TWO KNIGHTS DEFENSE: FOUR POSTAL GAMES by Mark Morss NM, NCM The Two Knights is a cornerstone of the theory of the open games. It creates an imbalance between time and material was characteristic of many games of the Morphy era. The opportunity to play the black side of the Two Knights arises frequently in postal chess, in part because many repertoire books have been written that advocating white's side of this opening. The games given here were played in USCF postal sections during 1992-1993, against oppenents who were all Postal Experts. Game 1. Angelo Calstaldo (Sunnyvale CA) - Mark Morss 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf3 4. Ng5 ... -------------------------------------------- Objectively, this is probably white's best move. It's a difficult move for many white players to make, because it yields the initiative -- "the birthright of the white pieces," as Tarrasch put it. 4. ...d5 5. exd5 Na5 --------------------- An underrated system is 5...b5. 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 ... ------------------------------------ This is extremely challenging and, like many lines of the Two Knights, requires both players to know some theory. Objectively better is 8. Be2, when Melts - Boom, 15th World Postal Champ. Semifinals, 1984/89, went 8...h6 9. Nf3 e4 10. Ne5 Bd3 11. f4 exf3 12. Nxf3 O-O 13. O-O c5 14. Kh1 Qc7 15. Nc3 a6 16. d4 Bb7 17. d5 (equalizing is 17. Be3 Rad8 18. Bg1 Rfe8 19. Re1 Nc6 20. d5 Nb4) 17...Rad8 18. Be3 Rfe8 19. Qd3 and now 19...Bxd5! would have established black's advantage. 8. ...Rb8 9. Bd3 ... --------------------- After 9. Bxc6+ Nxc6 10. Qxc6+ Nd7, Black's initiative is worth more than the two sacrificed pawns. 9. ...h6 10. Ne4 Nd5 11. Nec3 ... ---------------------------------- A dubious, unbooked move. It is often true of postal chess that the first unbooked move decisively loses -- when it does not decisively win! Bad are 11. O-O Nb4 and 11. Nbc3 Nf4. Theoretically recommended is 11. Ng3 g6, when Black plans a kingside pawn-storm and appears to have some advantage. Some recent top-level experience is 11. b3 g6 12. Qg3 Bg7 13. Ba3 Nb4 with advantage to black in van der Wiel - Torre, 1980. 12. ...Bd6 ---------- This deliberately risky move attracted me because it looked so natural. Probably better is 12...Bc5. 13. a3 ... ---------- White can't afford to play this slowly. I expected 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qxd5 O-O 15. Qf3 e4 16. Bxe4 Re8, when black throws his pawns to the winds but seems to have some compensation (16. O-O Bxh7+). 13. ...O-O 14. b4 f5 15. Nxd5 ... ----------------------------------- Or 15. bxa5 e5 and black regains the piece with a favorable opening of the position. 15. ...e4 16. Qe2 ... ---------------------- Or 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. Qe3 (16. Qe2 cxd5 17. bxa5 Qxa5 followed by ...Ba6) 16...cxd5 17. bxa5 Qf6 or 17...Ba6. 17. ...exd6 ----------- Also winning is 17...cxd5, but I thought it was best to open the e-file. At this point in my analyses, I foresaw the actual conclusion of the game as one of the possibilities. 17. Qxd6 cxd5 18. Qxd5+ ... ----------------------------- Here white optimistically offered a draw. 19. ...Kh8 20. Qxa5 Re8+ 21. Kd1 ... -------------------------------------- Now there is nothing left to defend white's kingside. But 21. Kf1 Qe7 is even more obviously losing. 