Mayet Attack

The Mayet Attack, 3. Bc4, avoids both 3. Nxe5 and 3. exf5. White ignores the gambit, develops the bishop toward f7 and prepares Nxe5 to add to the pressure on that square. The principled reply is 3...fxe4, when 4. Nxe5 threatens Nf7, forking queen and rook. The old 4...Qg5 counterattacks the knight and g2, and 5. d4 Qxg2 is the Poisoned Pawn Variation, in which 6. Qh5+ g6 7. Bf7+ leads to an open fight around both kings. The Polerio-Svedenborg Variation, 4...d5, is considered more accurate. The Berlin master Carl Mayet reached the position in 1837, and Greco recorded a game in the line from 1620.

Of the alternatives, 3...Nf6, the Morgado Defense, is common in amateur play but regarded as inferior; 3...Nc6 transposes to the Rousseau Gambit of the Italian Game; and 3...b5, the Strautins Gambit, is a rare and dubious try to deflect the bishop from the a2-g8 diagonal. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, Lichess results are close to even, and among the frequent replies 3...fxe4 scores best for Black.