The Two Knights' Defence.
1 P-K4
P-K4
2 Kt-KB3
Kt-QB3
3 B-B4
Kt-B3
4 Kt-Kt5 ...
The idea of this move which sacrifices development in the interest of attack is to disturb the development of Black by assailing the weakest point in the Black camp, KB2.
4 ... P-Q4
5 PxP ...
That the attack of White is reasonable appears from the consequences of 5 ... KtxP. Then White may obtain an advantage by the sacrifice
6 KtxBP
KxKt;
7 Q-B3ch.
K-K3;
8 Kt-B3
QKt-K2;
9 P-Q4
P-B3;
10 B-KKt5, soon to be followed by Castling Queen's side. Black cannot get his King into safety, the White Rooks very soon become active, for instance,
10 ... PxP;
11 O-O-O
PxKt;
12 KR-K1ch.
K-Q2;
13 QBxKt
PxPch.;
14 K-Kt1. Or 10 ... P-KR3;
11 QBxKt
BxB;
12 O-O-O
R-B1;
13 Q-K4. Or else, 8 ... QKt-Kt5;
9 Q-K4 as recommended by Leonhardt.
9 ... P-B3;
10 P-Q4. The sacrifice of the piece against some Pawns, in view of the insecure position of several of the Black pieces, appears to be well founded.
5 ... Kt-QR4
to retain attack Black abandons a Pawn for the present.
6 B-Kt5ch.
P-B3
To hold on to the attack. If 6 ... B-Q2;
7 Q-K2.
7 PxP
PxP
8 B-K2
P-KR3
9 Kt-KB3
P-K5
10 Kt-K5 ...
The Knight wants to stay in the centre supported by the White Pawns. White has nothing to fear from 10 ... Q-Q5;
11 P-KB4
B-QB4;
12 R-B1 since then the White Pawns will soon drive the Black pieces off with P-B3, P-Q4 or PQX4.
10 ... B-Q3
11 P-Q4
Q-B2
12 B-Q2!
Thus White takes advantage of the bad position of Black Knight on R4. If 12 ... BxKt;
13 PxB
QxP;
14 B-QB3; White has an excellent position.
12 ... Kt-Kt2
13 Kt-B4 ...
13 ... BxP
14 B-K3
B-B5
15 Kt-B3 ...
A position full of life. White has an advantage in development.
Black may follow another line of attack.
5 ... Kt-Q5
The Knight goes into the centre and therefore renounces immediate attack against the White KB.
6 P-QB3
P-Kt4!
The Knight defends its good post. If it gives way at once, White proceeds with 7 (]P-Q4.
7 B-B1 ...
The precious KB does not desire to be exchanged for the exposed Black Knight [!Leonhardt].
But 7 PxKt
PxB;
8 PxP
QxP;
9 O-O
B-Kt2;
10 Kt-KB3
Kt-Q2;
11 Kt-B3 is not without merits.
7 ... KtxP
8 PxKt
QxKt
9 PxP
QxP4446ch.
10 Q-K2
QxQch.
11 BxQ
P-QB3
A difficult End Game, White probably has a slight advantage.
Continuations where White instead of making an immediate attack is satisfied with placid development, are numerous. One is 4 P-Q3, leading up to a firm but unaggressive position. More energetic is 4 [!)P-Q4. After
4 P-Q4
PxP
5 O-O
KtxP
6 R-K1
P-Q4
7 BxP
QxB
8 Kt-B3 ...
Black best secures his Queen in placing it far out of the reach of minor pieces.
8 ... Q-QR4
9 KtxKt
B-K3
10 QKt-Kt5
O-O-O
Not 10 ... Q-Q4 on account of
11 KtxBP.
11 KtxB
PxKt
12 RxP
Q-KB4
Black has a sound development. As an instance of what might follow.
13 Q-K2
B-Q3;
14 B-Kt5
QR-B1;
15 R-Q1
P-KR3;
16 B-B1
K-Q2;
17 R-K4
R-K1;
18 RxR
RxR
19 Q-Q3
QxQ;
20 RxQ
Kt-Kt5;
21 RxP
KtxBP; whereupon Black has the initiative on the Queen's side.