21. ...Qg5 22. Re1 Qg4+ ------------------------ An important finesse. 23. f3 Rxe8+ 24. Kxe8 Qxg7 25. Qd8+ ... ----------------------------------------- Not the best, but white is lost in any case. The threat of 26...Ba6 is very strong. 26. ...Kh7 27. Qxd6 Ba6 ------------------------ A position fraught with irony. White resigned. Game 2. Robert Clark (Austin TX) - Mark Morss 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 ... -------------------------------------------- This move is recommended by several repertoire books. 4. ...exd4 ---------- The same position can arise from 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6!. 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 --------------------------------- This is much better than 7...Bd7, but it requires a good deal of theoretical knowledge. 8. Nxc6 ... ----------- An extraordinary move that has recently attracted attention, after lying dormant in chess opening theory for more than 75 years. 8. ...Bxf2+ 9. Kf1 Qh4 ----------------------- The "Kaidanz Variation." Dr. Hermann Kaidanz authored an extensive analysis of this line that appeared in the Wiener Schachzeitung in 1904. Twelve years later, another lengthy analysis of 9...Qh4, credited to Kaidanz, appeared in the 1916 edition of the Handbuch des Schachspiels (edited by Karl Schlecter), the ECO of its day. Both the 1904 and 1916 analyses currently can be obtained at the Cleveland Public Library. Reflecting the obscurity of the variation, modern openings manuals contain just one or two brief continuations after 9...Qh4, not nearly enough to make sense of Kaidanz' idea. In 1991, Rini Kuif, a Dutch IM writing in New in Chess Yearbook 20, expressed distrust of 9...Qh4 (without being aware of Kaidanz' analysis) and recommended 9...bxc6 10. Bxc6+ Kf8. (Before the game, my opponent also considered this best for black) The Handbuch claims that Kuif's idea is refuted by 11. Qd3! and now: I. 11...Qh4 (11...Rb8 12. Bxd5) 12. Nc3 Nc5 13. Qf3 Bd4 14. Bxa8 Bxc3 15. Be3. II. 11...Bf5 12. Qf3 Bc8 (12...Bd7 13. e6) 13. Nd2 Nxd2+ 14. Bxd2 Bc5 15. Bxd5. 10. Qxd5 ... ------------ There are several alternatives. I can only give the barest outline of Kaidanz' analyses: I. 10. Nd4+ c6 11. Nf3 (or 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bxc6+ Ke7 13. c4 Ng3+ 14. Kxf7 Ne4+ 15. Ke2 Qf2+ 16. Kd3 dxc4+ 17. Kxc4 Ba6) 11...Ng3+ 12. Kxf2 Ne4+ 13. Ke2 Qf2+ 14. Kd3 Bf5! 14. Nd4 Bg6. II. 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Nxe4 (11. Qxd5 Nxc3 12. bxc3 bxc6 with a strong attack) 11...dxe4 12. Qe2 (12. Nd4 c5 followed by 13...Bg4 with strong attack) 12...bxc6 13. Bxc6 Bb6 with the threat of ...Ba6. III. 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Be3 bxc6 12. Bxc6 Bg4 13. Qd3 Rad8. IV. 10. Nxa7+ c6 11. Nxc8 Rxc8 12. Be2 Ba7 13. Qe1 Nf2 14. c3 O-O 15. Nd2 Qe7. 10. ...Bc5 ---------- Kuif was unaware of this. He gave 10...O-O 11. Nd2 and 10...Be3 11. Nd4+ Ke7 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Qd7+ as good for white. 11. Be3! ... ------------- This great try to save white's game wasn't considered by Kaidanz. A skeletal outline of Kaidanz' analysis: I. 11. Nd4+ c6 12. Be3 O-O 13. Qb3 Be6! 