious.

P.S. Oops... Buecker has already mentioned 7...Be6 as move he would prefer.   

Korch wrote on 01/01/10 at 12:22:38:


10..Nc6 its is an impossible move, so 7..c6 was played at 7th. move ...

Stefan you gave the line:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qf7 6.Ne3 d5 7.Nexd5 c6 8.Ne3 Nf6 9.f3 Bc5 10.Be2 exf3 11.Bxf3 0-0 12.0-0 

and white is clearly better.

Yes I am on chess.com.  I like the community and the correspondence games.  Probably the only thing of importance I have done there was my work on the Traxler, but that is for another thread.

Ironically enough, I was looking at that exact variation as the only way I could find a solid advantage for white.

Personally, in this variation I would not put my light square bishop on e2 as it has no influence!  In this position white needs to control e4 and e5.  So white needs to play d4 and Bd3.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qf7 6.Ne3 d5 7.Nexd5 c6 8.Ne3 Nf6 9.f3 exf3 10.Qxf3 Be6 11.d4

Now for a sample line

11...Bb4 12.a3 Bxc3+ 13.bxc3 Nbd7 14.Bd3 and white looks strong and can focus their attack on the kingside or queenside depending on where black castles.

Now you mentioned in the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Nf6 as a possibility.  4.Bc4 looks pretty strong to me threatening Nf7 forcing more concessions.

In my investigations, I found that in the line:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qg6 

Instead of 6.d3, 6.Nd5 seems better.

6.Nd5 Kd8 (6...Na6 7.d4 Qf7 8.Nce3 c6 9.Bxa6 cxd5 10.Be2) 7.d4 d6 8.Nf4 Qf7 9.d5