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Questions tagged [two-knights]

Questions about the Two Knights Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6) and games featuring the Two Knights Defense. ECO codes C55-C59

Two Knights Defense

The Two Knights Defense a defense to the Italian Game. It is characterized by the following moves:

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

3...Nf6 immediately strikes in the center, in contrast to 3...Bc5 as in the Giuoco Piano. The Two Knights Defense usually leads to sharper play than the "quiet game". With Nf6, black puts pressure on white's e4 pawn. White has several options in reply:

  • 4.Ng5 is the most aggressive, and black usually sacrifices a pawn with 4...d5 in order to gain a lead in development.

  • 4.d4 is another aggressive try, when 4...exd4 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5 leads to the Max Lange attack. Black can also play 5...Nxe4 and white's center has been demolished, but white has a lead in development in exchange.

  • 4.d3 is a solid option, frequently transposing back to the Giuoco Piano after 4...Bc5.

  • 4.Nc3 is the last common move, attempting to defend the e4 pawn, but black can play 4...Nxe4! anyways, since 5.Nxe4 d5! regains the piece with a good game for black.

ECO Codes

  • C55: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
  • C56: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4
  • C57: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5
  • C58: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5
  • C59: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6
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Ideas behind the 8.Bd3 line in the 4.Ng5 Two Knights Defense

In the Two Knights Defense, after [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3 has become fashionable recently, and is considered a serious way for…
A. N. Other
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How should I defend against this sacrifice in the Two Knights Defense?

I often get to play this opening : [fen ""] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. Nc3 Bg4 (5... Be7 6. Be3 Bg4) (4... Bc5 5. Nc3 d6 6. O-O Bg4) Sometimes there may be other moves or developments before the pin, like in the variations. In any…
Teofrostus
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In Nakamura v. Friedel in 2009, (22. Bc1) why did Friedel resign?

After White's 22. Bc1, it seems like responding with Rd2 would keep the game alive for Black. I assume Friedel's a more insightful player than I am. What am I missing? That is, from an experienced player's viewpoint, why do we assume that staying…
TwoMice
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Is the Ulvestad variation playable for black?

The Ulvestad variation starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5 Now white's best is 6.Bf1 Nd4 7.c3 leading to this position: [FEN ""] [StartPly "13"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 b5 6.Bf1 Nd4…
Andrew
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Should Black avoid the Two Knights Defense because of the Fried Liver Attack?

It seems like the Fried Liver Attack is too much for black to handle, so it seems it is best to avoid the Two Knights Defense as Black. An example of the Fried Liver Attack is below and Black just seems lost. Is there something Black can do? [FEN…
xaisoft
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Is Nxd5 playable in the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense?

The following move is considered dubvious in lichess.org opennings explorer because of the sacrifice in f7: [FEN "r1bqkb1r/ppp2ppp/2n2n2/3Pp1N1/2B5/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 5"] 1... Nxd5 2. Nxf7 Kxf7 3. Qf3+ Ke6 4. Nc3 Ncb4 The following…
user27142
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Should I go for the Traxler Counterattack?

Many of my games as Black feature the Two Knights' Defence. [FEN ""] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 Sometimes my opponent will play 4. Ng5, and I usually reply with 4 ... d5. It is not uncommon for the play to continue 5. exd5 Nxd5 (because…
Daniel
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Why isn't 6.Bc4 considered by theory in the 5.Bxf7+ Traxler Counterattack?

In the Traxler Counterattack of the Two Knights Defense, after [fen ""] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6. Bb3 (6. Bc4) why isn't 6.Bc4 considered as a "serious" move for White by theory? Only 6.Bb3 and 6.Bd5 are seen in this…
A. N. Other
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The Urusov Gambit

The curious Urusov Gambit seems something of a gimmick. A great article on it appears here [Event "Urusov Gambit"] [Site "Tehran IRI"] [Date "2016.10.28"] [Round "4.20"] [White "Mashmooli, Kian"] [Black "Nasri, Amin"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo…
user34445
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Resources on Italian Game, Two Knights Defense with 4. d3 h6 and quick ...g5

Do any books or other resources discuss this variation for Black? Does it have a name? The general idea is to go 4...h6, then ...d6 and ...g5 in some order, depending on what White does. S. Mamedyarov plays this line a lot. Sample line: [FEN ""] …
B.Swan
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Which openings lines are both sharp and drawish?

Two knights defence, Wilkes Barre (Traxler) variation seems to me to be a sharp line which is quite drawish. After the following position: [FEN ""] [StartPly "15"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Bc5 5. Nxf7 Bxf2 6. Kxf2 Nxe4 7. Kg1 Qh4 8. g3…
Zuriel
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Soltis's best chess game of the 20th century

In Andrew Soltis's book The 100 Best Chess Games of the 20th Century, Ranked, his number 1 game is a correspondence game between Yakov Estrin and Hans Berliner, from the 1965–1968 World Correspondence Championship. This is of course a provocative…
Timothy Chow
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In this YouTube video, the author says that 10...f6 "leads to disaster"...Why?

Why is that at 10:44 of the video, 10...f6 leads to a disaster? https://youtu.be/BrbChWI89ek [FEN ""] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qa5 9. Nxe4 Be7 10. Bg5 f6?
Bri12
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What is the best defense for White against the Traxler Counter Attack?

I had posted the question Should Black avoid the Two Knights Defense because of the Fried Liver Attack? After seeing the Traxler Counter Attack from Black, it made me wonder if White should just avoid the Fried Liver Attack because of this. I have…
xaisoft
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Two Knights Defense 4. Ng5 - Strategy?

I've been trying do some research on the defence against 4. Ng5, since it has been a really big thorn in my side for a bit of time. [FEN ""] [StartPly "7"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 I've firstly taken a look into the Traxler attack,…
Mildwood
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