Two Knights Defense

Donnelly Ford
Houston, Texas
Q: In the Two Knights Defense, BCO (page
314) gives the Berliner variation:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5.
exd5 Nd4 6. c3 b5 7. Bf1 Nxd5 8. Ne4 Qh4!

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After 8. ... Qh4
Instead of 9. Ng3 Bg4 10. f3 e4!, the
book makes no reference to 9. d3 Ne6 10.
g3 Qd8 11. Bg2 with which I beat my
Novag computer in 55 moves. Is 9. d3 an
improvement for White?
A: After 9. d3 Bg4! 10. Qd2 Ne6 material
is even and Black has a nice lead in development.
In his famous postal game with
Estrin in 1968 (see game 100 in my book

Modern Chess Brilliancies), Berliner writes:

“8. ... Qh4 was condemned in every opening
book despite its natural appearance
and its function in helping to keep White
off balance. The recommended move is 8.
... Ne6 which leads to equal positions.
This in itself is enough to censure the
whole variation for White.” But your question
raises another fertile area of
discussion: Is 4. Ng5 really good, and
can White get any concrete advantage
against the Fritz Variation (5. ... Nd4)?
In addition to the main line, ECO, section
C57 also gives 8. cxd4 Qxg5 9. Bxb5+
Kd8 10. Qf3 Bb7 leading to equality. Yet
no mention is made of Fischer-N.N., Montreal
simul, 1964, which continued: 11. 0-0 e4!? 12. Qxe4 Bd6 13. d3? (necessary
is 13. Re1! c6 14. Bf1) and now Fischer
pointed out that Black missed a neat coup
with 13. ... Bxh2+! 14. Kxh2 Nf4!! 15.
Bxf4 Qh4+ 16. Kg1 Bxe4, etc. This was
mentioned in Keres’ older Dreispringerspeil
bis Konigsgambit, but didn’t make it
to ECO—an example of the manner in
which things are lost as well as gained
with each advance of opening theory.
Chess politics was as much a topic of
discussion in the column as was opening
theory. Evans pulled no punches in discussing
FIDE. Here is an example from
ten years ago in the March 2001 issue:
King’s Gambit Declined (C30)
Hans Berliner
Larry Evans
U.S. Junior Championship, 1947
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. f4 d6 5. Nf3
Nc6 6. d3 Be6!? 7. Bb5! a6 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9.
f5 Bd7 10. h3 h5 11. Qe2 Qb8! 12. Bd2 Ba7
13. b3 Qb7 14. Ng5 Bd4! 15. 0-0-0 a5 16. Nf3
c5! 17. a4 Rb8 18. g4
Here he played ...
18. ... c4!
... based on 19. bxc4 Qb2 mate as well
as the less-obvious 19. dxc4 Bxc3 20.
Bxc3 Nxe4.
White replied with tactics:
19. Nxd4 exd4 20. e5 but this was refuted by
20. ... cxd3! 21. cxd3 (21. Qxd3 dxc3) 21. ...
Qxb3 22. exf6+ Kd8 23. Bg5 Qa3+! 24. Kd2
Qxc3 mate.

Petrov Defense (C42)

