The Two Knights Variation seems a natural fit for my repertoire, given that I also play the Tango as Black (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 etc.)
3... d4
This is a move that I have not given much thought, mostly because it so much resembles the Tango.
Not 4... d3?! 5. cxd3 Qxd3?! 6. Nc3 Qd8 7. d4
5. Ng3
Perhaps 5. c3!? dxc3 (5... d3?! 6. Nf4 c4?! 7. Qa4+)
6. bxc3 Nc6 7. Ng3 g6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. )
12. Bc4
6. Bb5 Qb6 7. a4 a6 8. Bxc6+ Qxc6 9. d3 is very Tango-like.
6... Nf6!
Black prepares ...Bg4. After my experience in this game, I have to consider this one of the most critical tests of the whole variation.
a) 6... Bg4? was the continuation in the only three games I have played on ICC to reach this position, when White has of course 7. Bxf7+! Kxf7 8. Ng5+
b) 6... e5?! is all you'll find mentioned in the books, when White gets a good reversed Tango with 7. d3 Be7 (7... Be6!?)
8. 
e.g.: 17... Bh4 18. Rxg7+!! Kxg7 19. Bxh6+ Kg8 20. Qg4+ Bg5 21. Bxg5 f5 22. Qg3 f4 23. Bxf4+ Kh8 24. Qh3+)
16. Rg3 Kh8 17. Rf1 f6 18. Rff3 (18. Nxc5)
18... g5 19. Rh3 Bf5 20. g4! Bxe4 21. dxe4 Bd8 22. Bd6 Bc7 23. Be6 Qg7 24. Bxf8 Rxf8 25. Bf5 Rf7 26. Bxh7 Re7 27. e5 Nxe5 28. Be4+ Kg8 29. Bd5+ Nf7 30. Bxb7 Bxh2+ 31. Rxh2 Rxb7 32. Re2 Kf8 33. Rf5 Qh6 34. Qxh6+ Nxh6 35. Rxf6+ Kg7 36. Rc6 Nxg4 37. Rxc5 Kf6 38. Re4 Ne3 39. b3 Rd7 40. Kf2 Kg6 41. Re8 Rf7+ 42. Ke2 Nf5 43. Re6+ Kh5 44. Kd3 Kg4 45. b4 Kf4 46. Re4+ Kf3 47. Re1 Kf4 48. Rf1+ Kg4 49. b5 Rf6 50. a5 1-0 Keres,P-Tartakower,S/Paris 1954.
7.
a) 7. e5!? Nd5 8.
b) 7. h3!? may actually be the best move, when you basically have a position from the Tango with colors reversed and the extra move h3 for White.
8. c3 Qd7 9. cxd4 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nxd4 11. Qd1 e6 12. a4 Be7 13. f4
a) 9... a6!?
b) 9... e5?! is, of course, all wrong: 10. d3 g6 11. Qe2 Bd6 12. f4 Nd7? 13. Bxf7+! Kxf7 14. fxe5+ Kg7 15. exd6 Qh4 16. Qf2 Qf6 17. Qd2 Qh4 18. Qe1 Kg8 19. Rf4 Qh6 20. e5 Ncxe5 21. Qe4 Qg7 22. Qd5+ Nf7 23. Bd2 Rd8 24. Ne4 h6 25. Raf1 Rf8 26. Qe6 g5 27. R4f2 1-0 Rogmann,G-Dyckmanns/Krefeld 1938.
At this point, I went into a long think trying to find something for White -- without much luck. I decided to at least retain the two Bishops, even if that meant going into a temporary retreat.
11. Qd1!?
a) 11. Qh5 is the move I most considered and perhaps should have played, but Black seems ok after 11... a6 (11... Qb6!? 12. a4 a6 13. Bxd7+ Nxd7 14. d3)
12. f4!? (12. Bxd7+! Nxd7 13. d3 g6 14. Qe2 Bg7 15. f4 is at least better than the game continuation.)
12... axb5 13. fxe5 g6 14. e6! (14. Qg5 e6!
xe5)
14... fxe6 (14... gxh5?? 15. exf7#)
15. Qg4 Ne5! (15... Qb6!? 16. Qf4 
)
16. Qxe6 Qd6 17. Qb3!? (17. Qxd6 exd6 18. d3 b4!? 19. Bf4 Bg7
)
17... Qc6
b) 11. Qb3!? a6 12. Be2 b5 13. d3 e6 14. c4! (14. a4!?) 14... Rb8 15. cxb5 axb5 16. Qd1 and the Bishop and Queen arrive, by a circuitous route, to the same position as in the game but with some slight positional gains on the queenside.
