Diamiono Defence

Pacman, the line has been already discussed in earlier posts: 4...d5 is better than Qxe4+ and W get only a slight advantage. Bc4 instead gives B serious problems in coordinating his forces. It's a quieter move but also more effective. Nxe5 looks dynamic but eliminates both the e-pawns, allowing B to play d5 with a decemt development.

Yeah. 5. Nc3 is wrong. I was thinking the position after playing d3.

Now, random idea: Now that the d-pawns are gone, why not blocking the check with the Bc8 instead of the Bf8?

Either variation is still extremely favorable for white. The 7. Be3 line (not available with the immediate 4... Qxe4) seems somewhat better than the line with 7. Be2. If black doesn't play 7... Bb4+ immediately, white may play 8. Nc3 or 8. Nbd2, kicking the queen anyways (if 8... Bb4??, pinning the knight, white wins the bishop by playing a3 and b4 if the knight is in c3, and c3 if the kinght is in b2).

Again, please read the previous posts. A game has been given where B plays Bf5 instead of the ugly Bb4+, attacking the c-pawn and thus developing with tempo. 

That said Nxe5 certainly gives W a very pleasant game , but the quieter Bc4 illustrates how is rarely a good idea to counter an unusual opening with a direct tactical assault. Just play Bc4! and get a stable positional advantage.

I believe that in this provocative defense, the White is not able to get a big advantage, but will have to settle. The secret of the black is: keep active the pieces! For example:

I thought of Bb4 as a way to develop and prevent white from kicking away the queen so much easily, but it may as well be unnecesary. Qb4 will lose further time, and white will likely end up with a dangerous attack.

The point is that, while 4... d4 eases black's development, it eases white's development as well, and white will eventually get the better position.

About 3. Bc4, I think it's a good move too, but 3. Nxe5 directly refutes the very point of playing 2... f6, and white gets a very good position as well. Deciding which one is stronger will require some analysis, but both moves work.

Wow Bobinsky, what an aggressive line! 

I have some doubts: Why is W playing 6.a4 instead of something like d4? I would have tought that 6...Na5 is not really a threat if W continues with 7.Be2 with a nice lead in development and black having a silly N on a5. But maybe your argument is that B is solid enough here.

Also isn't 6...g5 just asking for a more aggressive approach with d4 rather than d3? i mean, the old saying "meet a flank attack in the centre" might be appropriate here.

True Nxe5 is directed against the very essence of 2...f6?!, but it also let B dissolve che central tension immediately and so he can play d5! with unusual ease for an open game. B is not worried anymore by the c4-g8 diagonal since he can now castle queenside fast, and so W has traded a persistent positional advantage for a lead in development. Not bad of course  but it feels to me like B has less problems than after Bc4.

A game played between Rybka 4.1 (White) and Leopard 0.7a (Black; an experimental engine, still in beta test):

In this position, here is the "opinion" of some strong chess engines:

Deep Rybka 4.1 -->+0.34

Houdini 1.5a --> +0.13

LEOpard 0.7a --> +0.22

The advantage of White is very minimal!

@bresando: after 6.d4 Black play 6... Bg4! and ends quietly the development. For ex: 7.d5 Nd4! or 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Be3 Qxd1 9.Rfxd1 a6! or 7.Be3 Bxf3!

I repeat: not the white gets a big advantage, but must play slowly and systematically.

Hmmm, i see. I still wonder if W has something better than a4...

Abd regarding my idea of meeting 6...g5 with 7.d4?

It seems to me good... But even here black has sufficient defensive resources:

6... g5 7.d4! g4! followed by 8... Nxd4.

A year ago, I used this defense in several correspondence chess games, even against strong players... The result: 12 games, 8 draws and 4 victory!

You are stronger and more prepared no doubt 

Returning to the first moves, what about a slightly different approach with 4.d4 instead of Nc3? Looks like B has to play the undesiderable 4...exd4. Then i wonder about something like 5.0-0 and 6.c3!?, offering a rather hot pawn. If black accepts then it looks like an improved danish gambit, and in general W should have interesting play once the position became open.

Mine (Houdini 1.5) prefers 10.Nd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 (or Qe5) 12.Qc4 (on either move) with advantage to white.

I know of quite a few not-so-good openings with the name Damiano, like this one:

Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought white wins a pawn by force?

No, B wins back his pawn but remains worse after dxe5 dxe5! 7.Qxd5?! is a mistake.

Right, i just saw the windmill and decided for it but your move is faster. Theory says W best is dxe5! with a stable plus despite material equality.

Its the Petroff, and it is playable, though capturing the pawn after White isn't recommended, the main lines are d6, , and at some point, Nxe4

bad

Whats bad?