World Champion Garry Kasparov and Grandmaster Raymond Keene wrote that it "has never been fully accepted as a dependable opening.

Now White can choose among: A solid line favoured by the late British grandmaster Tony Miles.

-- Ng6 - Black Knight's Tango) (3...Nb8, although perhaps not as bad as it looks, is considered inferior), which gives White only a slight plus score in practice.

Another approach is 3.dxe5 Nxe5, when White can seek a quiet positional advantage with 4.Nf3 or play the more aggressive (but potentially weakening) thrust 4.f4.

Shown by some databases to be the most common move, 2.Nf3 is often played by White players not eager for a theoretical battle on their opponent's turf.