The main drawback to my line is that it allows 12... d3! 13. cxd3 Nc6! 14. f4 e5!
and I like Black. So perhaps 11.Qh5 is best after all.
13. f4!?
I wanted to get that Knight out of there, but this does give Black one more chance for the d3 idea.
13. d3!
13... Nc6
13... Qh4!? 14. Kh2 d3 15. cxd3 Nc6
14... Qh4!? 15. Kh2!?
I really admired this move when my opponent played it. Now ...g5 has added weight.
16... g5!? 17. Nh5! Rg8 (17... )
18. f5
17. e5
|
17... g6?
It seems accurate to give this a full question mark, since this slight wavering really determined the outcome of the game. If Black had chosen this moment to strike, then the remaining conversation would have been held on the Kingside, with my monarch in jeopardy for the remainder. Instead, I get the breathing room I need to turn the focus to the queenside and the Black King.
17... g5! 18. f5! (18. Bf3!?)
18... Ndxe5! (18... Qxe5? 19. fxe6! fxe6 20. Bh5+)
(18... exf5 19. Nxf5 Ndxe5 20. Bg4!)
(18... )
19. fxe6 fxe6 20. Bh5+ Kd7!
|
Too slow.
a) 19... f6? 20. exf6 Nxf6 (20... Bxf6 21. b4!)
21. Ng5
b) 19... g5! seems required of the position.
20. b4!
Now White turns the corner and gets the attack going first. From this point onward, Black is on the defensive. Too slow is 20. Rb1?! g5! 21. fxg5 (21. f5 Qxe5 22. Bg4 h5!)
21... Ncxe5 22. b4 h6! 23. gxh6 cxb4 24. axb4 f5 25. Nc5!
20... cxb4
20... g5!? 21. b5 Ncb8!? might be tried.
22. Qb3 Nc6 23. Rfb1 Nc5! (23... g5?! 24. Nd6+!)
24. Nxc5 Bxc5 25. Bf3 f6 may hold.
22... Nc6
Black may have better tries, but white attacks in any case:
a) 22... Bxc5? 23. Nxc5 Nxc5 (23... Qxc5?? 24. Rc1)
24. Bxb4
b) 22... Nd5!? 23. Bf3 (23. c6!? Qxc6 24. Rc1 Nc5 25. Bf3)
23... Nxc5 24. Nxc5 Bxc5 25. Bxd5 exd5 26. Qb3
c) 22... Nxc5 23. Bxb4!! (I figured 23. Nxc5!? Bxc5 24. Bf3)
23... Nxe4 24. Bxe7 Nc3 25. Bxf8!! Nxd1 26. Rfxd1
a) 23... Kd8! 24. Qc2 Bxd6 25. exd6 Qc8 and Black is still surviving
b) 23... Bxd6?! 24. cxd6 Qb8 25. Bf3
|
26. Rxa6!
If you ask Fritz, White is spoiled for choice here. But you have to be able to calculate like a machine to see it all. If you let Fritz think for a while, though, he thinks my move is best.
26. Ba5!? was my original intention, but just as I was about to play it I saw 26... Qxc5 27. Bxd8!! Bxd6! and then I spent way too much time trying in my head to make this work before choosing the simpler option in the game. Of course, Fritz quickly sees(all I had seen going into this was the lovely 27... Qxc2?? 28. Rxb7+ Ka8 29. Rxa6#)
28. Qa4! Rxd8 (28... Kc8 29. Rxb7!!)
(28... Qa7 29. Qc6!!)
29. Qxa6 Qc1+!? 30. Bf1! Qe3+ 31. Kh1 Nc5 32. Qa7+ Kc7 33. Qb6+ Kd7 34. Qxd6+ Ke8 35. Qxc5
26... Qxc5
26... Nxc5 27. Ba5! Nxa6 28. Bxc7+ Nxc7 29. Nxb7!! Nxb7 30. Qc6
Black resigned. I had just under five minutes left on my clock, so I was relieved not to have to prove the rest. Funny how my two Bishops, which I had seen as my positional trump throughout, stood idly by the entire game....
1-0
[Michael Goeller]
13. 
)