Parham Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Qh5): the early-bird queen
If you play online, you’ve surely had this pulled on you: 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5!?, bringing the queen out hunting for scholar’s mate. It’s the Parham Attack, and here you’ll learn to punish it calmly. 😏
The main idea
With 2.Qh5 White threatens cheap tricks on f7. But bringing the queen out so early has a huge price: it becomes a target. Every time you attack it with a minor piece, you develop for free.
- It’s very popular among beginners.
- It’s objectively dubious: the queen loses tempi.
- The key for Black: don’t panic and develop with tempo.
How to refute it
You play Black. Defend e5 with Nc6; when the bishop shows up threatening f7, play g6 attacking the queen, and develop Nf6 gaining a tempo. The queen just wanders around.
Who is this guide for?
For anyone who faces the Parham in fast games and wants to punish it. Also learn not to fall for scholar’s mate and review the principles of the opening.
Related openings: Open openings · Scholar’s Mate · Napoleon Opening · Italian Game · All openings
Analiza partidas de esta apertura
Pega cualquier PGN para reproducir y estudiar partidas paso a paso. Encuentralas en Lichess o Chess.com.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the Parham Attack?
It's the opening 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5, where White brings the queen out on the second move looking for scholar's mate tricks (Qxf7#). It's very popular among beginners, but objectively dubious: the queen becomes an easy target.
How is the Parham Attack refuted?
Calmly. 2...Nc6 defends e5; after 3.Bc4 (threatening Qxf7#) the precise move is to defend f7, for example with 3...g6 attacking the queen, or challenging it. Every black move develops a piece while the white queen flees losing tempi.
Why doesn't bringing the queen out so early work?
Because every time a minor piece attacks the queen, it has to move and Black develops for free. After a few moves, Black has better development and the center, while the white queen has only wandered around.