14. Bc4 (other moves also fail) 14...Bxd4 15. Bxd4 b5. II. 11. g3 Qh3+ 12. Ke1 Bf2+ 13. Ke2 Qg4+ 14. Kd3 (14. Kf1 O-O 15. Ne7+ Kh8 16. Nxc8 Qf3) 14...Nc5+ 15. Kc3 O-O 16. Ne7+ Kh8 17. Qd1 Ne4+ 18. Kb3 Qe6+ 19. Qd5 Nc5+. III. 11. Qd8+ Qxd8 12. Nxd8+ Kxd8. 11. ...Ng3+ ----------- Safe, solid and probably best. My opponent had prepared 11...Bxe3 12. g3, when it isn't easy for Black to continue his attack. 12. hxg3 Qxh8+ 13. Kf2 Bxe3+ 14. Kxe3 O-O ------------------------------------------- Black has only a rook versus two minor pieces, but white's insecure King, weak pawns, and difficulties along the back rank weigh strongly in black's favor. 15. Ne7+ Kh8 16. Nxc8 Qc1+ 17. Qd2 ... ---------------------------------------- Otherwise Black retains the threat of ...c6. 17. ...Qxb2 18. Qd4 ... ------------------------ Or 18. Nc3 Qxa1 19. Ne7 Rad8. 18. ...Qxb5 19. Ne7 Rae8 ------------------------- Black intends to break through on the e- and f-files. 20. Nc3 Qb7 21. Rb1 Qxc2 22. Ned5 Qxg2 ---------------------------------------- I also thought about 22...f6 23. e6 Rxe6+ 24. Kf6. 23. Ne4 ... ----------- Now white seems to have a pretty solid setup. 23. ...c5! 24. Qxc5 f5 ----------------------- Here white resigned, albeit somewhat prematurely. I expected 25. Nd6 Rxe5+ 26. Kd4 and 26...Qf2! wins. Game 3. Jack Maxfield (Wichita Falls TX) - Mark Morss 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 8. O-O ----------------------------------------------------------------- This was once considered the main line, and was recommended in the first (1984) edition of Harding's "Evan's Gambit: and a System versus the Two Knights". Recent theory (notably the second, 1991, edition of Harding's book!) recommends 8. Be3. There is a great deal of experience with this, and the critical line is 8...Bd7 (8...O-O is unsound) 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Nd2! Nxd2! 11. Qxd2 Qe7! (11...O-O 12. O-O f6 13. Nxc6!) 12. Nb3 Bb6 13. Qc3 O-O 14. O-O Rfe8 (not 14...Rae8 15. Bc5) 15. f4 f6 16. Bc5 fxe5 17. fxe4 Qh4 (not 17...Qg5 18. Rae1) and black was fine in Rinkis-Poleschuk, USSR postal 1984. Harding claims advantage for white based on 18. Nd2 d4 19. Qa3 and "black cannot play 19...Rxe5 because of 20. Bxb6 and 21. Nf3 winning the exchange." This is false, because after 20. Bxb6 black has the zwischenzug 20...Re6. In the foregoing line, white tried to batten down the d4 and c5 squares, fixing black's weak c-pawns. Black's counter was to use ...f6 to rip the position open and gain play with his major pieces. This dynamic is typical of the whole variation with 4. d4 and 5. e5. 8. ...O-O 9. Nxc6 ... ---------------------- The brother of 8. Nxc6 (Game 2), and just as dubious. Theory used to recommend 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Be3. The critical continuation is 10...Qe8 11. Nd2 Nxd2 12. Qxd2 Qxe5 13. Nxc6 Bxe3 14. fxe6 (14. Qxe6 Qxe6 15. fxe6 Bb7! is good for black) 14...Qxb2 15. Rb1 (15. Ne7+ Kh8 16. Nxd5 Ba6 favors black) 15...Qa6 (15...Qxa7 16. Qxd4 favors white according to Harding) 16. Qd4! Ba6! 