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Openings 1.e4 e5: open games

Wayward Queen Attack (2.Qh5) and 2.Qf3: Beating the Early Queen

2.Qh5 brings the queen out on move two to hit e5 and f7. It sets up the Scholar’s Mate with Bc4, and below 1200 it is one of the most common second moves. Defend correctly and the white queen just becomes a target.

For White1.e4 e5 2.Qh5Seen in 0.6% of rated games

Lichess rating

C20King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack

Games from this position (1600–1999): 7,875

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
MovePlayedGamesWhite · Draw · Black
62%4,89151%44%
14%1,10149%47%
10%82554%40%
8%62849%48%
3%20540%55%
1%8784%14%
0.7%5855%34%
0.3%2638%58%
0.3%2352%13%35%
<0.1%1100%
Practice as WhitePractice as Black

Plans for both sides

White

  • The idea is Bc4 and Qxf7#. Against careful play, switch to development: Nf3 or Ne2, Nc3, d3 and castle.
  • After 2...Nc6 3.Bc4 g6 4.Qf3 Nf6, do not bring the queen out again; play Ne2 and Nbc3.
  • 2.Qf3 (Napoleon Attack) has the same idea and the same problem: the queen takes the f3 square from the knight.

Black

  • 2...Nc6 guards e5. After 3.Bc4 play 3...g6, which shuts the queen out of f7 and hits it (or 3...Qe7 to guard f7); after 4.Qf3, 4...Nf6 closes the f-file and develops.
  • Never answer 3.Bc4 with 3...Nf6?? — 4.Qxf7 is mate.
  • Treat the early queen as a target: develop with ...Nf6, ...Bg7 and ...d5 while it keeps moving, and Black is often better.

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Wayward Queen Attack at each rating

How often the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.

RatingGames (Share of games)White · Draw · BlackTop next move
<120068k2.3%50%45%2...Nc639%
1200–159931k0.5%50%46%2...Nc656%
1600–19997,8750.1%51%44%2...Nc662%
2000+402<0.1%50%43%2...Nc675%
All108k0.6%50%46%2...Nc646%

What usually comes next

The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.

2...Nc646%3.Bc476%3.Bb510%3.Nf35%2...Nf617%3.Qxe5+91%3.Qf35%2...Qf610%3.Bc438%3.Nf325%3.Nc312%2...d610%3.Bc480%3.Bb5+6%2.Qh5

Main variations

Common traps

Scholar’s Mate: 3...Nf6??

The knight attacks the queen, but the queen and bishop already hit f7. 4.Qxf7 is mate.

In our data, the last move of this line was played in 2,057 games.

Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Qxf7#(ends in mate)

Napoleon version: 3...Bc5??

Same pattern from f3: with the bishop on c4, Qxf7 is mate.

In our data, the last move of this line was played in 571 games.

Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Qf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Qxf7#(ends in mate)

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At club level

Over 60% of our 2.Qh5 games are below 1200. White scores about 52% there; one wrong move by Black is mate, one wrong move by White loses the queen’s tempo.

Practice it

The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.

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