Two Knights Defense Explained

Openingname:Two Knights Defense
Moves:1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
Eco:C55–C59
Birth:Late 16th century
Parentopening:Italian Game
Chessgid:24146&move=4&moves=e4.e5.Nf3.Nc6.Bc4.Nf6

The Two Knights Defense (also called the Prussian Defense) is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Nf6

First recorded by Giulio Cesare Polerio[1] (c. 1550 – c. 1610) in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century. Black's third move is a more aggressive defense than the Giuoco Piano (3...Bc5). Black allows White to attack his f7-pawn with 4.Ng5. If White does so, the game quickly takes on a tactical character: Black is practically forced to give up a pawn for the initiative. The complications are such that David Bronstein suggested that the term "defense" does not fit, and that the name "Chigorin Counterattack" would be more appropriate.[2] The Two Knights has been adopted as Black by many aggressive players including Mikhail Chigorin and Paul Keres, and world champions Mikhail Tal and Boris Spassky. In modern grandmaster play, 3.Bc4 is less common than 3.Bb5, and the more solid 3...Bc5 is the most frequent reply, so the Two Knights Defense is infrequently seen. It remains popular with amateur players. The theory of this opening has been explored extensively in correspondence chess by players such as Hans Berliner and Yakov Estrin.

Main variations

4.Ng5

German master Siegbert Tarrasch called 4.Ng5 "a real duffer's move" (ein richtiger Stümperzug) and Soviet opening theorist Vasily Panov called it "primitive", but this attack on f7 practically wins a pawn by . Despite Tarrasch's criticism, 4.Ng5 has remained a popular choice for White at all levels.

Main line: 4...d5

After 4...d5 White has little option but to play 5.exd5, since both the bishop and e4-pawn are attacked. Then Black usually plays 5...Na5 but there are other options:

After 5...Na5, the Polerio Defense,[5] [6] Paul Morphy would play to hold the gambit pawn with 6.d3, the Kieseritzky Attack (or Morphy Variation), which has not been popular, since it has long been known that Black obtains good chances for the pawn with 6...h6 7.Nf3 e4 8.Qe2 Nxc4 9.dxc4 Bc5. (Bronstein once tried the piece sacrifice 8.dxe4!? with success, but its soundness is doubtful.[2] [7])

Instead, White usually plays 6.Bb5+, when play usually continues 6...c6 (6...Bd7 is also possible) 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6. (The move 8.Qf3, popular in the nineteenth century and revived by Efim Bogoljubow in the twentieth, can be played instead; Black may reply with 8...h6, 8...Rb8, or 8...Be7.) White then has a choice of retreats for the knight. The usual move here is 9.Nf3, after which Black obtains some initiative after 9...e4 10.Ne5 Bd6 (see diagram). This is the Knorre Variation, and is considered to be the main line of the Two Knights Defense. After ten moves, White has developed only two pieces against Black's three pieces and pawns, but has an extra pawn as well as a better pawn structure. Both 11.d4 and 11.f4 have been tried here with no definitive conclusion. 10...Bc5 is a viable alternative for Black, as is 10...Qc7 (the Goring Variation).[8]

Steinitz favored 9.Nh3 instead, although it did not bring him success in his famous 1891 cable match against Chigorin. The Steinitz Variation was mostly forgotten until Fischer revived it in the 1960s. Nigel Short led a second revival of 9.Nh3 in the 1990s, and today it is thought to be about equal in strength to the more common 9.Nf3. In addition to the moves 8.Be2 and 8.Qf3, the move 8.Bd3 is a valid alternative that has apparently become fashionable in recent years.

Traxler Variation: 4...Bc5

See main article: Two Knights Defense, Traxler Counterattack. This bold move ignores White's attack on f7 and leads to wild play. Czech problemist Karel Traxler played it against Reinisch in Prague in 1890.[9] Later it was named after Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania by Frank Marshall, who claimed to be first to analyze and publish it,[10] so today 4...Bc5 is known as both the Traxler Variation and (in the United States and the United Kingdom[11] only) the Wilkes-Barre Variation.

White can play 5.d4, 5.Nxf7, or 5.Bxf7+:

4...Nxe4

4...Nxe4?! is considered unsound but must be handled carefully. 5.Nxe4 d5 poses no problems for Black. If 5.Nxf7? Qh4! 6.g3 (6.0-0 Bc5!) 6...Qh3 7.Nxh8 Qg2 8.Rf1 Nd4 9.Qh5+ g6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Qxg6+ Kd8 and Black has dangerous threats.[13] (Alternatively, after 5.Nxf7? Qh4! 6.g3, Black could play more aggressively 6...Nxg3! 7.fxg3 Qe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxh1+ 9.Qf1 Qxf1+ 10.Kxf1 d5 11.Bxd5 Bh3+ 12.Ke1 Nb4 13.Bb3 Nxc2+ 14.Bxc2 Kxf7 with a distinct advantage of material for Black.)Correct is 5.Bxf7+! Ke7 6.d4! (6.d3 is also good) and now:

4.d4

White can choose to rapidly with 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0. Now Black can simply by eliminating White's last center pawn with 5...Nxe4, after which White regains the with 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3, but Black has a comfortable position after 8...Qa5 or 8...Qh5.

The wild Nakhmanson Gambit 6.Nc3 gives White compensation if Black accepts the piece with 6...dxc3 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qd5+ and then makes the intuitive move 8...Ke8?! Instead, 8...Kf6! has been analysed to offer Black a substantial edge with best play. Victor Bologan suggests declining the gambit with 6...Nxc3 7.bxc3 d5 8.Bb5 Be7 leading to a better position for Black.[15]

Alternatively, Black can enter the extensively analyzed Max Lange Attack after 5...Bc5 6.e5 d5, which can also arise by transposition from the Giuoco Piano or Scotch Game. White can choose to avoid these lines by playing 5.e5, a line often adopted by Sveshnikov. After 5.e5, either 5...Ne4 or 5...Ng4 is a reply, but most common and natural is 5...d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bc5, with play. The tricky 5.Ng5?! is best met by 5...d5! 6.exd5 Qe7+!

