Editing Latvian Gambit (section)

===3.Nc3===
White's 3.Nc3 was originally analysed by the American [[chess master|master]] [[Stasch Mlotkowski]] (1881–1943) in the 1916 ''[[British Chess Magazine]]''.<ref name="Kosten 2001, p. 210">Kosten 2001, p. 210.</ref> Kosten gives as Black's two main responses 3...Nf6 4.Bc4 (4.exf5 is also possible) fxe4 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Nxd5! Nxd5 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6! hxg6! 9.Qxg6+ Kd7 10.Bxd5 Qe7 11.Qxe4 Rh4 12.Qxe7+ Bxe7, reaching an [[chess endgame|endgame]] where White has four pawns for a {{chessgloss|minor piece}}, and 4...fxe4 5.Nxe5 Qf6, when White can choose from 6.Nc4! (transposing to the main line 3.Nxe5 Qf6 4.Nc4 fxe4 6.Nc3), 6.d4, and 6.f4!?<ref>Kosten 2001, pp. 213-14.</ref> Black can also play 3...d6, when 4.d4 {{chessgloss|transposition|transposes}} to the [[Philidor Defence#Philidor Countergambit|Philidor Countergambit]] (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5!?), which was favoured by [[Paul Morphy]] in the mid-19th century and is still seen occasionally today.<ref name="Kosten 2001, p. 210"/><ref>[[Christian Bauer]], ''The Philidor Files'', Gloucester Publishers, 2006, pp. 22-32. {{ISBN|978-1-85744-436-0}}.</ref>

Today, however, Black's response is considered to be 3...fxe4.
* 4.Nxe4 d5 5.Nxe5 dxe4 6.Qh5+ g6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Qxh8 Be6 9.Qe5 Kf7 10.Qxe4 Nf6 11.Qxb7 Nbd7
* 4.Nxe4 d5 5.Ng3 e4 6.Nd4 Nf6 7.d3 c5 8.Ndf5 Nc6

<em>Assessment</em>: One of the best lines for Black. Black has better bishops and a strong centre.