Scribd
Upload
99 views3 pages

Chess Opening Strategies

The Two Knights Variation begins with the moves 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 (or 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3). While Bobby Fischer played this variation in his youth, it has since declined in popularity. Black's best reply is 3...Bg4. The document provides an example game from 1927 where Black lost quickly after a mistake, and warns that if Black plays like in the Classical Variation, White can gain a huge advantage after 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4.

Uploaded by

Sofia Johnson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
99 views3 pages

Chess Opening Strategies

The Two Knights Variation begins with the moves 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 (or 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3). While Bobby Fischer played this variation in his youth, it has since declined in popularity. Black's best reply is 3...Bg4. The document provides an example game from 1927 where Black lost quickly after a mistake, and warns that if Black plays like in the Classical Variation, White can gain a huge advantage after 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4.

Uploaded by

Sofia Johnson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

uggest that 7.c3! is more critical, giving a small objective advantage for White.

Interesting, though
probably insufficient is 3...e5. This so-called 'Twisted Fantasy Variation' aims to exploit White's
weaknesses on the a7–g1 diagonal, an idea similar to 3...Qb6, a variation championed by ​Baadur
Jobava​. Related to the Fantasy Variation are the gambits 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.f3,
originated by ​Sir Stuart Milner-Barry​, and 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.f3 (von Hennig).

Two Knights Variation: 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 (or 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3)


[​edit​]

a b c d e f g h
a b c d e f g h

Two Knights Variation

The Two Knights Variation 1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 (or 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3) was played by ​Bobby Fischer
in his youth, but has since declined in popularity. White's intention is to benefit from rapid
development as well as to retain options regarding the d-pawn. Black's logical and probably best
reply is 3...Bg4. After 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3, the positional continuation, Black has the option of 5...Nf6 or
5...e6. The Retreat Line 4...Bh5 is ​playable​ but Black must be careful. In ​Noteboom​–Mindeno 1927
Black lost quickly after 5.exd5 cxd5 6.g4 Bg6 7.Ne5 a6? (7...Nc6 is necessary) 8.h4 d4 9.h5! dxc3
10.hxg6 cxd2+ 11.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 12.Bxd2 and Black must lose ​material​.[6]
​
This variation sets a trap: if Black plays along the lines of the Classical Variation, he gets in trouble
after 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 (4...Nd7 is playable) 5.Ng3 Bg6?! (5...Bg4) 6.h4 h6 7.Ne5 Bh7 (7...Qd6
may be best) 8.Qh5! g6 (​forced​) 9.Bc4! e6 (9...gxh5​??​ 10.Bxf7#) 10.Qe2 with a huge advantage for
White. Now 10...Qe7! is best. Instead, ​Lasker​–Radsheer, 1908 and ​Alekhine​–Bruce, 1938 ended
quickly after, respectively, 10...Bg7?? 11.Nxf7! and 10...Nf

You might also like