user872: I am a low rated player and I would like to understand why 5. Nxe4 is considered to be the best move by White in the C46 Four Knights, Italian Variation Opening against 4. Nxe4 by Black instead of 5. Bxf7+.
[FEN ""]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Nxe4 (5. Bxf7+)


user27581: I disagree with commentators on 4.Bc4. There is a article on 4.Bc4 Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6 8.Bxc6+ etc. by Yury V. Bukayev here. White gets the advantage after 7...Bd6 8.Bxc6+, and 7...Ne7 8.c3, and 7...Nb4 8.a3, and after other responses (this article considers them too).
So 5.Nxe4 isn't only the good way, it's also the way to White's advantage. The move 5.Bxf7+ isn't good, it transforms the White's nice position into a bad one.

user109: 4. Bc4 is a mistake because it leads to a fork trick for Black:
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Nxe4 d5

Given this fork trick, the best square for the light-squared bishop is b5, so I would altogether avoid playing 4. Bc4.
After 5. Bxf7+, I still do not think white has the advantage, for example, after:
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. Nxe4 d5


user511: I would agree that the first scenario presented is the better move for two reasons:

It allows White to maintain control of its side of the center.  In the second scenario, White is giving Black a foothold in this valuable space (e4).
In the second scenario, White forces Black's king to move, and thereby prevents it from castling.  While that is an advantage for White, has to sacrifice a bishop (early) to get it.

It comes down to risk vs. reward.  White's reward of maintaining control of the center (the better of the two rewards, IMO) can be achieved with less risk (first scenario), than preventing Black from castling can be.

user291: 5.Bxf7+ has a reasonable idea behind it, in that it exposes Black's king and jettisons White's bishop before Black can use the fork trick on it that would follow with 5.Nxe4 d5. However, it has some concrete problems:

After 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4, Black plays 6...d5 and forms a massive center.
Black's king turns out to not be vulnerable on f7. It will quickly retreat to g8 where it is relatively safe.
White's knights are going to get kicked around a lot with loss of tempo. If he plays 7.Neg5+ Kg8, both ...h6 and ...e4 will attack knights that don't have very good places to flee to.

In contrast, after 5.Nxe4 d5, Black regains his sacrificed piece, but has to break up his pawn center in the process. After 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4, White no longer has his opening advantage but the position is relatively equal.
The lesson from all of this is that 4.Bc4 is not a very good move. The standard alternatives are 4.Bb5 (Spanish Four Knights), 4.d4 (Scotch Four Knights), and 4.g3 (Glek Four Knights), which all keep White's opening advantage.
P.S. I should point out that there is a third alternative for White's fifth move, 5.0-0, gambiting a pawn for a lead in development. This is likely actually better than either 5.Bxf7+ or 5.Nxe4, but if you want to play a gambit like that then there are much better ones to play than the Italian Four Knights.

872: <p>I am a low rated player and I would like to understand why 5. Nxe4 is considered to be the best move by White in the C46 Four Knights, Italian Variation Opening against 4. Nxe4 by Black instead of 5. Bxf7+.</p>
<pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Nxe4 (5. Bxf7+)
</code></pre>
 27581: <p>I disagree with commentators on 4.Bc4. There is a article on 4.Bc4 Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6 8.Bxc6+ etc. by Yury V. Bukayev <a href="https://chessproblem.my-free-games.com/chess/games/ChessArticle.php?art=C55" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>. White gets the advantage after 7...Bd6 8.Bxc6+, and 7...Ne7 8.c3, and 7...Nb4 8.a3, and after other responses (this article considers them too).</p>
<p>So 5.Nxe4 isn't only the good way, it's also the way to White's advantage. The move 5.Bxf7+ isn't good, it transforms the White's nice position into a bad one.</p>
 109: <p><code>4. Bc4</code> is a mistake because it leads to a fork trick for Black:</p>

<pre><code>[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Nxe4 d5
</code></pre>

<p>Given this fork trick, the best square for the light-squared bishop is <code>b5</code>, so I would altogether avoid playing <code>4. Bc4</code>.</p>

<p>After <code>5. Bxf7+</code>, I still do not think white has the advantage, for example, after:</p>

<pre><code>[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. Nxe4 d5
</code></pre>
 511: <p>I would agree that the first scenario presented is the better move for two reasons:</p>

<ol>
<li>It allows White to maintain control of its side of the center.  In the second scenario, White is giving Black a foothold in this valuable space (e4).</li>
<li>In the second scenario, White forces Black's king to move, and thereby prevents it from castling.  While that is an advantage for White, has to sacrifice a bishop (early) to get it.</li>
</ol>

<p>It comes down to risk vs. reward.  White's reward of maintaining control of the center (the better of the two rewards, IMO) can be achieved with less risk (first scenario), than preventing Black from castling can be.</p>
 291: <p>5.Bxf7+ has a reasonable idea behind it, in that it exposes Black's king and jettisons White's bishop before Black can use the fork trick on it that would follow with 5.Nxe4 d5. However, it has some concrete problems:</p>

<ul>
<li>After 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4, Black plays 6...d5 and forms a massive center.</li>
<li>Black's king turns out to not be vulnerable on f7. It will quickly retreat to g8 where it is relatively safe.</li>
<li>White's knights are going to get kicked around a lot with loss of tempo. If he plays 7.Neg5+ Kg8, both ...h6 and ...e4 will attack knights that don't have very good places to flee to.</li>
</ul>

<p>In contrast, after 5.Nxe4 d5, Black regains his sacrificed piece, but has to break up his pawn center in the process. After 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4, White no longer has his opening advantage but the position is relatively equal.</p>

<p>The lesson from all of this is that 4.Bc4 is not a very good move. The standard alternatives are 4.Bb5 (Spanish Four Knights), 4.d4 (Scotch Four Knights), and 4.g3 (Glek Four Knights), which all keep White's opening advantage.</p>

<p>P.S. I should point out that there is a third alternative for White's fifth move, 5.0-0, gambiting a pawn for a lead in development. This is likely actually better than either 5.Bxf7+ or 5.Nxe4, but if you want to play a gambit like that then there are much better ones to play than the Italian Four Knights.</p>