17. Rf4 (17. Rb3? drops a piece to 17...Qd6, and 17. Rf3 Qxa7 18. Ra1 Qc4 is also good for black) and Harding considers this position as favoring white in his 1984 edition. He gives 17...Qxa7 18. Ra1 Qc4 19. Ne7+ Ke8 20. Qe5 and white has a strong initiative. However, black is in no hurry to take the a- pawn. He can play 17...Bc4, defending the d-pawn and preparing ...Rae8. In my opinion, white lacks sufficient compensation for his weak pawns. In his 1991 edition, Harding doesn't say why he gives up on 8. O-O and recommends instead a completely different branch (8. Be3). A very recent challenge to black's system is 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Nxc6, conceived by Australian GM Ian Rogers. Rogers-Pavlovic, Sokobanja 1989, went 10...Qd7 (10...Qh4 11. Be3 Ba6 12. Bxc5! Bxf1 13. Be3! Ba6! 14. Na3! favored white in Esteves-Peres, Cuba 1991) 11. Nd4 Qe7! 12. Bf4 (12. Be3 Qxe5 13. c3 Bd6 14. Nf3 Qh5 is good for black) 12...f6! 13. e6 (13. exf6 Qxf6 14. Be3 Ba6) 13...Bxe6 and now: I. The game with Pavlovic went 14. c3 Bf7 15. Nd2 Rfe8 16. N2b3 (best is 16. a4 a5 17. N2b3 Bb6) 16...Bb6 17. a4 c5! 18. Nf3 a5 with somewhat better play for black. II. Rogers later recommended 14. Nxe6 Qxe6 15. Bxc7 Rac8 16. Bg3 (16. Bf4 Nxf2! 17. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 18. Kxf2 Qf5) 16...f5 17. Bf4 as favoring white. I think this claim is pretty optimistic. For example, 14...Qb6! 15. Qd5+ Kh8 and black has terrific play. 9. ...bxc6 10. Bxc6 Ba6 11. Bxa8 ---------------------------------- Or 11. Qxd5 Bxf1 12. Qxe5 Bb5! 13. Nc3 Bxc6 14. Qxc6 Bd4. 11. ...Bxf1 12. Kxf1 ... ------------------------- This unbooked move looks reasonable, though it is passive. Losing outright is 12. Qxd5 Bc4!. Also 12. Be3 greatly favored black after 12...Bxe3 13. fxe3 Bxg2 14. Qg4 Bh3 15. Qxh3 Qg5+ 16. Kh1 Rxa8 in Hermann-Keres (!) postal (!!) 1936. 12. ...Qh4 14. Qf3 Rxa8 15. Nc3 Nxc3 16. bxc3 Qxh2! ------------------------------------------------------ With the following cute idea: 17. Qxd5 Re8 ------------ Indirectly defending the bishop. Black has the advantage based on his better development, better pawns, and more secure king. 18. Bb2 Rxe5 19. Qa8+ Bf8 20. g3 Rf5 --------------------------------------- This move took some thought. In spite of black's awkwardness on his back rank, it seems best to claw away at white's king. 21. Qg2 Qh6 ----------- A conservative choice would have been 21...Qxg2+ with an advantageous ending, but it seemed best to try to exploit white's trouble with his king. As it turned out, White could not find the solution to the resulting problems. 22. Qe4 Qf6 23. Qe3 g5 24. Kg2 Bc5 25. Qe8+ Kg7 26. f4 gxf4 --------------------------------------------------------------- and White resigned. Game 4. Gerard Soricelli (Staten Island NY) - Mark Morss 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd5 5. O-O Bc5 -------------------------------------------------------- Entering the Max Lange Attack. A perfectly sound, equalizing move is 5...Nxe4, but if black wants to win, he should play the text. For the next several moves, the game follows the critical path of the Max Lange. There are so many offshoots that it isn't possible to comment on them here. The thoretically-minded should see ECO- II (C55) or Zagorovsky's Romantic Chess Openings. 