Chessy
King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie Countergambit (3.Qf3) — Black's Revenge
White has brought their queen out on move two and then shuffled it again on move three — and you've already punished them just by developing. After 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nf6 3.Qf3 Nc6, you've chased the queen a second time while bringing out a knight. The engine gives a clear advantage for Black at -1.36. That means you are already clearly better. With both knights developed and White's queen doing nothing useful, you're ready to strike. The drill below puts you in Black's shoes to turn this early lead into a full point.
Play the King's Pawn Game: Wayward Queen Attack, Kiddie Countergambit: Qf3 against the engine
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It's your turn as Black — see if you can convert this clear advantage into a win. Play through the position in the drill below and test yourself against the ref
Create a free account →Why the Early Queen Sortie Backfires
White's idea is simple: bring the queen out early and cause trouble. But after 2.Qh5, your 2...Nf6 attacked it immediately, forcing 3.Qf3. Now you played 3...Nc6, developing with tempo — the queen has to move again or risk getting trapped. White has lost three tempi with the queen while you've developed two knights. That's the whole story of this line. You're ahead in development, your king is safe, and White's queen is a target rather than a threat. In the 94,812 games in the database, Black wins 58.4% of the time. That's a fantastic practical score for Black.
The Engine's Answer and the Best Line
The engine's top choice here is 4.Nc3, which might look modest, but it shows that White needs to finally develop. The recommended continuation is 4...Bc5, developing the bishop to an active diagonal and preparing to castle. After 5.d3 O-O, White has caught up a little, but your position is still clearly preferable. Against 4.Nc3, White scores just 34.4% — the lowest of any major choice, which tells you how difficult White's position already is. Your plan is straightforward: finish development, keep the centre solid, and let White's misplaced queen become a long-term problem.
How to Punish White's Most Popular Moves
The most common move at club level is 4.Bc4, played over 33,000 times. It looks natural — develop and attack f7 — but the engine calls it an inaccuracy, losing about 0.9 pawns compared to the best move. You can respond simply with ...Bc5, or even ...Na5 to trade off White's dangerous bishop. The database shows White scores only 37.6% from here. The second-most popular choice is 4.c3, which also shows up as an inaccuracy (losing about 0.5 pawns). White prepares d4 but gives away time. You can play 4...Bc5 or even 4...d5 immediately, striking in the centre while White's queen is still in the way. The worst of the bunch is 4.Bb5, a full mistake that loses about 1.4 pawns. After 4...d5!, you're winning already.
The Mistake to Watch For
.Bc4 — Most common, but an inaccuracy. White scores just 37.6%. Don't fear it. .c3 — Another inaccuracy. White tries to set up a centre but you're too fast. .Bb5 — A mistake. Punish it immediately with ...d5, opening the centre while White's queen is exposed. .Nh3 — Rare but ugly; White scores only 30.3%. Any sensible developing move leaves you with a huge advantage. The key lesson: White is trying to make something happen quickly. If you develop calmly and trust your position, the early queen sortie will haunt them, not you.
Results across 94,812 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Bc4 | 33,121 | 37.6% |
| c3 | 23,786 | 44.2% |
| Nc3 | 10,527 | 34.4% |
| d3 | 7,704 | 35.9% |
| Bb5 | 6,725 | 36.1% |
| Nh3 | 2,393 | 30.3% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Wayward Queen Attack a good opening for White?
No — at least not when Black knows the response. After 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nf6 3.Qf3 Nc6, the engine gives Black a clear advantage at -1.36. Black wins 58.4% of games from this position, compared to White's 37.8%. White's queen has moved three times already while Black has developed two knights.
What is the best move for Black after 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nf6 3.Qf3?
The best move is 3...Nc6, developing the second knight with tempo. This forces White to decide what to do with the queen again. After this, you are already clearly better. The engine prefers White to play 4.Nc3, but after 4...Bc5 and 5...O-O, Black's advantage remains solid.
How should Black respond to 4.Bc4 in the Wayward Queen Attack?
4.Bc4 is the most common move (over 33,000 games) but it's an inaccuracy. You can develop with 4...Bc5, or consider 4...Na5 to attack the bishop. White scores only 37.6% from this position, so as Black you have nothing to fear. Just keep developing and you'll keep your advantage.
What is the Kiddie Countergambit in the Wayward Queen Attack?
The Kiddie Countergambit refers to Black's aggressive setup after 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nf6 3.Qf3, where Black simply develops with 3...Nc6. The name pokes fun at White's early queen sortie, suggesting Black is ready to punish this 'kiddie' play. The statistics back it up: Black scores 58.4% from this position.