RdC wrote on 01/15/20 at 09:13:59:

I found this happening to me a lot when i first started playing online just over a year ago.

Gallagher doesnt appear to have covered the line in his book, just one game with 2...d6 which he says is likely to be played by Philidor devotees and white has no difficulty in reaching a pleasant position (example he gives has black play Nd7 and Ngf6.)

Shaw's book gives 3...Nc6 4. Bb5 Bg4 5.0-0 exf4 6. d4 a6 7. Bxc6+ bxc 8. Bxf4 Nf6 9. Nc3 (+=). Kamsky - Mamedyarov internet blitz 2006.

Again, his main analysis for 2...d6 is against a philidor set up.

I didnt see it in my book by Neil McDonald.

an ordinary chessplayer wrote on 01/15/20 at 13:12:12:


Computer engines tend not to agree, as Black can play .. Bd7 and White doesn't have the Bishop on the dangerous for Black a2 to g8 diagonal.

Zude and Hickl thought it worth analysing. Any other sightings?

If you happen to be watching chess played at the 1600 level and you see a Kings Gambit punted, more often than not Black will just defend with 2. .. d6 . If 3. Nf3, Black's idea could be to transpose to the Fischer Defence by 3. .. exf4, but at that level it usually isn't. The game will probably continue on the lines of 1. e4 e5 2. f4 d6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bg4 6. d3. Black has to be alert to fxe5, Bxf7+, Nxe5+ tricks, but giving up the white square Bishop with Bg4xf3 defuses this. It is after all a mirror of similar play in the Queens Gambit.

Checking this against engines indicates that they have a higher opinion of Black's play than conventional wisdom. Has any author written up any serious study of best play for both sides?