The Wayward Queen Attack (also called the Parham Attack) arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 (ECO C20). White brings the queen out at once, attacking the e5 pawn and threatening Qxf7 mate.
At beginner level the sortie is dangerous, but against accurate defence it is a poor bargain: 2...Nc6 defends e5, and Black develops with tempo, chasing the queen away (...g6, ...Nf6) and getting ahead in development. Bringing the queen out early breaks the opening principles.
The opening is popular in junior and blitz games as a trap. It is worth knowing from both sides: to catch out the unprepared, and to refute it with confidence.
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