But there are 798 games in ChessBase's 2023 Mega database with the seemingly outrageous 2...c6!?, which, at least for a while, is the top choice of the analysis engine Komodo14.1.
Strong grandmasters, ie those with a rating above 2600, have tried it, including Egypt's Ahmed Adly, Uzbeki-American Timur Garyev, and Russia's Daniil Dubov (he was 2710 at the time, beating a 2581 in 24 moves, albeit at blitz), Vladimir Fedoseev and Kiril Alekseenko.
Those who have lost to it include Alekhine and Carlsen.
OK, Alexander Alekhine's loss came in a simul, and the Carlsen who lost was Ellen, not her better-known brother Magnus.
Even so, for a move that I suspect most players would not know existed in serious play, it has a reasonable pedigree.
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| How should White proceed? |
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The question of how White should proceed is not entirely facetious - quite a few titled players have dodged the bullet by 'wimping out' with 3.d4, 3.Nc3, 3.c4 and even 3.d6?!
Nevertheless the critical test is 3.dxc6, to which 3...Nxc6 is overwhelmingly most popular, although other moves have been played, including in Alekhine's loss (I will come to that later).
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| What has Black got for a pawn? |
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At first glance it might be thought all Black has is a tempo for development and two half-open files against White's one.
But Black also has, or will very soon have, more space in the centre.
The point is White cannot play 4.d4, so in practice the normal continuation is 4.Nf3, whereupon Black has 4...e5.
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| The chances are good of reaching this position |
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White has three popular continuations.
A) 5.d3
This appeared in the oldest game in Mega23 to reach the last diagram, Beniamino Vergani - Joseph Blackburne, Hastings 1895.
White prevents ...e4 and prepares to get on with development, trusting in the long-term advantage of having an extra pawn.
Blackburne replied 5...f5!? (Fedoseev preferred 5...Bc5 in a 2021 blitz win over fellow-Russian grandmaster Maxim Matlakov), and the game continued 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.g3!? h6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6.
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| Black has the bishop-pair to go with a space advantage, and has full compensation for a pawn, according to Komodo14.1 and Stockfish15.1 (0-1, 48 moves) |
This is Stockfish15.1's top choice. It also prevents ...e4, but without obstructing White's light-square bishop.
Black has two main replies, 5...Bc5 and 5...Nf6.
B1) 5...Bc5
After 6.Bb5 (6.Bc4 is less popular, although the sample size in Mega23 is small) Black can set a little trap with 6...Ne7!?
The point is 7.Nxe5 can be met by 7...Bxf2+ (not 7...Qd4? 8.Qe2) 8.Kxf2 Qd4+ and 9...Qxe5(+) with obvious compensation.
Probably better is 7.0-0, eg 7...0-0 8.d3, which was played in Timothé Razafindratsima (2341) - Pascal Blachon (1969), Cappelle Online Blitz 2021.
The game continued 8...Ng6, but Stockfish15.1 reckons Black could have more-or-less equalised with the aggressive 8...Bg4, which is more in the spirit of the gambit.
B2) 5...Nf6
This is arguably more flexible in that Black can meet 6.Bb5 with 6...Bd6.
White has usually preferred 6.d3, after which the mainline in Mega23 runs 6...Bc5 7.Be2 0-0 8.0-0 h6!? (the engines like this prophylactic move, which is aimed against allowing White easy development of the dark-square bishop).
White can develop the dark-square bishop anyway with 9.Be3!?, although 9...Bxe3 10.fxe3 Qb6 keeps White's advantage to a minimum.
The engines prefer 9.Ne4!?, when 9...Bb6 10.Nxf6+ (the engines fluctuate between this and 10.c3!?) Qxf6 leaves Black a pawn down but with more central space and active play.
C) 5.Bb5
This is the main move, but after 5...Bd6 White scores just 49%.
White usually continues 6.0-0, when 6...Ne7 looks best.
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| This position was reached in the relatively high-level game David Paravyan (2617) - Kamran Shirazi (2311), Chess.com Blitz 2022 |
After the further moves 8.Nxd4 0-0 Paravyan opted to give up the bishop-pair to inflict queenside weaknesses with 9.Bxc6!?
The game continued 9...bxc6 10.Nc3 Nf5!? 11.Nxf5 Bxf5, with Black having full compensation for a pawn, according to the engines, and the game was indeed eventually drawn.
to be continued
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