McDonnell Attack

With 1. e4 c5 2. f4 White advances the f-pawn before developing any pieces. The aim is a kingside attack in the spirit of the King's Gambit, with the d-pawn kept at home rather than used to open the center. The line is also called the Grand Prix Attack, and Wikibooks describes it as an accelerated form of that system. The name recalls Alexander McDonnell, who chose 2. f4 many times against La Bourdonnais in their 1834 matches. The fourteenth game of the London series, won by Black, is the one usually credited for the name.

Playing f4 before Nc3 leaves d5 unguarded, and Black can strike there at once. The Tal Gambit, 2...d5 3. exd5 Nf6, is regarded by Silman and others as Black's best reply, and 2...d5 is also the engine's top choice. After 4. Nc3 Nxd5 5. Nxd5 Qxd5 Black has the pawn back and is ahead in development. If White declines with 3. e5, Black develops the light-squared bishop with ...Bf5 before playing ...e6. This gives a French-type structure in which the usual problem bishop already stands outside the pawn chain. A third option, 3. Nc3, is known as the Toilet Variation, a name said to refer to the place where it was devised.

Because of these lines the immediate 2. f4 has declined in popularity. Most players now reach the Grand Prix through 2. Nc3 followed by 3. f4. The modern main line of that move order runs 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7. White then chooses between 5. Bb5, which aims to double Black's c-pawns with Bxc6, and the sharper 5. Bc4, which points the bishop toward the kingside.

In practice many players ignore the ...d5 counterstrike and adopt their normal Sicilian setup. On Lichess 2...Nc6 is by far the most frequent reply, followed by 2...d6 and 2...e6. La Bourdonnais played 2...e6 against McDonnell. These quieter moves are fully playable, though they exploit White's move order less than 2...d5 does. 2...e5 is rare and transposes to the King's Gambit Declined: Mafia Defense, where Black scores well. Overall results are nearly even, with Black slightly ahead, and the engine rates the position as balanced.