Ruy Lopez 3...Bc5

I have been playing 3...Bc5 as Black in the Ruy Lopez for years, and it has usually gone well, until I recently played the following game as Black. 

I've been pondering what I did wrong in this game.  Obviously I should not have played 8...Nxf2.  So what should I have played instead at move #8? 8...Bxf2+ would have been just as bad after 9.Kd1 and Black cannot simutaneously defend the knight and g7 (e.g. 9...Qh4 10.Qxg7 Rf8 11.Bh6).  Therefore, the blunder must have happened earlier. 

Let's back up the position to 5.d4.  Black has two options: Take the pawn or retreat the bishop.  If Black takes the pawn, 5...exd4 6.cxd4 Bb6 and white's central pawns will attack the knights.  So Black plays 5...Bb6.  After 6.Nxe5, Black cannot trade knights.  Black also cannot play 6...Nxe4, because White will be up a pawn in the following line:

Is there any way Black can defend after 6.Nxe5?

Thanks.

I like it!

...and Black is up a pawn!

I don't have to worry about the queen pin either!

I'm sure there's some way for White to avoid losing the pawn, but it doesn't look easy.  Thanks for the idea!

(Did I make any mistakes there?)

simply 6.e5, the most played move . Then either ne4 and Nd5 are playable, with a somewhat alekhine-like position for black. White is probably a bit better but still it's reasonable for black, and very low on theory. I always wondered why so little people play Bc5.

You also need to consider 5.O-O, intending d4 on the next move after having ruled the Bb4+ defence out. This trasposes to the so called classical berlin defence (the usual move order would be 3...Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.c3 ).It's a reliable line which however requires you to learn a couple of sharp forcing variation.

8...Bxf2+ is the sole good move, although Black has a few problems to solve after the right reply 9.Ke2!

9.Kd1 (Ivan Sokolov in his Ruy book considers it as a refutation of the Black plan) is IMHO not that good, but I won't bother telling why right now. I have analysed this position quite a bit, and I am pretty sure 9.Ke2! is the move to beat.

Anyway, 6.Nxe5! is clearly best, and the only reason the Classical defence (3...Bc5) is not a clean equalizer.

I have toyed a bit with the 4.c3 f5 old gambit line, but now I believe that white enjoys a clear advantage, and the line is to be avoided.

4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 ed4 is positionally inconsistent. Instead of 6.cd4?! white gets a very dangerous initiative with 6.e5!

8. Qg4f5 - Be  careful after f5

10.Qxg7 Rf8 11.Bh6 Bc5 12.Nd2 has been played many times. Black has tried 12...Qf2+, 12...c6 and 12...Nf2, but apparently he's not in a good shape (although the position is fairly complex). Again I will decline offering more analysis, though.

8.Qg4 f5? 9.Qxg7 is just losing for Black, I'm afraid I cannot see the point. Godena's 11.Qxh7 is not bad at all, but after 11.Bh6 Bc5 12.Qxh7 Black may pack and go home (exchange and pawn down for no compensation).

I did not see the defense 11...Bc5 to protect the rook.  Now that I've been shown that, the position does not look as hopeless for Black as I thought.  But still, White's position looks better to me. 

I'll think more carefully about the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5.  I am worried about 6...Ne4 7.Qe2 as well as 6...Nd5 7.cxd4.  Once again I feel that Black has no satisfactory response to 5.d4.