The next worst thing...

Continuing the discussion from "London Calling... Seven Months of Blog" and "The next best thing..." based on my self-challenge

I also got wondering the other day: is there another totally obscure and disreputable tactical opening line or gambit that I could go digging for information about, while I'm researching the Jerome Gambit [1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+]??

There's been discussion lately on the Fred opening, 1.e4 f5, in the Unorthodox Chess Openings group at Yahoo – including where the name "Fred" came from in the first place (several theories, nothing conclusive).

Sometimes the opening is referred to as the Duras Gambit, which is a lot less obscure: In my database I have four games (from 1936 and 1938) where GM Oldrich Duras played the opening, actually scoring two wins, a draw and a loss.

The earliest game example I could find was Pillsbury - Magana, Paris 1902, a blindfold simultaneous exhibition game (1 of 16) Paris, 06.1902: 1.e4 f5 2.exf5 Kf7 3.d4 d5 4.Qh5+ g6 5.fxg6+ Kg7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.Bh6+ Kg8 8.gxh7+ Nxh7 9.Qg6+ Bg7 10.Qxg7 mate.

You have to admit, 1.e4 f5 stand right up/down there with 1.h4 as a possible companion to the Jerome Gambit!