Amarande: 5 dxe5 seems tense at best, and indeed, Bc5 sets up a similar push against f2 to that seen in the Lolli Attack in the Two Knights (5 ... Nxd5 6 d4).White is pretty much in the snake's coils by about move 11, and seems to have little chance to vary in between. (Such measures as, for instance, 10 Bxf2 are illusory, in this case as Qg4+ will pick up the Queen; this substitution of a Bishop for a Pawn, resulting in a diagonal weakness, is not uncommon!) The only alternatives really standing out seem to be -
a) 6 Be3, which blunts the immediate attack but leaves White with a shattered central pawn position, much as with the answer 6 ... Be6 to the Lolli;
b) 7 g3, which also blunts the immediate attack, as it will be several more moves before Black can again get his Queen into position for another sally against f2. He would need to take the e-pawn first and then play Qf6; given that he must immediately lose a move with the Q, this gives White ample time for Bg2 and O-O. It is certainly better than the game line, though definitely also no bed of roses (fianchetto castling when the opponent still has the option of O-O-O followed by P-KR4-5 generally necessitates preparation for stormy weather).
c) 9 Nd2 is probably White's best exit ramp; now 9 ... Nxf2? is not effective as 10 Bxf2 works (10 ... Qe4+ 11 Qe2 and Black's out of gas) and 9 ... d5? will not do either (10 Qa4+). I'm not sure what Black's best continuation of the attack is here (the ones that come first to mind are 9 ... c6 in order to safely play ... d5, 9 ... f5 threatening ... f4 and supporting the Knight, or 9 ... O-O, although now White can play g3 with more safety).
Kibitzing
