55. Cozio Defence: the Mate Threat Nf6#
The Cozio Defence (3...Nge7) blocks the f8-bishop. Against 4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 exd4 the move 6.Nd5 threatens Nf6#, and after 6...Bg7 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bf6 White exchanges the g7-bishop, the defender of the dark squares.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nge7 4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5 Bg7 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bf6
Move by move
- 1.e4 – White takes the centre and opens the diagonals for the queen and the f1-bishop. In the Ruy Lopez this pawn will often be at the heart of the fight: Black will attack it with ...Nf6 and, in the Open Variation, will even capture it with ...Nxe4.
- 1...e5 – Black answers symmetrically: it contests d4 and f4, prevents e4-e5 and frees the f8-bishop. From here White will build the whole Ruy Lopez on pressure against this pawn.
- 2.Nf3 – Develops the knight with a direct attack on the e5 pawn, which now has to be defended. The knight also prepares kingside castling and supports a future d2-d4 push.
- 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing a piece and controlling d4. This very knight, the only defender of e5, will be the target of White's next move.
- 3.Bb5 – The Ruy Lopez: the bishop attacks the c6-knight, the defender of e5. There is no immediate threat yet (Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 Qd4 regains the pawn), but the pressure on c6 will last throughout the opening.
- 3...Nge7 – The Cozio Defence: the knight goes to e7 to support c6, but it blocks the f8-bishop.
- 4.Nc3 – Against the Cozio the knight develops to c3, defends e4 and controls d5, a square that will become very important.
- 4...g6 – Black prepares the fianchetto to free the f8-bishop.
- 5.d4 – Opens the centre before Black completes development.
- 5...exd4 – Black takes on d4 without having developed the g7-bishop: the f6 square stays undefended for one move.
- 6.Nd5 – The knight threatens Nf6#: the black king has no free squares and no piece covers f6.
- 6...Bg7 – The only defence: the bishop covers the f6 square.
- 7.Bg5 – The bishop attacks the e7-knight, pinned to the queen, and increases the pressure on f6.
- 7...h6 – Black asks the g5-bishop to decide: exchange on e7, retreat or occupy f6.
- 8.Bf6 – The bishop offers itself on f6: if Black exchanges, after Nxf6+ the king goes to f8 and loses castling; if it castles, Bxg7 eliminates its best bishop.
How to exploit the position
Black has an extra pawn on d4, but its kingside is weak on the dark squares. The Nf6# trap works because the e7-knight takes the e7 square away from the king and the g6 pawn no longer covers f6; as Black you avoid it by developing ...Bg7 before ...exd4.
- After 8...Bxf6 9.Nxf6+ Kf8 the black king loses castling and the h8-rook stays shut in.
- Regain the d4 pawn with Nxd4 or Qxd4.
- Qd2 and queenside castling exploit the weak dark squares around the black king.
Master tips
The e7-knight takes squares away from the king
The move 6.Nd5 threatens Nf6#: the king on e8 has no free squares.