6. e5 d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. Nce4 Bf8 ------------------------------------------------------------ Rubinstein's move, which is absolutely critical. The point is that white is not to be allowed to establish a pawn on g7. The books all recommend 11...O-O-O, but the game gets very difficult after 12. g4! Qe5 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. fxg7! Rg8 15. Bh6! Again there is too much material to treat here - see Soltis' Winning with the Guico Piano and the Max Lange Attack (a superb book), where the author argues that white is better. 12. g4 ... ----------- Not the best. The test is 12. Nxf7 Kxf7 13. Ng5+ and now: I. 13...Kg8 (the best winning try) 14. g4 Qg6 with two branches: Ia. 15. fxg7 Bd5! 16. gxh8=Q+ Kxh8 and Black has very fine compensation for the exchange. Ib. 15. Rxe6 gxf6 16. Qf3 (16. f4 Nd8 or 16...Qg7) 16...Kg7 17. Bf4 (or 17. h4 h5 18. Bf4 Bd6) 17...Bd6 with extremely complicated play. Black is under pressure, but he has good chances of beating off the attack and exploiting his queenside pawn majority (or white's exposed kingside). II. 13...Kg6 is a dubious, but possibly playable, alternative: IIa. The refutation, according to ECO-II (C55, note 132), is 14. fxg7 (14. Nxe6 Re8) 14...Bxg7 15. Rxe6+ Bf6 16. g4 Qd5 17. Nh3! Kf7 18. Nf4 Qc5 19. Qf3 Rhf8 20. b4!? (20 Rxf6 is unsound, and 20. Qe4! Kg8 21. Nh5 Be5! 22. f4 is unclear according to Zagorovsky, but I think it's better for white) 20...Nxb4 21. Qe4 Kg8 22. Nh5. But this analysis, attributed to Lepeshkin, overlooks that 22...Qd5 holds the fort - with advantage. IIb. Soltis recommends 14. Nxe6 Re8 (better than 14...gxf6) 15. Nf4+. However, it is difficult to see advantage for white after 15...Kf7 16. Rxe8 Kxe8 17. fxg7 Bxg7. For example, 18. Qh5+ Qxh5 19. Nxh5 Be4 (or even 19...Kf7) 20. f4 Bd6. 12. ...Qxg4+! 13. Qxg4 Bxg4 14. fxg7 Bxg7 15. Nf6+ Kf8 16. Ngxh7+ ... -------------------------------------------------------- Favoring black is 16. Nxg4 h5. 16. ...Rxh7 17. Nxh7+ Kg8 18. Ng5 Nb4 19. Re7 Nxc2 20. Rb1... ----------------------------------------------------------------- Black now has, at least, sufficient compensation for the exchange. The problem is to try to win. 20. ...f6 --------- Trying to eliminate white's rook from the seventh rank. I'm not really sure how best to handle this difficult position. 21. Ne6 ... ----------- This freely gives up the seventh rank. 21. Ne4 is better. Black should probably then play 21...Bf6, with apparent advantage. 21. ...Bxe6 22. Rxe6 Kf7 23. Re2 ... -------------------------------------- 23. Re4 may be better. 23. ...d6 24. Re4 b5 25. Bd2... --------------------------------- The bishop is very loose here. Possibly 25. Be3 is better. 25. ...f5 26. Rh4 ... ---------------------- Not 26. Rf4 Bh6. 26. ...Nd5 27. Rh3 Rh8 28. Kg2 ... ------------------------------------ Not 28. Rxh8 Nf3+ 29. Kg2 Nxd2 30. Rd1 Bxh8 31. Rxd2 Bxb2. 28. ...Rxh3 29. Kxh3 Nc2 30. a3 c5 31. Kg2 b4 32. axb4 cxb4 33. Kf3 Bxb2! 34. Rxb2 c3 35. Bxc3 ... --------------------------------------------------------------- I also considered 35. Rxb4 cxd2 36. Rb1 a5 37. Rd1 a4 38. Rxd2 a3 39. Rxd3 a2 40. Rd1 a1=Q 41. Rxa1 Nxa1 and though the knight is far-flung, the ending is won for black. White's pawns are unable to exchange black's last pawn. 35. ... bxc3 36. Rb7+ ... -------------------------- A pointless move, but white is lost in any case. 36. ...Ke6 37. Rb1 Nd5+ 38. Ke6 c2 39. Re1 Ne2 40. Kd2 a5 41. h4 c1=Q+ 42. Rxc1 Nxc1 43. Kxc1 a4 ------------------------------------------------------------- and white resigned.