So it appears. I've had a soft spot for this opening due to a much later Latvian, Aron Nimzowitsch, favoring it. But personally I've only had the position after black's 2nd move once - and that was with the move order 1.Nf3 f5 2.e4 e5 ...

A Reti/Zukertort to begin; a Dutch Defence offered by black; white responds with 2.e4, the Lisitsyn Gambit; and black declines, transposing into a Latvian.

It's probably just me, but I love that particular transposition. In my game, it put both players into shock: neither of us normally played e4 openings at all.

After 13...Qh4??, and as mentioned by Amadeus : 14.d4! Ne4+ (if 14...Nxh1??, White has a mate in 5 : 15.Bc4+ d5 16.Bxd5+ Be6 17.Qxe6+ Kg7 18.Qf7+ Kh8 19.Qg8#) 15.Kb3 (only move) d5! 16.g3 Qd8! 17.Qh8! =

The only move that survives is : 13.Ke1 Qxc1 14.Kxf2 Qxh1 15.Nc3 (only move) d6 (only move **) 16.Qd5+ (only move) Be6 (only move) 17.Rxh1 (or else 17.Qxe6+ Kxe6 18.Rxh1 =) Bxd5 18.Nxd5 =

Better to develop pieces and take the advantage : 11.Nc3! Nxh1 12.Nd5! Kf7 (only move that survives) 13.c3!! and despite Black's material advantage, his king is more exposed and he will have serious problems getting his other pieces out.

In 1992, the game Dammer vs Zvara (2300), Oberwart Open (Austria) improved this line : 10...Qe7?! 11.Rg1 (11.Nc3!? Houdini) Kf7 12.d4? (gain, it is better to develop the pieces 12.Nc3 =; or 12.Qh7+ Bg7 (only move) 13.Nc3 =) Bg7 13.Bc4+! d5! (only move) 14.Bxd5+ Be6 (only move) 15.Bxe6+ Qxe6 (only move) 16.Qh4! (only move) Ne4+! Nc6 / and Black went on to win.

8.f3! hxg6! 9.Qxg4 (only move) Qxc2+ 10.Kxc2 fxg4 11.fxg4 Nc6 12.Nc3 d6 = as shown in the game Cadovas Pordomingo vs Lopez Pereyra (2153), Tenerife Team Championship (Canaries, Spain) 2006, won by White.

Not the optimal move. Two lines appear superior :

A- 3...Qf6! 4.d4 (4.Nc4 fxe4 5.Nc3 Qf7 6.Ne3 c6 7.Nxe4 d5 8.Ng5 Qf6! 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.d4 Ne7 with only partial compensations for the pawn) d6 5.Nc4! fxe4 6.Nc3 Qg6 7.f3 Be7 8.fxe4 (Railich (2297) vs Lapshun (2507), Manhattan (USA) CC Championship 1999, won by Whitre) Nh6 ;

The early Romantic (super tactical aggression with little concern for strategy) tendencies of Il Putino's companion, Polerio, lead him to confidently pursue positions which would enable the champion to wrest his opponent from a defensively tenable circumstance and allow powerful attacking combinations to flow from the opponent's inherent tactical weaknesses. One of the key features of Leonardo di Bona's (Il Putino) play that distinguished him as superior to his contemporary masters was strategic rationale: he knew that a piece's value was relative to its position! Thus, he is completely unconcerned with his undeveloped rook and embarks upon a hunt for the enemy King whilst his antagonist utilizes the advantage of first move for simple materialistic purposes.

Please do not misunderstand: by no means is the play 'Masterly'... nor even strategically correct. The reason this game can be found within my "Coaches Corner" is because, while providing a tactical problem at the basic level, in a more profound aspect it teaches the most important Chess fundamental of all: Confidence!

Il Putino knew he was superior to his opponent. He knew he had an aggressive position thanks to his sharp opening choice. And so he looked for a weakness in the enemy center and Kingside, exploited that weakness, and then discovered a swift tactical nicety that sifts through all the strategic muck to effectively force the antagonist King into the open and end the game. None of this happens if he realizes that his position is indeed mediocre and, setting his bold confidence aside, assumes a passive, defensive role in order to compensate for long-term weakness from the deficit of material - inherent to his style and robust gambit.

Make sure to note that the given threats here are 14...Bg7 (winning the Queen via a pin to the King) and 14...Qb4++ (supported by the Bishop and lack of retreating possibilities), so the kids get the hidden tactical idea and aren't left confused about the climax.

Good coaching and good studies.

Only problem is that the end position is completely equal. So Polerio resigned in a position Leonardo could not win with correct play.

But it also happened to me once in a tournament. I was a piece down (early dubious sacrifice of a piece for a couple of pawns). Ending : King + pawns + knight vs King + pawns. And when the white knight was going to capture a pawn I resigned. Only later, with a computer, did I realize that if the knight would capture that pawn, he would never get out alive... The position was completely equal!

Polerio resigned too early; 14. d4! and white has all its chances.