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Editor: Dr Tim Harding |
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Editor: Dr Tim Harding |
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© Dr Tim Harding
Last modified:
27 June 2010
American friends of the late GM Janis Vitomskis recently sent us the following translation of an article he wrote some years ago, featuring two of his games with the Two Knights Defence requesting we post it here.
These games are also available without notes in PGN.
Saidulin - Janis Vitomskis
USSR (correspondence) 1957
Two Knights Defence C58
1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5
The super-sharp Traxler counter-attack (also known as the Wilkes-Barre), introduced by 4...Bc5!?, offers fertile grounds for tactical fantasy. However the research of theoreticians has pointed out problems for Black in this colorful variation.
5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3
This was the favored continuation of Yefim Bogoljubow.
8...cxb5!?
Modern theory considers 8...Rb8!? more accurate. The lesser-known 8...Be7!? is also interesting.
9.Qxa8 Qd7
This is Russian chess master’s P. Romanovsky’s move. White's Queen is forced to leave allowing Black's pieces to rapidly mobilize. My lead in development provides full compensation for the material deficit.
10.Qf3
When this game was played 10.b4 was known but not properly evaluated. For example: 10...Bxb4 11.a4? ( ECO - Gligoric gives an advantage to White after 11.Qf3), 11...0–0 12.Qf3 (12.Nc3 Nc6 13.axb5 Bb7; 12.axb5 Qxb5 13.Qxa7 Nd5) 12...Bb7 13.Qg3 (13.Qd1 Qd5 ) 13...h6. In all these variations Black has a clear edge.
10...Bb7 11.Qe2
11.Qg3 Bd6 12.0–0 Nc6 is unclear.
11...Be7 12.0–0
12.d3!? Nc6 (12...0–0 13.0–0 Nc6 14.Nf3 Nd4 15.Nxd4 exd4 16.Nd2 leaves White clearly better) 13.Nf3! (13.c3 0–0 14.0–0 Rd8 unclear) 13...Nd4 14.Nxd4 exd4 15.0–0 0–0 16.Nd2 and White gradually consolidates his advantage .
12...Nc6 13.c3 h6 14.Nf3
More logical is 14.Ne4 , removing the Knight from attack and moving it to the center, but after the forced 14...Nxe4 15.Qxe4 0–0 16.Qe3 (16.Qe2 Qd5 17.f3 b4 unclear) 16...Rd8 17.Re1 b4 Black's development balances White's material advantage.
Deserving attention is the eccentric 14.Nh3!?. After 14...b4? (preventing the maneuver Nb1–a3. ) 15.a3 a5 16.axb4 axb4 17.d3 (17.f4 e4 18.Nf2 0–0) 17...0–0 18.Be3 Rd8 19.Rd1 Nd5 how should the position be evaluated? White has a material advantage while Black has some compensation due to better development of his pieces.
After 14. Nh3!? 0–0 15.Qxb5 ( More cautious is 15.Na3 ) 15...Qc8 16.Re1 Ba6 17.Qa4 Bd3 18.b4 e4 Black has good play.
14...e4 15.Ne1 Ne5!?
Black rushes to complicate matters , more logical of course was 15...0–0.
16.d4 Nf3+!?
Understanding that the initiative could disappear Black throws "good money after bad”. Objectively better was 16 ...Ng6.
17.gxf3
This was the most risky choice. Alternatives promised safer play: 17.Kh1 0–0 18.Nd2 Nxd2 19.Bxd2 Bd6 20.f4 Re8 21.Nc2 and 17.Nxf3 exf3 18.gxf3 0–0 19.Bf4 both offered a clear advantage.
17...exf3 18.Qe5 0–0 19.Bf4 Re8!
The only way! The ideally developed Black pieces fully compensate for the material deficit
20.Nd2?
This position was critical. White fails to stand the strain of the position - the natural move with the Knight turns out to be a mistake. More accurate is 20.Qc7! Qg4+ 21.Bg3 Bd5 22.Qf4! (not 22.Nd2? Bd6!! 23.Qxd6 Rxe1! and Black wins or 22.Nd3 Nh5 23.Kh1 [23.Qe5? Qh3 24.Ne1 Bc6–+] 23...Bh4 24.Rg1 Nxg3+ 25.Rxg3 Qf5) 22...Qh3 23.Qh4 [23.Nxf3? Nh5–+] 23...Qf5 with equal chances.
20...Bd8 21.Qb8
Alternatives also leave Black with the advantage. For example 21.Ndxf3 Rxe5 22.Nxe5 Qf5 23.Bg3 Nh5 (or 23...Ne4) or 21.Nexf3 Rxe5 22.Nxe5 Qf5 23.Bg3 Nh5.
