fling wrote on 07/24/11 at 18:46:22:
Therefore, let's start with 4 ...Nd4, or? I have never analyzed that move, but both 5. Ba4 and 5. exf5 looks interesting.
It's OK with me, especially as this shows the dangers White has to beware of. Before you know White defends against a KG with colours reversed. A classical example is
Marjanovic,S - Parma,B [C63]
Yugoslavia, 1979
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.Nc3 Nd4 5.Ba4 Nf6 6.Nxe5 Bc5 7.0-0 0-0 8.exf5 d5 9.Ne2 Qd6 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.Nf3 Ng4 12.g3 Bxf2+ 13.Rxf2 Nxf2 14.Kxf2 Bxf5 15.d4 Be4 16.Bf4 Rxf4 17.gxf4 Qxf4 18.Qe2 Rf8 19.Rf1 Qxh2+ 20.Ke1 Qg3+ 21.Kd2 Rxf3 22.Rxf3 Qxf3 23.Qb5 h5 24.Qxb7 h4 25.Qxc7 Qf2+ 0-1
5.Bc4 is to be preferred. It scores excellently. 5...d6 basically is a lame version of the King's Gambit Declined with colours reversed. 5...Nf6 6.0-0 and 6.d3 is no problem either. So 5.Bc4 c6 remains. GM Sax played 6.Bxg8 in Las Palmas 1978 while 6.0-0 should be good too. For our purpose we can stop here, I think.
4...Nf6 must be studied in relation with 4...Nd4. Black's idea is to reach that Parma game (or something similar) by transposition: 5.exf5 Bc5 6.o-o o-o 7.Nxe5 Nd4 8.Ba4. White should deviate somewhere, but I find it hard to decide where exactly. Options are 8.Nf3, 8.Bd3, 7.Bxc6 and 6.Qe2. Anyone?
Edit: Well, me myself. I glanced through my notes, checked the game Smailbegovic-Maric, Sombor 1957. 8.Nf3 Nxb5 9.Nxb5 d5 (I always have thought that the pair of Bishops should offer some compensation) 10.Nbd4 Ng4 11.h3 Ne5 12.Nxe5 Bxd4 13.Nf3 Bb6 and according to Rybka White can afford 14.g4 (iso White's 14.d4) Qf6 15.d4 as Bxf5 16.gxf5 Qxf5 17.Ne5 idea 18.Qg4 holds no danger at all.
If we are going with the most critical, I'd suggest 5.exf5 anyway, since it is quite critical and Sokolov thinks that "5. Bc4 is not that dangerous". The piece sac after 5 ...c6 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5 Ke7 8.0-0 is pretty grim for Black. I noticed a game in this line in MegaDatabase with pretty messy play, but Sokolov's variation 8...dxc3 9 d4!! seems like good for White and lots of fun!