Editing Petrov's Defence (section)

===Italian Variation: 3.Bc4 <span class="anchor" id="Italian Variation"></span>===
3.Bc4 is the Italian Variation of Petrov's Defence. With 3...Nc6, it transposes to the [[Two Knights Defence]].

====Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit====
{{Chess diagram
| tright
|
|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|  |rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|  |pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|  |  |bl|  |nd|  |  |  
|  |  |nl|  |  |nl|  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|  |pl|pl|pl
|rl|  |bl|ql|kl|  |  |rl
| Position after 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3   
}}
Another possibility is 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3, the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit. It is not considered wholly sound, since Black has several viable options. Black can accept the gambit with 4...Nxc3 5.dxc3 f6, but must play carefully after 6.0-0 (for example 6...Bc5?? 7.Nxe5! is disastrous; 6...d6 and 6...Nc6 are good). Another more aggressive try is 6.Nh4, where White goes for a quick assault on Black's king, but Black can maintain a small advantage if he plays cautiously via 6...g6 7.f4 Qe7 8.f5 Qg7 9.Qg4 Kd8.  Another possibility is returning the gambit pawn with 4...Nxc3 5.dxc3 c6 6.Nxe5 d5, which equalises. A third possibility is transposing to the [[Italian Four Knights Game]] with 4...Nc6, and if 5.Nxe4, 5...d5. If 5.Bxf7+?, then 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 gives Black the {{chessgloss|bishop pair}} and control of the {{chessgloss|centre}}. If 5.0-0, Black plays 5...Nxc3 6.dxc3 and now Black can play 6...Qe7!, after which [[Bobby Fischer]] wrote that "White has no compensation for the Pawn",<ref>[[Bobby Fischer]], ''[[My 60 Memorable Games]]'', Faber and Faber, 1972, pp. 280–81. {{ISBN|0-571-09987-4}}.</ref> or 6...f6 transposing to the main line of the Boden–Kieseritzky. Black also has lines beginning 6...Be7 and 6...h6.
{{clear left}}