Yes, after Black plays ...Nf6 White wants to exchange and double the pawns. If Black does not play ..Nf6 he has to commit his Qside before developing his Kside, which one could argue is fundamentally more unsound than 2.Bg5.
The sequence that always gets played here is 2...h6 3.Bh4 c6 4.e3 Qb6 5.Qc1 Bf5. This is totally equal objectively, but anyone playing 2.Bg5 no doubt has a lot of experience dealing with the position.
I'm sure a lot of books shun it without an extra thought but in reality White is probably fine. I read somewhere that ...f6 lines were getting it in trouble though.
The problem I had with it when I played tromp was that even if your opponent does play Nf6, the Bxf6 dxc6 is already =.
intersting opening
I'm sure a lot of books shun it without an extra thought but in reality White is probably fine. I read somewhere that ...f6 lines were getting it in trouble though.
I reckon 2...f6 gives Black a good game. After 3. Bh4 Black has 3... Nh6! (the knight is coming to f5 and White needs to have a response to ... h5 etc.). After 3. Bf4 there is 3... Nc6 4. Nf3 g5 (or 4... Bf5) 5. Bg3 g4 6. Nh4 e5.
Does anybody know the merits behind this move? Looks like an effort to make the game have a more Trompowski-like feel. 1. d5 d5 2. Bg5