Spanish four knights game

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Diagram 1 : Spanish four knights game (position after 4. Bf1 – b5)

The Spanish four knights game is an opening variant in chess that can result from the four knights game . In the opening system of the ECO codes , this playback is classified under the keys C48 and C49.

The Spanish four knights game is created after the moves ( see also: chess notation )

1. e2 – e4 e7 – e5

2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6

3. Nb1-c3 Ng8-f6

4. Bf1 – b5 (see diagram 1 )

Rubinstein variant

Motyljow - Carlsen, Wijk 2007

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Diagram 2 : The Rubinstein variant after 8. e4 – e5

The Rubinstein variant (also Rubinstein countergambit ) is introduced with 4.… Nc6 – d4 , Black attacks the b5 bishop and sacrifices the pawn on e5 (the gambit ). This line is named after the Polish master player Akiba Rubinstein , who played and analyzed the knight move several times between 1910 and 1930. The following continuations have already been used in practice:

• 5. Nf3xd4, Bb5 – e2, 5. 0–0, 5. Bb5 – c4 and the sharpest continuation:
• 5. Nf3xe5, with the main variation 5.… Qd8 – e7 6. f2 – f4 Nd4xb5 7. Nc3xb5 d7 – d6. In a match between Efim Bogolyubov and Rubinstein in Stockholm in 1920, Bogolyubov accepted the pawn sacrifice on e5 in three games and won all games after tactical entanglements in the middle game .
• 5. Bb5 – a4 is considered the most demanding White reply to the Rubinstein Gambit in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. At the grandmaster level of the extended world elite, the Russian Alexander Motyljow is a supporter of this variant. Among other things, Motylev won games against Alexei Schirow and Alexander Grischuk at the FIDE Ko-World Championship in 2002 .
  White wants to keep his white-squared bishop with Bb5 – a4 and only captures the gambit pawn on e5 on the next move. The main continuation is now:
  • 5.… Bf8 – c5 6. Nf3xe5 0–0 7. Ne5 – d3 Bc5 – b6 8. e4 – e5 (see diagram 2).

In the tournament in Wijk aan Zee 2007 this position was last between Motyljow and Magnus Carlsen , the continuation 8 ... Nf6 – e8 is common, but Carlsen offered a piece sacrifice with 8 ... c7 – c6, which Motyljow did because of his unrochable King did not want to accept. The game finally ended in a draw after a complicated game .

Symmetry variant

	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H
8th									8th
7th									7th
6th									6th
5									5
4th									4th
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	G	H

Diagram 3 : Total symmetry (position after 8.… Nc6 – d4)

4.… Bf8 – b4 goes over to the symmetrical version of the four knights game after 5. 0–0 0–0 6. d2 – d3 d7 – d6. 7. Bc1 – g5 threatens to tear open black castling, beginning with 8. Nc3 – d5. Black usually prevents this with 7.… Bb4xc3 and after 8. b2xc3 Qd8 – e7 9. Rf1 – e1 Nc6 – d8 the Metger defense results . However, it is also possible for Black to maintain the symmetry by copying White's next move: After 7. Bc1 – g5 Bc8 – g4 8. Nc3 – d5 Nc6 – d4 a curious position arises (see diagram 3 ), the symmetry can continue with 9. Nd5xb4 Nd4xb5 10. Nb4 – d5 Nb5 – d4. Because of the advantage of the move , White retains a slight preponderance, as he can make concrete threats against Black's king earlier, initiated with 11. Bg5xf6.

4.… Bf8 – d6

4.… Bf8 – d6 is a modern answer. Black temporarily locks up his white-squared bishop to defend the e5-pawn. The Lc8 is later fianchetted typically either by ... a7-a6, ... b7-b5 and ... Lc8-b7 or freed by d7xc6 in response to white Lb5xc6.

4.… d7 – d6

4.… d7 – d6 is a solid defense that covers the e5 pawn, but locks up the black-squared bishop. 5. d2 – d4 would result in the old Steinitz defense of the Spanish game .

Tendril variant

4.… a7 – a6 , named after the British clergyman and chess player Charles Edward Ranken (1828–1905). Because of the continuation 5. Bb5xc6 d7xc6 6. Nf3xe5 it is considered inferior and therefore plays no role in modern tournament practice.

Classic variant

4.… Bf8 – c5 also does not play a major role in modern tournament practice, since White can make the good dummy offering 5. Nf3xe5; after 5.… Nc6xe5 he wins back the sacrificed piece with the pawn fork 6. d2 – d4. 5.… Bc5xf2 + takes White castling, but 6. Ke1xf2 Nc6xe5 7. d2 – d4 gives him the upper hand in the center. Here 7.… Ne5 – g4 + is answered with 8. Kf2 – g1 and h2 – h3.

literature

• Paul Keres : Four knights game to Spanish . 2nd edition, Sportverlag Berlin , 1979.
• Alexei Suetin : Textbook of chess theory, Sportverlag Berlin, 1974.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Alexei Suetin: Textbook of the chess theory, Sportverlag Berlin, 1974, pp. 109–110.
2. ↑ Alexei Suetin: Textbook of Chess Theory, Sportverlag Berlin, 1974, p. 109.
3. ↑ Alexei Suetin: Textbook of Chess Theory, Sportverlag Berlin, 1974, p. 110.
4. ↑ Alexei Suetin: Textbook of Chess Theory, Sportverlag Berlin, 1974, p. 110.