Opening question

[lucasart]

This is a game I just played. I really don't know squad about opening theory, preferring instead to figure it out over the board. I had the black pieces, and ponder on the 4th move for a while. I played 4.. d5, which seemed strong as it takes the initiative, and sacrifices a pawn, in order to hang on to the f4 gambit pawn with an interesting imbalanced position (white's OO becomes under presser due to the black pawn structure after black plays g5). I wonder if this d5 move is correct, and is known opening theory.

The opening of the game is interesting. But after a few moves, unfortunately, white blunders and the game is less interesting.
[pgn]
[Event "FICS rated standard game"]
[Site "FICS"]
[Date "2013.01.13"]
[Round "1"]
[White "burlon (1555)"]
[Black "lucasart (1592)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1555"]
[BlackElo "1592"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Time "14:51:00"]
[WhiteClock "0:12:53.515"]
[BlackClock "0:10:26.577"]
[PlyCount "40"]

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e5 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bxd5 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. d3 Nxd5 8.
Nxd5 g5 9. Nxe7 Qxe7 10. O-O Nc6 11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Qc5 13. c3 Bd7 14. Kh1
O-O-O 15. Nxc6 Bxc6 16. Qh5 Bxe4 17. Qxf7 Qc6 18. Rg1 Rd7 19. Qh5 f3 20. h3
fxg2+ 0-1
[/pgn]

Edit: sorry, i just realized 4.. d5 is a mistake. It is refuted by exd5. So white's first mistake was really Bxd5 instead of exd5.

[carldaman]

This is a game I just played. I really don't know squad about opening theory, preferring instead to figure it out over the board. I had the black pieces, and ponder on the 4th move for a while. I played 4.. d5, which seemed strong as it takes the initiative, and sacrifices a pawn, in order to hang on to the f4 gambit pawn with an interesting imbalanced position (white's OO becomes under presser due to the black pawn structure after black plays g5). I wonder if this d5 move is correct, and is known opening theory.

The opening of the game is interesting. But after a few moves, unfortunately, white blunders and the game is less interesting.
[pgn]
[Event "FICS rated standard game"]
[Site "FICS"]
[Date "2013.01.13"]
[Round "1"]
[White "burlon (1555)"]
[Black "lucasart (1592)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1555"]
[BlackElo "1592"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Time "14:51:00"]
[WhiteClock "0:12:53.515"]
[BlackClock "0:10:26.577"]
[PlyCount "40"]

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e5 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bxd5 Nf6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. d3 Nxd5 8.
Nxd5 g5 9. Nxe7 Qxe7 10. O-O Nc6 11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Qc5 13. c3 Bd7 14. Kh1
O-O-O 15. Nxc6 Bxc6 16. Qh5 Bxe4 17. Qxf7 Qc6 18. Rg1 Rd7 19. Qh5 f3 20. h3
fxg2+ 0-1
[/pgn]

Edit: sorry, i just realized 4.. d5 is a mistake. It is refuted by exd5. So white's first mistake was really Bxd5 instead of exd5.

2...e5 looks dubious as it allows White to play an improved King's Gambit with 3.f4 (not to mention 3.Qh5! is also strong). Bc4 is a much more useful move for White than c5 for Black in the King's Gambit.

Regards,
CL

[Nelson Hernandez]

The first error is 2...e5. Much better are 2...e6, 2...Nc6, 2...d6, all of which have historically scored about 65%. 2.Bc4 is a beginner move.

[PK]

2.Bc4 can comfortably transpose into Grand Prix attack and sometimes to Sozin Attack, so it's not necessarily beginner's move. The useless setup with Bc4, Nc3, pawn on d3 and without f4 is frequent choice amongst beginners.