As Black

Two Knights Defence

The Two Knights Defence is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6.

Dynamic and tactical. It usually leads to lively open games.

Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero

Basic · Elo 400 – 600

Train this level

  1. Opponent's mistake · 8.Ba4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Ba4 h6 9.Nf3 e4

  2. Opponent's mistake · 8.Qxc7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Qe2 Nxc4 7.Qxc4 Qxd5 8.Qxc7 Qxg2 9.Qxf7+ Kd8 10.Rf1 Qxg5

  3. Opponent's mistake · 7.Ne4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.d3 h6 7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.dxe4 Nxc4

  4. Opponent's mistake · 7.Nxf7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.d3 h6 7.Nxf7 Kxf7

  5. Opponent's mistake · 8.Qa4+

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Qe2 Nxc4 7.Qxc4 Qxd5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qb3 Qxg2 10.Qxf7+ Kd8 11.Rf1 Qxg5

  6. Opponent's mistake · 6.Qf3

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Ng5 O-O 6.Qf3 d5 7.exd5 Nd4 8.Qd3 Bf5 9.Qg3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1

  7. Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Ng4 9.O-O Qxg5

  8. Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 Be7 9.Bxc6+ Nxc6

  9. Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bxf6 Qxf6

  10. Giuoco Pianissimo

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.d3 d6 6.O-O Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3

  11. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 5...O-O 6.O-O

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Ng5 O-O 6.O-O h6 7.Nf3 Re8

  12. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 4...Bc5 5.O-O

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5

Intermediate · Elo 800 – 1000

Train this level

  1. Opponent's mistake · 8.Ba4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Ba4 h6 9.Nf3 e4

  2. Opponent's mistake · 8.Qxc7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Qe2 Nxc4 7.Qxc4 Qxd5 8.Qxc7 Qxg2 9.Qxf7+ Kd8 10.Rf1 Qxg5

  3. Opponent's mistake · 7.Ne4

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.d3 h6 7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.dxe4 Nxc4

  4. Opponent's mistake · 7.Nxf7

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.d3 h6 7.Nxf7 Kxf7

  5. Opponent's mistake · 8.Qa4+

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Qe2 Nxc4 7.Qxc4 Qxd5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qb3 Qxg2 10.Qxf7+ Kd8 11.Rf1 Qxg5

  6. Two Knights Defense

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd4 11.f4 Bc5 12.Rf1 Bb6 13.c3 Qd8

  7. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 4...Bc5 5.Bg5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Nc3 Ne7

  8. Giuoco Pianissimo · 4...Bc5 5.O-O

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 h6 7.Be3 Bxe3 8.fxe3 d6

  9. Giuoco Pianissimo · 4...Bc5 5.d3

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.d3 d6 6.O-O Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nd4 9.Qd1 O-O

  10. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5

  11. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 4...Bc5 5.Ng5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Ng5 O-O 6.O-O h6 7.Nf3 Re8 8.Nc3 Na5

  12. Italian Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Ng5 O-O 6.d3 h6 7.Nf3 d6

  13. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening · 5...d6 6.Bg5

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 g5 8.Bg3 O-O

Advanced · Elo 1200 – 1400

Train this level

  1. Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line · 9...f5 10.Ng3

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Ng4 9.Ne4 f5 10.Ng3 Bc5 11.O-O Qh4 12.h3 Nxf2 13.Rxf2 e4

  2. Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line · 8...Ng4 9.Nf3

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Ng4 9.Nf3 f5

  3. Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bishop Check Line · 9...f5 10.Be2

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Ng4 9.Ne4 f5 10.Be2 h5 11.h3 fxe4 12.hxg4 Bc5 13.b4 Qd4

  4. Two Knights Defense

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd4 11.f4 Bc5 12.Rf1 Bb6 13.c3 Qd8 14.b4 Nb7 15.Nxc6 Qc7

  5. Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3 Be7 9.Bxc6+ Nxc6

  6. Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 a6 8.Nd5 g5 9.Nxg5 Nxd5

  7. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 3...Nf6 4.O-O

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.d3 d6 6.c3 Bg4 7.Nbd2 a5

  8. Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 d6 6.h3 h6 7.O-O g5

  9. Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.h3 h6 7.c3 Bb6 8.Re1 g5

  10. Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo · 5...d6 6.c3

    1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 Bg4 7.Nbd2 a5 8.Re1 h6

Frequently asked questions

Is the Two Knights Defence good for beginners?

Yes. On OpeningCraft you learn it in these levels: Basic (Elo 400 – 600), Intermediate (Elo 800 – 1000), Advanced (Elo 1200 – 1400). It suits players who like attacks, gambits and open positions.

What traps are there in the Two Knights Defence?

OpeningCraft teaches 6 traps and opponent mistakes in this opening, for example: Opponent's mistake (8.Ba4); Opponent's mistake (8.Qxc7); Opponent's mistake (7.Ne4).

How many lines of the Two Knights Defence do you need to learn?

OpeningCraft teaches 29, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.

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