A New Variation of the Scotch?

This game was played against Fritz 10 at 75'99. The main alternative to move four for White is: 4.dxe5 fxe5 5.Bc4 Qe7 6.Ng5 Nd8 7.O-O Nf6 8.Nc3 c6 9.Qd3 d6 +/=

This definately refutes the Scotch, after all, you did manage to push every pawn atleast one square.

Lol that is pretty much what I did as soon as I saw black play 3...f6?.

    The general consensus is that f6 is a bad idea. Tell that to Fritz 10; it recommends 5...f6 in this position. While White has a slight plus as is true of most sound White openings, the middlegame is extraordinarily complicated with good opportunities to go wrong. The fact that a 2750 computer can navigate complex middlegames is no surprise. Many players of the Rat, Pirc or Hippo when they suffer from a spatial deficit will get ground down by Fritz every time. Here, at least, Black can play actively, which at the practical level of almost any player, is certainly a reasonable goal for the second

 player.

Lol seriously Qe7 followed by Nd8 and f6 is just stupid. First of all you are blocking in your king's bishop for no reason, second of all you are undeveloping a piece to the back rank, and third of all the king's knight's best square is taken away by a pawn. Black's best move is 3...exd4 followed by either 4...Nf6 or 4...Bc5 if white recaptures. This will always be the best move. I have fritz 10 BTW and I would not trust it's evaluations of opening positions at all. For example, after 1.e4 c5 it already gives white as clearly better.

     My idea is to create novelties that require considerable thought by both sides. Black could easily work out the complications in analysis prior to the game and meet any deviation as a probable mistake by White. As the game showed, would you like to meet this over-the-board with the clock ticking when you have to start thinking by move 4 particularly with fast time limits? The idea is to force blunders in time pressure later. Clearly the simple 3.d5 gives White a nice spatial edge, but like many White centers Black chips away with c6.

     If you don't like maneuvering in a cramped position, I suggest you broaden your repertoire; you conveniently overlook the patient maneuvering that Fritz did instead of rushing the attack. It implicity suggests that players who "rush" to attack may actually squander their spatial edge e.g. prematurely capturing on c6, certainly a candidate move for those who like to "attack". Fritz spent as much time maneuvering as Black did. Why is the meaure of the soundness of an opening that it doesn't require maneuvering?

Lasker said if we want to improve in chess we shouldnt make a habit of playing with weaker players. I wonder what he would have said about taking their advice ?