Picklepuss Defense

The Picklepuss Defense, 1. e4 h5 2. d4 Nf6, adds an Alekhine-style knight attack on e4 to the Goldsmith Defense, but the early h-pawn advance contributes little in that kind of structure. The most common reply, 3. e5, gains space by driving the knight away. 3. Nc3 is nearly as frequent and defends the pawn while developing, and 3. Bd3 is a rarer alternative. Engines give White a clear advantage, and White scores well in online games.