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I am learning a bit of Evans Gambit theory lately, and when exploring a Master level games database, I have found this surprising line.
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O
After it concludes, Black doesn't take the free pawn on c3 that allows them to be it to be two pawns up after White retakes. Why does White allow Black to take another pawn, and why does Black reject it?
The problem with 7... dxc3 is that White quickly regains both pawns.
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/2b5/2BpP3/2P2N2/P4PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b KQkq - 1 7
[StartFlipped "0"]
7... dxc3 8. Bxf7 Kxf7 9. Qd5 Kf8 10. Qxc5 d6 11. Qxc3 {+/- Sokolsky, ECO C}
Fischer played a famous miniature in this line against Ruben Fine and published his analysis in "My 60 Memorable Games." Basically white gets a huge attack in this line and black's best shot is to give back all the pawns and pray for equality. I've included my analysis on this game in this lichess study.
The actual (skittles, but still instructive) game was:
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3?! 8. Qb3 Qe7? 9. Nxc3 Nf6?? 10. Nd5! Nxd5 11. exd5 Ne5 12. Nxe5 Qxe5 13. Bb2 Qg5 14. h4! Qxh4 15. Bxg7 Rg8 16. Rfe1+! Kd8 17. Qg3! 1-0
