Bishop's Opening: Calabrese Countergambit

It's black's move.   What would you do?

Resign, based on the fact I had a momentary lapse in brainpower and played 2... f5?!

Assuming that's not correct, how about 3... d6

f4 seems best to me.

I did play Nf6, and here is the reply by white.   It's black's move. 

I think d6 was better. It prevents what white played next (Qxf5) and if exf5, THEN Nf6 and black is better off than in this position....

In the second diagram Black has two choices ...d6 and ...Nc6--I would probably play the Knight move first as it is non committal and force White to respond ...d5

Here's the position currently.   It's black's move.

Looks like d5 wins the bishop.

sure does!

is this a live game that is ongoing? If so, analysis should only be given after the game is over.

He hasn't played any games yet.

Wow, this is a crazy line you're inquiring into. It's never been played before either according to the Explorer! But after d5 Black should have a pretty easy game, being up a whole Bishop for a pawn and a bit weakened position. Doesn't look like anything White could exploit given that his light Bishop will be gone!

Yes, white's move of his queen to f3 deviates from the Calabrese countergambit opening.  That's why I posted this.

You guys are pretty funny "momentary lapse of brain power and played f5?!"  This gambit is not all that bad; it's much safer than the Latvian and quite dangerous.  The best White can hope for if s/he takes the pawn is to play the black side of the Cunningham Defense to the King's Gambit.  1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 3. exf5 Nf6 4. Be2 etc... when white is not up a tempo because the Bishop moved twice... it's just well known King's Gambit theory where the players have "switched sides" ... if that bishop retreat seems premature keep in mind d5 is coming.  If White is aiming for the Cunningham setup White can certainly wait till the Bishop is hit with d5 to play it back to e2, the move order doesn't matter much.  If White is aiming for more other King's Gambit setups s/he will have bigger problems actually ending up a move behind.  I played quite a bit of Blitz with this opening last night, White kept taking the pawn and play g4, attempting to transpose to a King's Gambit "up a tempo" not realizing s/he was actually ending up down a tempo.  Here is a regular King's Gambit Accepted 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 and here if White decides to play d4 (which is not a great move but I'm suggesting it here for argument) it would be Black's move.  If White could play d4 for free of course White would be better.  In analogous position in the Calabrese (the position White was aiming for against me last night) 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 3. exf5 Nf6 4. g4 d5 (and White has to retreat the Bishop) if White goes all the way back to f1 with the idea of redeploying the bishop to g2 continuing to play Black in the King's gambit, it's Black's move, we've actually transposed exactly to a regular KGA accepted line with a whole extra tempo for the gambiteer.  The thing is White doesn't have any better retreats other than e2 which I mentioned early only turns white into black and black into white in the KGA Cunningham Defense which is certainly not a refutation of the King's Gambit.  If White plays a retreat like Bb3 instead that piece is not useful and Black is still more or less up a tempo in a regular King's Gambit line, moves like Bc5 will come with the extra free move I was hosing my opponted pretty regularly.  Basically as long as White players are tempted to play exf5 this will be a very good gambit. 

Of course White has better moves than exf5.  If Nf3 Black should probably play the move some of these posters are looking to play, d6, and transpose into a safe line of the Philidor Countergambit where Black seems to be perfectly fine... not great, but ok.  D3 might be a better move when White really is playing black in a King's Gambit up a whole tempo... In the King's Gambit DECLINCED the Bishop does belong on c5, so playing white DECLINING the gambit with the Bishop already on c4 just gains a whole move.  White is certianly a little better here.  I haven't had much trouble eventually equalizing when White plays this on me though.  Michael Groeller has some analysis up where he suggests f4 might be White's best response based on the philosphies that symtrical positions up a tempo are good for the first player and opening the position with the Bishop aggressively developed is a great idea.  I've very rarely ever 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 3. f4 and have had some problems when I have seen it. Long story short, sure 2. f5!? is not a great move, but it's probably sound and certainly playable.  The thing to learn is that moves like exf5 shouldn't scare you naysayers away.  This is exactly what Black wants.  Black has an excellent game if White "takes the bait."

In the odd line above White is attempting to play the Norwalder Defense to the KGA "up a tempo" ...The Norwalder Defense is not a great defense to begin with, and up a tempo is still in quotes because White will still have problems with the misplaced bishop in this line and end up actually playing something much more like the Norwalder Defense down a tempo.  3... d6 is probably playable, but 3. Nf6 seems obviously like the best move.  Of course the anti-positional move Qxf4, which is pretty much the only point of moving the queen to f3 must be good for Black.  It's not surprising this game turned out like it did.