The Damiano Defence 
(Knight Capture):
Black’s Worst Choice
By
Michael Quigley
 
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5
 
 
 
Although, not technically Black’s
worst choice (3…g5 is mate in 5) it is
bad enough to have this title, for
Black’s first move after our initial
position.
 
White responds with an immediate
check on the Black King.
 
4.Qh5+
 
Black has 2 options:
•  4…g6 blocking the check section
1.1).
•  4….Ke7 moving the King out of
check (section 1.2).
 
Despite Black’s choice, White should
play the same move.
 
5.Qxe5+
 
1.1
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+
g6 5.Qxe5+
 
 
 
At best, this move losses the Black
player the exchange (a Rook for a
Knight).
 
Black has four options:
•  5…Qe7 – blocking with the Queen
•  5…Ne7 – blocking with King’s the
Knight
•  5…Be7 – blocking with the King’s
Bishop
•  5…Kf7 – moving the King out of
check 
We will now examine these four
options in the order they are listed
above.
 
1.1.1
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+
g6 5.Qxe5+ Qe7
 
 
 
If Black chooses to block with the
Queen White should take the Rook, as
any Queen exchange favours Black.
 
6.Qxh8
 
 
 
This is the 3rd
 Queen move (4.Qh5,
5.Qxe5+, 6.Qxh8) in the thematic
move order for White, which we will
see repeated in the other defences after
Black plays 3…fxe5 and 4…g6.  Any
resulting position after these two
moves is a winning position for White. 
White is a Rook and two Pawns up for
the loss of a Knight. 
 
Black cannot trap the White Queen and
capturing the pawn on e4 with check
allows White to capture the h7 pawn
and create an escape route for his
Queen.  Both of these are analysed
further below.
 
Analysis
Black cannot trap the White Queen,
because after the moves  6…Nf6 7.d3
the White Queen’s Bishop can come to
Bg5 allowing the White Queen to
escape.
 
 
 Analysis
The second option open to Black is to
try to re-gain some material by taking
the White pawn on e4 with check.
 
6…Qxe4+ forces  7.Kd1 due to the
fork on the g2 pawn.  Now, Black has
to either move his King’s Knight
(7…Ne7 8.Qxh7) 
 
 
 
Or protect the Knight (7…Qe6
8.Qxh7).
 
 
 
Although, White has lost the ability to
castle and is behind in development his
material advantage should win this
game comfortably.
 
1.1.2
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+
g6 5.Qxe5+ Ne7
 
 
 
Black takes his King out of check by
blocking with the Knight.
 
However, White can go material up
and hold a winning position.
 
6.Qxh8
 
 
 White will be looking to bring his
Bishop to h6 to put pressure on the f8
Bishop or remove the pawn on h7. 
The White Queen cannot be captured.
 
1.1.3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+
g6 5.Qxe5+ Be7
 
 
 
Here Black chooses to give White
more material to go with his won
Knight-Rook exchange.
 
6.Qxh8
 
 
 
And the Knight is  lost to any move,
except a King move, because White
can play his bishop to c4 and stop the
King defending the Knight.
 
6…Kf7 7.Bc4+ d5
 
 
 
Forced, because 7…Ke8 (7…Kf8
8.Qxg8#) 8.Qxg8+ 9.Bf8 Qf7#.
 
8.Bxd5 Be6 (8…Ke8 9.Qxg8+) 
 
9.Qxh7+ Kf6 10.Bxb7
 
 
After examining all three possible
blocking manoeuvres, to get the Black
King out of check we can easy surmise
that Black loses material without any
real compensation.
 
Black’s fourth and final option is to
move the King out of check.
 
1.1.4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+
g6 5.Qxe5+ Kf7
 
 
 
Black places his King in a position
where he has no escape square.  White
needs to exploit this fact rather than
snatch of the Rook on the h8.
 
6.Bc4+ d5 7.Bxd5+ 
 
 
 
Analysis
Black’s moves are forced and he must
now give up his Queen with 7…Qxd5
8.Qxd5+ or suffer mate in 9, which
follows the forced moves  7…Be6
8.Qxe6+ Kg7 9.Qf7+ Kh6 10.d3+
Qg5 11.Bxg5+ Kxg5 12.h4+ Kh5
(12…Kh6 13.Qxf8+ Kh5 14.Qf4 Nf6
(can be any move) 15.Qg5#) 13.Qf4
Bb4+ 14.Ke2 Nf6  (can be any move)
15.Qg5#
 
 
 
From this analysis, we can see that
Black should not block the check from
4.Qh5+ with 4…g6.  Now we will
examine what happens when Black moves his King out of check with
4…Ke7.
 
1.2
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 f6 3.Nxe5 fxe5 4.Qh5+
Ke7
 
 
 
Analysis shows that the move 4…Ke7
is worse for Black than 4…g6.
 
Again, White takes the e5 pawn with
check, forcing Black’s reply.
 
5.Qxe5+ Kf7 6.Bc4+ d5
 
 
 
Black is forced give up material with
the move 6…d5 or suffers a forced
mate, analysed below.
 
Analysis
Black’s other option is mate in 11 with
the best moves played.  6…Kg6
7.Qg5+ Kh6 8.h4 Qe7 9.d3+ g5
10.Bd2 d5 11.hxg5+ Kg7 12.Bc3+
Nf6 13.gxf6+ Kf7 14.Qh5+ Kg8
15.Qxd5+ Be6 16.Qxe6+ Qxe6+
17.Bxe6#
 
 
 
7.Bxd5+ Kg6
Black now has an escape square, but
White has a winning position.
 
8.h4
A great move setting up many lines of
attack: leaving Black’s position lost.
 
 
8…h5
Or the move 8…h6 are Black’s best
options, giving up the Rook on a8, but
providing escape squares for the
struggling King.
 
9.Bxb7
 
 
 
Black’s best move is  9…Bd6 where
White should play  10.Qa5 for
maximum advantage.
 
 
 
Analysis
If Black does take  on b7 there is a
forced mate in 8.
 
9…Bxb7 10.Qf5+ Kh6 11.d4+ g5
12.Qf7 Bb4+ 13.c3 Bxc3+ 14.bxc3
Bxe4 15.hxg5+ Qxg5 16.Rxh5#
 
 
 
From this chapter we can clearly see
that Black’s immediate re-capturing of
the White Knight, with the move
3…fxe5, will lead to either a quick
victory for White or a middlegame
were White has both material and
positional advantages.