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I am looking at this game and saw this opening.

[FEN ""]
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qd5+ Kg7 7.Qxc5

The 3.Bc4 is new to me. I think people usually play 3.Qxd4. So, my questions are:

  1. What is the idea behind 3.Bc4? Simply put pressure the f7 square?
  2. It seems that 3. ...Bc5 allows White to sacrifice the bishop because he could take a bishop back at 7.Qxc5. Are there any other reasonable moves for black after 3.Bc4?
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3. Bc4 is one of those fairly regular moves that defer the opening selection of the Scotch Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4) and the Danish Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4). 3... Bc5? is a well-known mistake because of the Bxf7+ followed by Qh5+ sequence.

That's why Black's move is normally 3... Nc6 or 3... Nf6.

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    But what's the point of 6.Qd5+ instread of just 6.Qxc5? Doesn't 6.Qd5+ just improve the position of the black king?
    – bof
    Feb 5, 2021 at 2:46
  • @bof White no longer has a light-squared bishop and Black will soon not have a dark-squared bishop, so maybe that's part of why chasing the king to a dark square makes sense?
    – D M
    Feb 5, 2021 at 3:08
  • @MikeD Thank you for your answer. Could you explain more about the relation between the given opening and the Scotch Gambit? Also, given the two Black's moves that you provided, is Bc4 considered a 'bad move' because White seems could not get a pawn back?
    – Brian Cheung
    Feb 5, 2021 at 6:54
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    @BrianCheung Bc4 is not considered a bad move. White may not get the pawn back because this is a gambit, a sacrifice of a pawn to gain an advantage in other areas: quicker or better development, interfere with the development of Black's pieces.
    – MikeD
    Feb 5, 2021 at 7:56

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