Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Bc4/2...Qh4

Bishop's opening C23 Bishop's opening 2...Qh4? Black attempts to play for an immediate mating attack. Essentially they are playing the Parham attack or "wayward queen" attack with colours reversed. The immediate threat is ...Qxe4+, so White should defend their e-pawn with 3. Nc3. Then, Black may try 3...Bc5, bringing another attacker to f2 and hoping White will blunder and allow ...Qxf2#. 4. g3 prevents the queen from seeing f2, and after 4...Qf6, White plays 5. Nf3 to defend the f2-pawn again. After all this, what has Black to show for it? In violation of opening principles, they have spent two moves moving their queen around that could have been spent on developing their minor pieces and castling. White is better. White may try for their own "scholar's mate" with 3. Qf3!?, which also defends e4, but Black can parry this just as easily with 3...Nf6. White has allowed Black to "get away" with violating opening principles, and still has to develop their minor pieces having taken away the f3 square from their knight. References See also Bishop's Opening