In the Two Knights Defence, after the moves
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 e5 d5 6 Bb5 Ne4 7 Nxd4 Bc5
the best move is 8 Be3, neutralizing Black's active bishop c5.
The move 8 0-0 is also sound, defending the pawn f2 and providing White equality.
In turn, the sharp move 8 Nxc6!?, ignoring Black's attack on f2, is generally considered invalid. However, my chess engine shows that the position is still equal.
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| Two Knights Defence - 8 Nxc6!? |
It is interesting to observe how chess theoreticians have described the move 8 Nxc6 leading to enormous complexities:
Playing devil's advocate...- Flear
8 Nxc6!? is obviously a critical response, but White comes under a dangerous attack. The position may be defensible but White should have both prior knowledge and iron nerves.
- Pinsky
In principle no one in their right mind will go in for the variation 8 Nxc6...
- Beliavsky & Mikhalchishin
Unfortunately, the variations provided by the theoreticians are so complex and lead to so non-standard positions that I cannot memorize them. It even seems to me that not only must White be sick when choosing such a sickening variation, but Black must be sick too, allowing to choose it.
For example, after the moves
8 Nxc6 Bxf2+ 9 Kf1 Qh4 10 Nd4+ c6 11 Nf3 Ng3+ 12 Kxf2 Ne4+ 13 Ke3 Qf2+ 14 Kd3 Bf5
15 Nd4 Bg6 16 Rf1 Qxg2 17 Ke3 cxb5=/+
the following position is on the board:
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| Two Knights Defence - 17...cxb5 |
White's king is in the centre of the board. However, according to chess engines, and contrary to the statements of many theoreticians, Black, who has sacrificed a piece for two pawns, has merely a slight advantage.
From the databases, I found only two games with that position:
Nilsson - Bergstrom 2014
In that game, both sides made several mistakes in a tactical battle around White's king, stuck in the centre.
In the game
Broszeit - Schleef 2020
White managed to quickly get rid of the central pawn e5, covering White's king, and Black got a mating attack.
Then, let Kasparov and Karpov play a hundred games from that position.
I do not even remember how to arrive at it. And I do not understand it either. I have no idea of how to think in such positions.
Is there any chess theory for handling such irregular positions? Are there any principles to follow? What is the cognitive value of playing such a position?
Indeed, in the game
Black decided to avoid that position and forced a draw by repetition:
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| Nikolaos - Alexandros, 2011 |
In the present post, the Apronus chess software was used.
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