Chess Opening: Two Knights Defense (Ulvestad Variation)
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at
8:40 am
An introduction to the Ulvestad Variation(5…b5) in the Two Knights’ Defense. The Ulvestad presents a very powerful alternative to the typical 5…Na5, especially because the best response 6.Bf1 is almost never seen below expert level.
Incoming search terms:
- ulvestad variation
- ulvestad chess
- two knights defense ulvestad variation
- two knights defense ulvestad
- two knights Ulvestad
- ulvestad defence
- two knights defence ulvestad
- ulvestad two knights defense
- two knights defence Ulvestad Variation
- two knights defenses ulvestad variation
Related posts:
- Chess Opening – Sicilian Defense, Sveshnikov Variation
- Chess Opening: Four Knights’ Game 4.Bc4 Nxe4
- Chess Openings – Sicilian Defense, Najdorf variation – Grandmaster Shirov vs GM Van Wely – PART 1
- Chess Opening: English Four Knights’ 4.g3 Nd4!?
- Opening School – Two Knights defense part 1
Tagged with: chess • defense • knights • opening • pullin • two • ulvestad
Filed under: Chess Opening
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Nc3 does not deserve that many question marks, although it does allow …Qxg2.
No, it does not occur very often. I seem to recall playing a game that went 6…dxc4 7.Qe2 Qd5 8.f4 e4 9.Nc3 Qxc6 and an interesting ending arose.
An alternative would be 7…Bd6 8.Qxc4 O-O simply developing and rounding up the c6 pawn later.
sweet analysis, thanks
Black has a forced win after 12 .. Rd5 13. Nxh8 Rh5 14. Qe3 Bc5 etc. Try to run your rybka more and you will see that black wins anyway.
So again:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 b5 6. Bxb5 Qxd5 7. Bxc6+ Qxc6
8. O-O Bb7 9. Qf3 e4 10. Qb3 O-O-O 11. Qh3+ Kb8 12. Nxf7 . Rybka gives 1.51 advantage to white … but after 12 .. Rd5 13. Nxh8 Rh5 14. Qe3, Ng4 black will win anyway.
But after 7. Nc3 Qxg2 8. Qf3 Qxf3 9. Nxf3 Bd7 it seems like white is pretty solid. Material is even again but at least you don’t have any of those dangerous threats to deal with anymore. So wouldn’t this be one of the more favorable variations for white to play? Or does Black have some advantage I just don’t see? I suppose though that it is this very equalness that discourages white, because he is looking to have the advantage. I would probably still play this though, but what is your opinion?
nyc
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 b5 6. Bxb5 Qxd5 7. Bxc6+ Qxc6
8. O-O Bb7
I think here the only move is 9. Nf3!
(9. .. g5 will not help, because the knight will move to h4 and will defend g2. And also 10. h3 seems to be bad after g5. I think you should never move the pawns in the front of your king until you must do it. )
Then I think 9.. Bc5!
7:19 lol
Hey Matt,
I think you might have made a mistake somewhere. Could you clarify?
After 10. Qb3 0-0-0, white does not have to play Knight takes f7. White can play Qh3+!, protecting the g2 square and attacking the Black King, and Black’s position seems to be compromised, because e3 is not a threat anymore.
I’m still trying to figure out the best way to block/prevent Qh3+. Could you enlighten me? Thanks a lot!
Ridiculous! After 10. Nh4?, g5 will take the Knight on h4.
Hi,
Part1:
Matt is not my name..
But ok:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 b5 6. Bxb5 Qxd5 7. Bxc6+ Qxc6
8. O-O Bb7 9. Qf3 e4 10. Qb3 O-O-O
Part2:
(So here white plays Qh3+ as you say and you don’t have to prevent it! The white Queen must stay at rank 3 to defend the king or e3 can be a threat and there is no other white piece which could defend the king and in case of e3 there will be later an .. Fc5+ from black and here must come a d4 Fxd4! Fe3, and the bishop is defended by the queen – if it is on the 3rd rank )
Part3:
11. Qh3+ Kb8 Now 12. Nxf7(This knight has not too many choices) Rd5! 13. Nxh8 Rh5!
A) 14 Qb3 Fc5 15. any white move , e3 or e4xanything and white must play 16. Qxb7 to prevent mate
B) 14 Qe3 Fc5 15 Qe2 Qd6! 16. Qxh5 or 16. g3 and Qd7,Qh3,Qh2#
C) 14 Qe3 Fc5 15. d4 Ng4…
D)14 Qg3 Fd6 …
Qc3 usually met by Fc5
etc. I cannot provide you all the variations..:)
Nh4 is after g5-g4 of course.
lol, i was hoping GreenCastleBlock could address this issue
What is not possible? Rd5? It was the 15th move of black and that is the only move. So let’s play: 11. Qh3+ Kb8 12. Nxf7 Rd5 your move: 13. Nc3 my move: Rh5-> your queen is attacked
A 14 Qe3 Fc5
B 14 Qg3 Qe8
OH, okok my bad. Thanks for the help!
great vid.
Thanks, I have a lot of succes with this in Blitz games.
5 stars
Thank you very much GreenCastleBlock….important lesson!!!
my personal favorite defense
white (i usually play) owns the middle with proper handling
Wow thanks greencastleblock, you must be a decent player. It looks tricky/tactical at the start but after analysing looks quite comfortably safe for black. Thanks, great upload.
Another common move one sees after pawn to B5 is white bishop to B3 maintaining the threat of fried liver etc.
@Nocturne9999 5…b5 6.Bb3 Nd4 is very comfortable for Black.