Modern Bishop's Opening: 4.d3

The quiet move 4.d3, the Modern Bishop's Opening,[16] transposes into the Giuoco Pianissimo if Black responds 4...Bc5, but there are also independent variations after 4...Be7 or 4...h6. White tries to avoid the tactical battles that are common in other lines of the Two Knights and to enter a more positional game. The resulting positions take on some characteristics of the Ruy Lopez if White plays c3 and retreats the bishop to c2 via Bc4–b3–c2. This move became popular in the 1980s and has been used by John Nunn and others.

Four Knights Variation: 4.Nc3

The attempt to defend the pawn with 4.Nc3 does not work well since Black can take the pawn anyway and use a fork trick to regain the piece, 4.Nc3?! Nxe4! 5.Nxe4 d5. The try 5.Bxf7+? does not help, as Black has the and a better position after 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5. Instead, 4.Nc3 is usually played with the intent to gambit the e-pawn with the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit, 4.Nc3 Nxe4 5.0-0. This gambit is not commonly seen in tournament play as it is not well regarded by opening theory, but it can offer White good practical chances, especially in blitz chess.

Chess opening theory table

White must respond to the attack on the e-pawn. (For explanation of notation, see chess opening theory table.)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6

45678910
Traxler or Wilkes-Barre VariationNg5
Bc5
Bxf7+
Ke7
Bb3!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Lolli Attack...
d5
exd5
Nxd5
d4!
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fried Liver Attack...
...
...
...
Nxf7!?
Kxf7
Qf3+
Ke6
Nc3
-
-
-
-
-
Kieseritzky Attack...
...
...
Na5
d3
h6
Nf3
e4
Qe2
Nxc4
dxc4
Bc5
-
-
Main Line...
...
...
...
Bb5+
c6
dxc6
bxc6
Be2
h6
Nf3
e4
Ne5
-
Steinitz Variation...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Nh3
-
-
-
Ulvestad Variation...
...
...
b5
Bf1!
Nd4
c3
Nxd5
Ne4
-
-
-
-
-
Fritz Variation...
...
...
Nd4
c3
b5
Bf1!
Nxd5
Ne4
-
-
-
-
-
...
Nxe4?!
Bxf7+!
Ke7
d4!
d5
Nc3!
Nxc3
bxc3
Qd6
a4!
Kd8
Bg8!
-
Boden–Kieseritzky GambitNc3
Nxe4
0-0
Nxc3
dxc3
Qe7
Ng5
Nd8
-
-
-
-
-
-
Modern Bishop's Openingd3
Be7
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
...
h6
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
...
d5!?
exd5
Nxd5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
...
Bc5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
d4
exd4
e5
d5
Bb5
Ne4
Nxd4
Bc5
-
-
-
-
-
-
...
...
0-0
Nxe4
Re1
d5
Bxd5
Qxd5
Nc3
-
-
-
-
-
Max Lange Attack...
...
...
Bc5
e5
d5
exf6
dxc4
Re1+
Be6
Ng5
Qd5
Nc3
Qf5
...
...
e5
d5
Bb5
Ne4
Nxd4
Bc5
-
-
-
-
-
-
...
...
...
Ne4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
...
...
...
Ng4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Y. Estrin . The Two Knights Defence . Batsford . 1983 . 0-7134-3991-2.
  2. Book: Bronstein, David . David Bronstein . 1973 . 200 Open Games . 1991 . Dover . 0-486-26857-8 . 60–61.
  3. Book: Fischer, Bobby. Bobby Fischer. My 60 Memorable Games. Fischer's analysis of this line is in game 45, Fischer - Bisguier 1963
  4. 'Nunn's Chess Openings', publisher Everyman Chess, London 1999, section on Two Knights' Defense
  5. Web site: Italian Game: Knight Attack, Polerio Defense - Chess Openings . 2022-07-26 . Chess.com . en-US . 2023-01-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230105035300/https://www.chess.com/openings/Italian-Game-Knight-Attack-Polerio-Defense . live .
  6. Web site: POLERIO DEFENSE . 2022-07-26 . www.chessgames.com . 2022-07-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220726063003/https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1041208 . live .
  7. Web site: Bronstein vs. Rojahn, Moscow Olympiad 1956 . . 2005-11-19 . 2007-12-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071215075353/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1033954 . live .
  8. http://www.ajedrezaranjuez.com/openings.aspx?cod=C50-C59 Chess Openings Viewer
  9. Web site: J. Reinisch vs. Karel Traxler, Hostoun 1890 . . 2019-03-24 . 2019-03-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190313055524/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224609 . live .
  10. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 448. Wilkes-Barre variation.
  11. Web site: Elburg . John . New in Chess Year book issue 65 . Chessbook Reviews . Chess Books . 2002 . 2010-04-30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100924182622/http://chessbooks.nl/elburg59.html . 2010-09-24 .
  12. Web site: Two Knight's Defence . chessbase-shop.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111129060958/http://chessbase-shop.com/en/products/two_knight%E2%80%98s_defence . 2011-11-29.
  13. Harding & Botterill (1977), p. 66
  14. Estrin (1971), p. 67
  15. Book: Bologan, Victor . Bologan's Black Weapons in the Open Games . 2014 . 450 . . 9789056915438 . The Netherlands.
  16. Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 262. Modern Bishop's Opening.