Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...Bc5/4. Nxe5

White takes the pawn, apparently blundering their knight but intending to recover it with a central fork trick. Black can equalise in this line, but it is very commonly misplayed.

4...Nxe5, taking back the pawn, is the most common reply in amateur games by far.^[1] Then, White intends to fork Black's bishop and knight with 5. d4. Taking the pawn to save the knight, 5...Bxd5?, gives up the bishop pair and gives White a nicely centralised queen.

In the central fork trick as common in the Three knights game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5? 4. Nxe5! Nxe5 5. d4), Black's best response is to play 5...Bd3 and recapture the pawn after the knight is taken, and at least then material is equal. However, by facing this trick in the Spanish game move order, Black has some additional resources.

Firstly, after 4...Nxe5 5. d4, Black has the tricky move 5...c6, counterattacking White's Spanish bishop. Black would be more than happy to trade bishops, and be up a knight for a pawn (6. dxc5 cxb5 7. Nc3∓). If White saves the bishop with 6. Ba4, there is the sharp line 6...Qa5+. One continuation is 7. Nc3?? Bb4 8. dxe5 Qxa4-+ (the knight is pinned).

Most critically, however, Black needn't play 4...Nxe5 at all:

4...Qe7 skewers the knight and pawn. Unlike in the Three knights version of this trick, White's e4 pawn is not guarded. This means after 5. Nxc6 or 5. Nf3, 5...Qxe4+= Black recovers the pawn with an even game.

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• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.