Paul (a USCF 2100 player) asked whether 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Ng5 h6!? 6.Ne6 Qb6 was playable. He pointed out that Seirawan had tried this a few times in the ICC database, so I promptly got on the horn and asked Yaz to tell me a bit about it. Here’s his reply:

Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan Replies:

The question comes from the position after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2/Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7, when White is supposed to play 5.Ng5.  I mean think about it.  How crazy is that? White spends a few tempi to move his Knight from b1 to the g5-square.

So, for blitz games only (I’ve retired), I have experimented with 5…h6; after all, if White is happy to keep moving his Knight, I want to encourage him to keep doing so.  After 5…h6, the only move to be considered is 6.Ne6, four moves with the same piece inside the first six moves! Impressive.
 
Okay, now that White has kindly put a piece en prise and violated all kinds of well known strategic rules in the process, I’ve attempted to fully refute White’s play by trying to win a pawn: 6…Qa5+(!), when thanks to the e6-Knight’s “vulnerability”, White’s response is essentially forced: 7.Bd2 Qb6.

In this position, White’s main move is 8.Bd3 as played by Nunn v Georgiev. Now Black erred with 8…fxe6?? 9.Qh5+! Kd8 10.Ba5, whoops and resigns. After 8.Bd3, Black should (obviously) play: 8…Ngf6 9.Nxf8 Nxf8, when my point is clear: There are two threats (d4 and b2 are both hanging). White can play the awkward 10.Bc3 guarding the threats, but after 10…Bg4 with the idea …Bg4-h5-g6, White’s position isn’t so attractive, or 10…Nd5 and the same “not much” can be applied.

White usually plays 10.Nf3 Qxb2 11.O-O and say’s, “Okay, be happy – you are a pawn up but your Queen is going to be kicked around and I have development.”

My blitz games have continued 11…Qb6 12. Re1 Qc7 13.Ne5 Ne6 and White has good compensation for the pawn.  No question about that one but hey, I’ve played my most provocative best…

Arguably on move ten …Bg4 should be played. In that case, the “threat” to take the b2-pawn has gone thanks to Ra1-b1xb7 but after say: 11.c3(!?) N8d7 12.O-O O-O, White has his opening plus thanks to the two bishops and more harmonious development.