1. Nc3 c5 2. Nf3 d5 3. e4 dxe4 4. Nxe4 e6 5. d4!

The first moves leading to this position usually go 1.e4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 c5, which some consider the easiest answer to the Two Knights French. White should embrace the ending following 5.d4, where he has a clear edge due to his more rapid development. In his book A Startling Chess Opening Repertoire, Chris Baker gives instead the rather insipid line 5. Bc4 Nc6 6. O-O (6. d3 transposes) 6... Be7 7. Qe2 Nf6 8. d3 O-O 9. c3?! (9. Bg5= Baker) 9... a6 10. a4 b6 11. Rd1 Qc7 12. Bg5 Nxe4 13. Qxe4 Bb7 14. Qh4 h6 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Qg3 Rfd8 17. Bb3 Rd7 18. Bc2 Rad8 19. Re1 Qf6 20. Re3 Ba8 21. Rae1 Bb7 22. h4 Rd6 23. Nh2 g6 24. Ng4 Qg7 25. Qf4 Kh7 26. Nf6+ Kh8 27. Nh5 Qf8 28. Ng3 e5 29. Qe4 f5 30. Nxf5 Qxf5 31. d4 Qxe4 32. Bxe4 exd4 33. cxd4 cxd4 34. Rg3 d3 35. Rd1 d2 36. Bxg6 Ne5 37. Bc2 Nc4 38. Rb3 a5 39. Kh2 Bc6 40. Rg3 Nxb2 0-1 Van Bellen,H-Heyne,M/Bad Wildbad 1993 (40)

 

5... cxd4 6. Qxd4!

6. Nxd4!? a6!

 

6... Qxd4

6... Nc6 7. Qxd8+ Nxd8 8. Be3 Nc6 9. O-O-O

 

7. Nxd4 a6

Black must stop ideas like Nb5. No better is 7... Nf6 8. Nxf6+ gxf6 9. Nb5 Na6 10. Be3 Bd7 11. O-O-O Rg8 12. a3 b6 13. Be2! Bc6 14. Nd6+ (14. Nd4!? ) 14... Bxd6 15. Rxd6 Nb8 16. Rhd1 Ke7 17. Bf3!? (17. g3 ) 17... Bxf3 18. gxf3 Rc8 19. Bh6 Nc6 20. Rd7+ Ke8 21. Bg7 Ne7 22. Rb7 Nd5 23. Rd4 Rc5 24. Rh4 Rac8 25. c3 R5c7 26. Rxc7 Rxc7 27. Kd2 Ke7 28. c4 1-0 Zemerov,V-Portisch,F/Bekescsaba 1996 (28)

 

8. Bf4! Nd7

There are a number of alternatives for Black, but in every case White's development leads to a clear edge:

a) 8... f6 9. Nd6+ Bxd6 (9... Kd7 10. Nxc8 Kxc8 11. Nxe6) 10. Bxd6 e5 11. Nb3 Ne7 12. O-O-O

 

b) 8... Nf6 9. Nd6+ Bxd6 10. Bxd6 Kd7 11. Be5 Rd8 12. Bc4 Nc6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. O-O-O Nxd4 15. Rxd4+ Ke7 16. Rh4 Rh8 17. Bd3 f5 18. Re1 Kf6 19. Rb4 Ra7 20. Rd1 Rd8 21. Rb6 Ke7 22. Re1 Rd6 23. Rb4 Kf6 24. Rh4 Kg7 25. Re3 h6 26. Rg3+ Kf8 27. Rxh6 Bd7 28. Bxf5 Ke7 29. Bd3 b5 30. Rh7 Be8 31. h4 Rd4 32. h5 Rf4 33. h6 Rxf2 34. Rh8 Rf6 35. h7 Rh6 36. Rxe8+ Kxe8 37. Rh3 Rxh7 38. Rxh7 Rc7 39. Kd2 Ke7 40. a4 bxa4 41. Bg6 Kf6 42. Rxf7+ 1-0 Doll,S-Schulz,W/Baden 2000 (42)

 

c) 8... Bd7 may be best, when White grabs the two Bishops with 9. Nd6+ Bxd6 10. Bxd6 Nc6 11. O-O-O Nf6 12. Be2? (better 12. f3 Nd5 (or 12... O-O-O 13. c4 ) 13. Nf5! ) 12... Ne4 13. Bg3 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Nxd4 15. Rxd4 Bc6 16. Bf3? (16. f3=) 16... Bxf3 17. gxf3 Rd8 18. Rhd1? (18. Rdh4=) 18... Ke7 19. Rxd8 Rxd8 20. Rxd8 Kxd8 21. Kd2 Kd7 22. Kd3 Kd6 23. Kd4 h5 24. c4 g5 and the pawn will queen. 0-1 Goeller,M-Stoyko,S/game in 5, Kenilworth Chess Club 2005 (24)

9. Nd6+ Ke7

9... Bxd6 10. Bxd6 Ngf6 11. f3 (not 11. O-O-O Ne4!= as in the line "c" above)

 

10. O-O-O g6 11. Nf3 Bh6 12. Ng5

12. Bxh6 Nxh6 13. Be2 Ng4 14. Rhf1

 

12... f6

12... Ne5 13. h4 Ng4 14. Ndxf7 Nxf2 15. Nxh8 Nxh1 16. Nhf7

 

13. Nxe6 Kxe6 14. Bc4+ Ke7 15. Rhe1+ Ne5 16. Bxh6 Nxh6 17. f4 Bg4 18. Rd2 b5 19. Bb3 Ra7 20. fxe5 fxe5 21. Rxe5+ Kf6 22. Re1 g5 23. Ne8+ Kf5 24. Rf2+ Kg6 25. Rf6+ Kh5 26. h3 Bd7 27. Ng7+

 

1-0

[Michael Goeller]