Damiano Variation

The Damiano Variation is Black's immediate recapture 3...Nxe4, skipping the preparatory 3...d6 of the Classical line. It is generally considered an error. The open e-file lets White create discovered threats against the knight on e4 and the uncastled king. The critical reply, 4. Qe2, is by far the most popular, and several natural answers lose at once. After 4...Nf6?? 5. Nc6+, the queen falls. After 4...d6? 5. Nxf7, Black drops a pawn and the right to castle. The best defense is 4...Qe7, the Kholmov Gambit. After 5. Qxe4 d6 6. d4 dxe5 7. dxe5 Nc6, Black regains the piece but is a pawn down. Following 8. Nc3 Qxe5 9. Qxe5+ Nxe5 10. Nb5, White keeps a modest edge in the endgame.

Other fourth moves are less testing. The trappy 4. Qf3 is met safely by 4...Nf6 or 4...Ng5, and 4. d4 d6 5. Nf3 transposes to the Classical Attack. The line goes back to Pedro Damiano's early printed chess manual. Engines give White a slight advantage, and White scores heavily in online games.