21...Rxe1!
Certainly!
22.Be3?
Now the position of White is breaking down. 22.Qxd8+ also would not help as can be seen in the variation 22...Qxd8 23.Rfxe1 (23.Raxe1 Nh5–+) 23...Qd7 24.Kh1 Qh3 winning .
22...Nh5 23.Qxd8+ Qxd8 24.Raxe1 Qh4 25.Kh1 Ng3+ 0–1
Alexander Panchenko – Janis Vitomskis
USSR (correspondence) 1958
Two Knights Defence C59
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd4 11.f4 Bc5 12.Rf1 g5?!
This is an aggressive new idea, which I decided to test in this thematic tournament.
13.c3 Qd6
During the game I considered 13...Qd5 as well but rejected it on account of 14.b4! gxf4 (or14...Bd6 15.bxa5 gxf4 16.d4) 15 .d4 exd3 16.Nxd3 and White has a very large if not decisive advantage .
14.d4
Several of my opponents in the thematic tournament chose 14.b4!?
14...Bb6 15.fxg5
Instead 15.b4! Nb7 (15...Nd5? 16.bxa5 Bxa5 17.Qa4+-) 16.Na3 gives a clear advantage as pointed out by Mikhail Tal. This is the simplest means of strengthening White’s position but also very powerful is 16.fxg5! hxg5 (or 16...Nd5 17.Nxf7 (17.Bh5 Nd8 18.Bxf7++-) 17...Qxh2 18.Nxh8 Qg3+ 19.Kd2 Ne3 20.Qb3 winning). Especially in this variation it is obvious how much including the moves 15.b4 Nb7 affects the assessment!) 17.Bxg5 Bd8 18.Nd2 Rxh2 19.Bc4 Nd5 20.Nxe4 with a winning position.
15...Nd5 16.Nxf7
16.Nd2! Ne3 17.Nxe4 Qxe5 18.dxe5 Nxd1 19.Nd6+ wins.
16.Rxf7 Be6 17.Bh5 (17.g6 0–0–0; 17.Rf1 0–0–0) 17...0–0–0 was unclear in Dulin-Vitomskis, USSR correspondence 1957-8.
16...Qxh2 17.Nxh8 Qg3+ 18.Kd2
More powerful is 18.Rf2! e3 19.Bxe3 (19.Bh5+ Kd8 20.Bxe3 Qxe3+ 21.Be2+-) 19...Nxe3 20.Bh5+ winning.
18...Ne3 19.Bh5+ Kd8 20.Rf8+ Kc7 21.Rf7+ Kb8 22.Qh1
Or 22.Qg1 Nac4+ 23.Ke2 Bg4+ 24.Bxg4 Qxg4+ 25.Kf2 Bc7 26.Rxc7 Qf4+ 27.Ke1 Nxg2+ 28.Kd1.
22...Nac4+ 23.Ke2 Ba6
An alternative version of this game is given as 23...Nxb2 0–1, but that's wrong as White can capture the Knight and escape: 24.Bxb2 (24.Rf8 Kb7 25.Rf6 Nc2 26.Rf7+ Ka6 27.Qf1 Ka5 28.Kd2 Ne3=; 24.Bxe3 Ba6+ 25.Kd2 Nc4+ 26.Kc2 Nxe3+ 27.Kc1 Nc4 28.Rf5 Qe3+=) 24...Ba6+ 25.Kd2 Nc4+=.
24.Qh3
24.Bxe3 Qxe3+ 25.Kd1 Qd3+! (25...Bxd4? is dangerous - 26.Qh2+ Be5 27.Qh3! - Just like that the game would be lost tactically after- 27.Rf8+? Kb7 28.Rf7+ Kb6; 27.Qh4? Qg1+ 28.Kc2 Ne3+–+ or 27.g3? Bxg3 28.Qh1 Nxb2+ 29.Kc2 Na4 winning - 27...Nxb2+ 28.Kc2 Bd3+ 29.Kxb2 Bxc3+ 30.Kb3 (30.Kxc3 Qc1+ 31.Kd4 Qg1+ 32.Qe3 c5+ 33.Kd5 Qxe3 34.Kc6 Bb5+ 35.Kxb5 a5=) 30...Qc5 31.Nxc3 Qc4+ 32.Kb2 Qb4+ 33.Kc1 Qxc3+ 34.Kd1 Qxa1+ 35.Kd2 Qb2+ 36.Ke1 and the White King is able to avoid the checks) 26.Kc1 Qe3+ 27.Kc2 Qd3+ 28.Kb3 Bxd4 29.Rf5 c5=.
24...Nxb2+ 25.Kd2 Nbc4+ 26.Ke2 Nb2+ Draw