23. Two Knights: 8.Qf3 Variation
With 8.Qf3 White threatens Bxc6+ by exploiting the c6-pawn pinned to the a8-rook. After 8...Rb8 9.Bd3 White completes development with Nc3 and castles, keeping the extra pawn.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 Rb8 9.Bd3 Be7 10.Nc3 O-O 11.O-O
Move by move
- 1.e4 – Occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop, which in the Italian Game goes to c4 to aim at the weak f7 point.
- 1...e5 – Black contests the centre at once: the e5 pawn controls d4 and f4 and opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop and the queen.
- 2.Nf3 – Development with an attack: the knight hits the e5 pawn, controls d4 and prepares quick kingside castling.
- 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing and adds control of d4, the square White wants for a pawn.
- 3.Bc4 – The Italian Game move: the bishop aims at f7, defended only by the king, and controls d5, making ...d5 harder to achieve.
- 3...Nf6 – The Two Knights Defence: instead of 3...Bc5 Black develops the knight and immediately attacks e4. It is an active choice, but it allows White the 4.Ng5 attack against f7.
- 4.Ng5 – The knight attacks f7 together with the c4-bishop: the point is defended only by the king and Black has to answer with ...d5. The price is a knight moved twice in the opening.
- 4...d5 – The only reasonable defence of f7: the pawn blocks the c4-bishop's diagonal. Black is ready to sacrifice a pawn in order to gain development tempi.
- 5.exd5 – White captures and reopens the c4-f7 diagonal: if now 5...Nxd5, White has 6.Nxf7 or 6.d4, the attacks of chapter 4.
- 5...Na5 – The main line: instead of recapturing on d5, the knight attacks the c4-bishop. Black sacrifices a pawn to gain tempi and open lines.
- 6.Bb5+ – A check with tempo: the bishop escapes the attack of the a5-knight and forces Black to interpose ...c6, while the d5-pawn stays with White for the moment.
- 6...c6 – The natural parry: the pawn attacks both the b5-bishop and the d5-pawn. After the exchanges Black gets rapid development and the semi-open b-file for the sacrificed pawn.
- 7.dxc6 – White takes the second pawn: after ...bxc6 he will be a pawn up, while Black will have the more active pieces.
- 7...bxc6 – Black recaptures with the b-pawn and attacks the b5-bishop: he is a pawn down but has the e5-c6 centre, the semi-open b-file and faster development.
- 8.Qf3 – The queen attacks c6 together with the b5-bishop: the pawn is pinned to the a8-rook along the long diagonal, and Bxc6+ threatens to win another pawn with an attack on the rook.
- 8...Rb8 – The rook leaves the long diagonal and breaks the pin; from b8 it attacks the b5-bishop and presses on the b2-pawn.
- 9.Bd3 – The attacked bishop retreats to d3, where together with the queen it controls e4 and prevents the ...e4 push.
- 9...Be7 – Black develops the bishop and prepares castling; later ...h6 will drive the g5-knight away.
- 10.Nc3 – The knight develops and increases the control of e4 and d5, the squares where Black would like to activate the pawn and the knight.
- 10...O-O – Black castles: a pawn down, he relies on the b-file and the e5-c6 centre.
- 11.O-O – White castles and completes the development of the kingside; the g5-knight is still advanced and will have to decide where to go after ...h6.
How to exploit the position
White has an extra pawn and well-developed pieces; Black has the b-file, the e5-c6 centre and the idea ...h6 against the g5-knight. The d2-pawn still at home is the point to solve.
- After ...h6, Nge4 is the right retreat: it exchanges the f6-knight, the defender of the black king, and simplifies.
- b3 and Bb2 develop the c1-bishop, close the b-file in front of the b8-rook and take c4 away from the a5-knight.
- Re1 and Qe2 press on the e5-pawn; the isolated c6-pawn is a long-term target.
- Black looks for ...e4 or ...Nd5: Qf3, Bd3 and Nc3 control both squares, so keep them there until Black reorganises.
Master tips
The long diagonal a8-h1
With the queen on f3, the c6-pawn is pinned to the a8-rook: as long as the rook stays on a8, Bxc6+ is a threat.