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Two Knights (C57)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Ng5

Number of games in database: 1227
Years covered: 1610 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 40.3%
   Black wins 44.7%
   Draws 15.0%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Enrico Paoli  13 games
Bobby Fischer  11 games
Yakov Estrin  7 games
Peter Leisebein  14 games
Igor Nikolayev  12 games
Bernd Knorr  10 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Polerio vs Domenico, 1610
C van de Loo vs M Hesseling, 1983
Greco vs NN, 1620
J Reinisch vs Traxler, 1890
Y Estrin vs H Berliner, 1965
Edelman vs I Mazel, 1928
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 page 1 of 50; games 1-25 of 1,227  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Polerio vs Domenico 1-0211610RomeC57 Two Knights
2. Greco vs NN 1-0171620Miscellaneous gameC57 Two Knights
3. von der Lasa vs H Seligo  1-0271837von der Lasa - Seligo Casual SeriesC57 Two Knights
4. von der Lasa vs C Mayet 1-0241839von der Lasa - Mayet Casual SeriesC57 Two Knights
5. Harrwitz vs Smith / Bogle  1-0431848Blindfold simul, 2bC57 Two Knights
6. Cochrane vs Moheschunder 1-0161852CalcuttaC57 Two Knights
7. Cochrane vs Saumchurn  1-0381856Casual gameC57 Two Knights
8. Cochrane vs Moheschunder 1-0161856Casual gameC57 Two Knights
9. Cochrane vs Moheschunder 1-0221856Casual gameC57 Two Knights
10. S Boden vs NN  1-0401858Casual gameC57 Two Knights
11. NN vs Wilson  0-1251858Casual gameC57 Two Knights
12. F Burden vs Wilson  1-0201858Casual gameC57 Two Knights
13. K Brenzinger vs F E Brenzinger 0-1501859Correspondence GameC57 Two Knights
14. F Burden vs R Wormald  0-1331859MatchC57 Two Knights
15. S Boden vs H A Kennedy  0-1311860Casual gameC57 Two Knights
16. Steinitz vs W Wilson 1-0261862Casual gameC57 Two Knights
17. H Clemenz vs F Amelung  1-0241862Dorpat Chess ClubC57 Two Knights
18. F Amelung vs General Mikhailov  1-0241871St. PetersburgC57 Two Knights
19. J O Bourne vs C G Heydon 0-1381872New South Wales vs Queensland; Telegraph MatchC57 Two Knights
20. J Henderson vs G M Furby  1-02918732nd Canadian Championship, TorontoC57 Two Knights
21. H C Plunkett vs Steinitz 1-0411875Simul, 13bC57 Two Knights
22. A W Gentil vs T M Ault 1-0201876Milwaukee Chess ClubC57 Two Knights
23. Milwaukee Chess Club vs Charles City Chess Club 0-1231876TelegraphC57 Two Knights
24. Anderssen vs E Schallopp 1-0271877OffhandC57 Two Knights
25. Mephisto vs Tinsley 1-0281878Leicester Square ExhibitionC57 Two Knights
 page 1 of 50; games 1-25 of 1,227  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-27-05  kschess: on that game 8.O-O isnt that great of a move i like 8.Qf3 better plus if black plays it wrong you checkmate him easily
Jun-01-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Annie K.: <kschess>, sorry for the delay, I wasn't expecting a response after all this time. :)

I agree that 8.Qf3 would probably have been better for White.

It usually is easy to checkmate people if they play wrong. ;) What do you think would have been wrong play in this case? :)

Nov-22-05  AdrianP: New In Chess are kindly letting you view a series of 5 surveys on the Wilkes-Barre which seems to offer a near-definitive overview

http://www.newinchess.com/Yearbook/...