Larry Evans
Arthur Bisguier
U.S. Championship, 1959
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5.
c4 d5 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. d4 Bb4
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+ _N +N+
P_P + _PP_P
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Your starting position
Now make sure you have the above
position set up on your chessboard. As
you play through the remaining moves in
this game, use a piece of paper to cover
the article, exposing White’s next move
only after trying to guess it. If you guess
correctly, give yourself the par score.
Sometimes points are also rewarded for
second-best moves, and there may be
bonus points—or deductions—for other
moves and variations. Note that ** means
that the note to Black’s move is over and
White’s move is on the next line.**
8. Qb3 Par Score: 5
Settle for only 4 points part credit if
you defended 8. Bd2. Accept 1 bonus
point if you saw that 8. Qa4+ is met by 8.
... Nc6.
8. … c5
Black guards the bishop and opens a
path for the queen.**
9. Bd3 Par Score: 5
Receive only 4 points part credit for 9.
cxd5.
9. … Qa5
This is the logical follow-up to his previous
move. The point c3 is threatened
once again.**
10. 0-0 Par Score: 6
White is not worried about the loss of
a pawn, Evans gets his king to safety.
Note that while this is a gambit it is not
the Evans Gambit (Named for the 19th
century Welsh sea captain, not GM
Evans).
10. … Nxc3
11. bxc3 Par Score: 4
11. … Bxc3
Black accepts the pawn sac because he
has nothing better.**
12. Bb2 Par Score: 5
Accept 1 bonus point if you intended
this move when castling.
12. … Bxb2
Black must give up control of e1, since
12. ... Bb4 runs into 13. a3, winning a
piece (1 bonus point).**
13. Rae1+ Par Score: 6
White may delay recapture while he
checks the king (2 bonus points for seeing
it in advance).
13. … Kf8
Add 1 bonus point if you saw that 13.
... Be6 is met by 14. cxd5!.**
14. Qxb2 Par Score: 4
It’s time to take back. No credit for anything
else. It’s also time to take inventory.
Black has an extra pawn, but in return
his king has lost the castling privilege.
Add to this that White has a clear lead in
development. Overall, it’s White for choice.
Accept 1 bonus point if you so evaluated.
14. … cxd4
This clears the center.**
15. cxd5 Par Score: 5
15. … Nd7
Receive 1 bonus point if you saw that
Black gets mated after 15. ... Qxd5 16.
Qb4+ and Re8.**
16. Qxd4 Par Score: 5
16. … Nf6
Black guards e8 and opens a path for
his bishop. He could also have tried 16.
... Qc5 and then 17. ... Nf6, reversing the
move order of the game.**
17. Qe5 Par Score: 5
White threatens mate in three after 18.
Qe7+ Kg8 19. Qe8+ etc. (1 bonus point if
you had this in mind).
17. … Qc5Black doesn’t allow the white queen to
penetrate.**
18. Ng5 Par Score: 5
Award 1 bonus point for seeing the
threat: 19. Nxh7+ Rxh7 (19. ... Nxh7 20.
Qe8 mate) 20. Bxh7.
18. … Bd7
Bisguier meets the threat by guarding
the back rank.**
19. Ne4 Par Score: 6
This forces the exchange of the f6-
knight, Black’s best defender.
19. … Nxe4
The try 19. ... Qxd5 fails to 20. Nxf6
Qxe5 21. Nxd7+ and 22. Nxe5.**
20. Rxe4 Par Score: 4
This clears the e1-square for the doubling
of rooks.
20. … Re8
Bisguier has managed to get his queenrook
out of the corner. Unfortunately,
the king-rook presents its own special
problems.**
21. Qf4 Par Score: 5
Accept only 3 points part credit for 21.
Qd4, preserving the d5-pawn, but allowing
the exchange of queens, which relaxes
the pressure. Evans rightly prefers keeping
queens on the board.
21. … Qxd5
If he’s going to suffer, Black at least
wants a pawn for his troubles. And if
White misplays the attack, the extra pawn
can play a role in the endgame.**
22. Rfe1 Par Score: 5
White has accomplished the doubling
of the rooks and threatens a back row
mate: 23. Rxe8+ Bxe8 24. Qb4+ and Rxe8
mate. Add 1 bonus point, even though
we’ve seen this pattern before.
22. … Rxe4
With mate in the air, the d3-bishop is
immune to capture.**
23. Bxe4 Par Score: 4
Accept only 3 points part credit for 23.
Qxe4, allowing Black to trade queens.
Black cannot afford 23. ... Qxa2 because
of 24. Qd6+ Kg8 25. Qb8+ (1 bonus point).
23. … Qe6
Black can’t stop Qb8+, so he pins the
bishop and aligns with the a2-pawn.**
24. Qb8+ Par Score: 5
This forking check will recover one
pawn and menace another.
24. … Be8
Nor does 24. ... Qe8 change the picture
in any essentials. If anything, it places the
queen in a more passive position.**
25. Qxa7 Par Score: 5
Now if White gets the b7-pawn he’ll
have a passed a-pawn to march down
the board. Accept 1 bonus point if you
noticed that 25. ... f5 is answered by 26.
Qc5+ Qe7 (26. ... Kf7[g8] 27. Bd5) 27.
Qxf5+. If 25. ... Bc6 simply 26. Qb8+.
25. … b6
This preserves the pawn. A better practical
chance was 25. ... g6, making an
outlet for the king.**
26. Qa3+ Par Score: 5
Accept 1 bonus point for seeing 26. ...
Kg8 27. Bxh7+.
26. … Qe7
27. Bc6 Par Score: 5
A pretty finish: If 27. ... Qxa3, then 28.
Rxe8 mate. Accept only 3 points part
credit for 27. Qxe7+ and 28. Bxh7+.
27. … Black resigned.