Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has encountered 3...Qf6 in the Lopez. We all know the most common reply is Morphy Defense (3...a6) followed by the Berlin Defense (3...Nf6) and less common than that is the Schleimann (3..f5), Classical Lopez (3...Bc5), Fianchetto Defense (3...g6), or the Cozio Defense (3...Nge7). But 3...Qf6 doesn't even have a name, but I keep seeing it. Is it ignorance or am I missing something?
I suspect 3...Qf6 is played by players anticipating an exchange on c6 and they want to prevent doubled pawns with the active deployment of the queen.
I like to play by Pandolfini's maxim of punishing player's mistakes and I think 3...Qf6 is a mistake here. I think the best continuation is to live up to black's fears of an exchange on c6 and when they recapture with 4...Qxc6 black is behind in development with a queen that can be harrassed. (Although the unprotected pawn on e5 can't fall because after 5 Nxe5? then 5...Qxe4+ 6Qe2 Qxe2 7.Kxe2 white has lost castling rights.)
Has anyone else encounter 3...Qd6 in the Lopez and found the best way to capitalize on this unpopular line as white
or....
are there any actual 3..Qf6 players out there who can justify the line and provide examples of how they make it work for them?
Hi, I'm wondering if anyone has encountered 3...Qf6 in the Lopez. We all know the most common reply is Morphy Defense (3...a6) followed by the Berlin Defense (3...Nf6) and less common than that is the Schleimann (3..f5), Classical Lopez (3...Bc5), Fianchetto Defense (3...g6), or the Cozio Defense (3...Nge7). But 3...Qf6 doesn't even have a name, but I keep seeing it. Is it ignorance or am I missing something?
I suspect 3...Qf6 is played by players anticipating an exchange on c6 and they want to prevent doubled pawns with the active deployment of the queen.
I like to play by Pandolfini's maxim of punishing player's mistakes and I think 3...Qf6 is a mistake here. I think the best continuation is to live up to black's fears of an exchange on c6 and when they recapture with 4...Qxc6 black is behind in development with a queen that can be harrassed. (Although the unprotected pawn on e5 can't fall because after 5 Nxe5? then 5...Qxe4+ 6Qe2 Qxe2 7.Kxe2 white has lost castling rights.)
Has anyone else encounter 3...Qd6 in the Lopez and found the best way to capitalize on this unpopular line as white
or....
are there any actual 3..Qf6 players out there who can justify the line and provide examples of how they make it work for them?