Nov-22-05  KingG: <AdrianP> Thanks for the link.
Nov-22-05  Central Control: I have to say, If I get a chance to play the Traxler OTB in slow time controls, I don't know if I could resist; despite the fact that I'm not fully comfortable with numerous lines.
Nov-23-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Dear Central Control: Don't worry--*no one* is fully comfortable with numerous lines in this opening.
Nov-23-05  mandar: <Annie K.)Check this out:-
16.de4-Re4
17.Nf4-g5
18.Nc3-Rc4
19.Qe2-gf
20.Bf4-Re8
and u rule the board!
Dec-01-05  soughzin: In your line DK, after 5.Bxf7 Ke2, 6.d4 appears to be a dagger.
Dec-22-05  Central Control: <Annie K.> You didn't play 4... Bc5, shame on you; wink wink.
Dec-22-05  Central Control: <An Englishman> I know, I've showed an expert rated player 4... Bc5 and he hadn't ever even heard of it. However, I'm not very good tactically so I worry about biting off more than I can chew. On the other hand, I usually play to win and if I'm going to lose more games because of that desire than so be it. I also have experienced many exciting games as a result and have no regrets.
Dec-22-05  Central Control: <An Englishman> I've also downloaded hundreds of traxler games very recently and have seen for myself how often each player goes wrong, wow!
Dec-22-05  Akavall: <Central Control> Also Fritz completly misevaluates the position, its amazing.
Dec-23-05  Central Control: <Akavall> I know Chessmaster does too.
Jul-11-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheAlchemist: Another line how White can go wrong if he's too greedy:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 7.Kg1 Qh4 8.g3 Nxg3 9.Nxh8 (?) d5 (!) 10.Bxd5 Bg4 (!) 11.Bf3 Nd4 (!) 12.Bxg4 Ne4 and White is completely lost.

Jul-11-06  Helloween: I consider 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3 Rf8 7.O-O to be the refutation to the audacious opening of the day.
Aug-29-06  yanez: I play 4...d5 5.exd5 Nd4 6.c3 b5 7.Bf1 Nxd5 8.Ne4 Qh4 9.Ng3 Bb7 10.cxd4 0-0-0 11.Be2 Nf4 12. 0-0 Rxd4


click for larger view

with compensation for the piece

Nov-10-06  kackhander: can anyone more clued up than myself explain the relative merits of:

(after 1. e4 e5 2. nf3 nc6 3. bc4 nf6 4. ng5 d5 5. exd5 nd4 6. c3 b5)

7. bf1

and

7. cxd4 bxc4 8. qa4+

thanks in advance.

Nov-10-06  Stanley Yee: 7 Bf1 keeps the tension & puts the question to the Black Knight on d4 to move. The later Bxb5+ is thematic, getting there with tempo. It is better to keep the Bishop & go for control of the light squares, than to remove the annoying Black Knight. 7 cxd4 bxc4 8 Qa4+ Qd7 9 Qxc4 Nxd5 10 0-0 Nb6 11 Qe2 Be7 12 Nf3 exd4 , or 9 ... Qxd5 10 Qxd5 Nxd5 11 dxe5 Nb4 and Black has excellent piece play for the two pawns and White could be in trouble. You would get better results from 7 Bf1 Nxd5 8 Nxf7.
Nov-13-06  kackhander: awesome, thankyou
Mar-27-07  Spiff: I need some advice for black in the 6. Bxb5 variation of the Ulvestad variation. I know that this variation is supposed to be good for black, but after 6 ...Qxd5 7 Bxc6+ Qxc6 8 Qf3 e4 9 Qb3 I don't know what to do. I know that 9 ...Bc5 is a possibility but in some variations (for instance after 10 Qxf7+ Kd8 11 Qb3 or 10 Qxf7+ Kd8 11 0-0 Rf8 12 Qxg7 Rg8 13 Qh6 Bb7 14 d4) I am having difficulties finding sufficient counterplay for black. All help is appreciated
Apr-26-07  Trimagna: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Ng5 Bc5, THEN WHITE 5d4 !!
Apr-26-07  MaxxLange: <Trimanga> 5..exd4 6 0-0 or 6 c3, and say 6...0-0.....this doesn't look like anything especially good for White. Probably about equal.
Apr-26-07  ceebo: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Ng5 Bc5 5 d4!? is analysed by de Zeeuw in http://www.newinchess.com/Yearbook/...

The summary of the move is:

"A move often ignored, but at least as good as 5. Bxf7. Both moves yield White an extra pawn and leave Black's king stranded in the centre, but 5. d4 also results in an open d-file"

After 5. d4 he says that all captures on d4 are advantageously met by 6. Nxf7 and that 5... d5 is forced.

On the other hand, <RandomVisitor> has some Rybka analysis on his webpage (de Zeeuw Refuatation #6 in this example) suggesting that 5.d4 d5 6.Bxd5 Nd4 7.Bxf7 Ke7 8.Bc4 b5 9.Be2, which de Zeeuw recommends, leads only to a small advantage for White. Here:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzesz4a6/...

Apr-26-07  MaxxLange: interesting - thanks

May-01-07  soughzin: I'd probably play 5.d4 if I didn't play the Ruy now. I'm convinced 5.Nxf7 is a forced draw and 5.Bxf7 black will be more prepared for.
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