With 4...Bc5 Black develops the dark squared bishop to a good square where it defends the pawn on d4. From here White has 3 main responses:

This continues in the spirit of the Scotch Gambit, offering Black another pawn, and threatening to take back on d4 with a broad two-pawn centre. However, Black should not continue with 5...dxc3? because of 6. Bxf7+! in which White makes use of the powerful bishop on c4, and the vulnerability of black's bishop on c5, and will regain both of the pawns sacrificed with a crushing position. Instead, Black should continue with 5...Nf6, which transposes to the Giuoco Piano.

White focuses on rapid development instead of taking the pawn back immediately, aiming to play c3 later on, when the usual Bb4+ isn't possible in this case. If Black continues with 5...Nf6 then the game transposes into the Max Lange Attack which is considered good for white, therefore Black usually continues with 5...d6, resulting in some crazy positions in which both kings can become exposed.

This is the Sarratt Variation, in which White attacks the f7 pawn for the second time, taking advantage of the fact that black's knight is still on g8, and they cannot deal with the threat by castling. Black almost always defends the pawn with 5...Nh6, in which usually a trade of minor pieces occurs, in which white also takes advantage of the vulnerable position of the bishop on c5.

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5

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