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Two Knights Defence

Black answers the Italian with an active knight and meets Ng5 with ...d5 and ...Na5, giving a pawn for fast development and attack. The right way to beat the Fried Liver.

Intermediate · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 21 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Two Knights Defence (C59). You play Black. Black answers the Italian with an active knight and meets Ng5 with ...d5 and ...Na5, giving a pawn for fast development and attack. The right way to beat the Fried Liver.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bc4

White plays bishop to c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 64k games.

Step 8

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Ng5

White plays knight to g5. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 16% of 28k games.

Step 9

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the bishop on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 95% of 4761 games.

Step 10

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.exd5

White plays pawn takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on c6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 4245 games.

Step 11

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Na5

Black plays knight to a5. It attacks the bishop on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 81% of 4520 games.

Step 12

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Bb5+

White plays bishop to b5. It gives check. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 95% of 3441 games.

Step 13

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...c6

Black plays pawn to c6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. The pawn on c6 attacks the bishop and the pawn at the same time: a fork! Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 3476 games.

Step 14

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.dxc6

White plays pawn takes c6. It captures the pawn on c6. It gains space. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 2925 games.

Step 15

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...bxc6

Black plays pawn takes c6. It captures the pawn on c6. It controls the centre (d5). It attacks the bishop on b5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 3102 games.

Step 16

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.Be2

White plays bishop to e2. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 29% of 2919 games.

Step 17

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...h6

Black plays pawn to h6. It attacks the knight on g5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 921 games.

Step 18

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 58% of 826 games.

Step 19

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9...e4

Black plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It gains space. It attacks the knight on f3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 538 games.

Step 20

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 10.Ne5

White plays knight to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 455 games.

Step 21

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Two Knights Defence. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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