Good to see someone play the g6 line of the Scotch. It has been made into an entirely valid defensive system for black by Keres. I play it as well and am doing excellent shop with it - even against players who prepare.

I had a game this weekend that leads to a question.

In Dangerous Weapons: 1 e4 e5, the section on Livening up the Three Knights and Scotch, I have a question about the timing of Nxc6.

Columbia Open, Round 4
W: Adam Shaw (1820)
B: Patrick McCartney (2042)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 and now, Emms, Flear, and Greet give the following 2 sidelines (lines b and e after 7.Qd2) in the book:

A) 7.Be2 they deem harmless after 7...O-O 8.O-O-O Re8 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bf3 etc.

B) 7.Nxc6 they say that 7...bxc6 8.e5 and recommend 8...Ng8 as they say that Black doesn't have compensation for the pawn sacrifice after 8...Nd5 9.Nxd5 cxd5 10.Qxd5 Rb8 11.O-O-O O-O 12.c3.

So that said, my opponent plays:

7.Be2 O-O and NOW 8.Nxc6, so after 8.bxc6, he played 9.e5.

Ok, so now what?  Is the pawn sacrifice now sound because he wasted time with Be2 and I'm now castled?  Or do I now have to go to e8, which is an UGLY square for the knight with a White pawn on e5.  Ultimately, I won, but I am not sure of the soundness of what I did, and wonder if anybody has any input on the rest of this game:

9...Nd5 10.Nxd5 cxd5 11.Qxd5 Rb8 12.O-O-O d6 13.Bxa7 Be6 14.Qa5 Qxg5+ 15.Be3 (I thought 15.Kb1 was better, then I thought about maybe just doing 15...Bxe5 and sacrificing yet another exchange) Qxg2 16.b3 Bxe5 17.Rhg1 Qc6 18.Kb1 Ra8 (I believe now White is dead) 19.Qe1 (19.Bb5 Qb7 20.Qb4 c6 drops a piece.  19.Qb5 Qc3 20.Kc1 Qb2+ 21.Kd2 Bc3+ 22.Kd3 Bf5+ 23.Kc4 Qxc2 and the King Hunt wins for Black) Rxa2 20.Bc4 (All moves lose anyway.  20.Kxa2 leads to mate in 5 down the a-file after a check, 3 useless interposes, and mate, while the only move to block the diagonal, 20.c3, is completely useless as well.) Ra1#

So ultimately, is this pawn sacrifice ok in this line, unlike if White took on c6 a move sooner?  Or do moves like 15.Kb1 kill it, and Black has to go to e8?