Scotch Game - 4...Nf6 - The Four Knights Variation

Main line

The chapter's main line, with the comments from the course.

1. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6

   The other big mainline. Black develops the knight and puts immediate pressure on our e4 pawn. << 5.Nxc6 leads to the razor-sharp Mieses Variation, but we're going for something cleaner and just as strong.

2. 5. Nc3

   Here's the Four Knights Scotch. Simple development that defends our central pawn perfectly.

3. 5... Bb4

   Here's the critical response. The bishop pins our knight and cranks up the heat on e4 again. This appears frequently in your practical play.

4. 6. Nxc6

   We have to take. Playing Bd3 walks into Nxd4, so we grab the knight and wreck Black's pawn structure instead. Classic Scotch strategy right here.

5. 6... bxc6

   Black recaptures toward the center, but check out those doubled c-pawns. We'll be attacking that weakness all game long.

6. 7. Bd3

   Clean development aimed right at the kingside. Black wants to break with d5 to free up the position, and we're ready for it.

7. 7... d5

   The natural pawn break. Black needs to open things up before we get too comfortable.

8. 8. exd5 cxd5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5

   Both bishops are firing at the kingside now. We're threatening Bxf6 followed by Nxd5, so Black has to react.

9. 10... c6

   Defending the d5 pawn. Solid but pretty passive.

10. 11. Qf3

    Not planning to grab on f6 just yet. We keep the pin annoying, survey the kingside with the queen, and get ready to stack our rooks along the e-file.

11. 11... Bd6 12. h3

    Key prophylactic move! This stops all the Ng4 tricks that could cause us real headaches. Always play h3 here and skip the complications. <<1 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Qxf6 gxf6 might look tempting but it's actually wrong. We trade our good bishop and hand Black the bishop pair. Those doubled f-pawns aren't that weak, and Black's bishops will take over.

12. 12... Re8 13. Rfe1 Be6

    Both sides have finished development. Time for the key maneuver.

13. 14. Ne2

    The knight reroutes to g3, then jumps to the monster square f5. From there it hits d6, eyes g7, and combines with our other four pieces (Bg5, Bd3, Qf3, Re1) to create crushing kingside pressure. Keep Bxh7+ in your back pocket too, sometimes it just blows the position wide open.

14. 14... c5

    Black tries to create counterplay, but our pieces are perfectly coordinated. The initiative belongs to us.

Other chapters

• 4...Nxd4 - The I Don't Know Theory
• 4...Bc5 - Classical Variation
• 4...Bb4+ - Malaniuk Variation
• 4...Qh4 - Steinitz Variation
• 3...d6 or f6 - Alternative Moves