Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation, Tal Gambit
Modern Defense: Two Knights Variation, Suttles Variation, Tal Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code B06, part of the Modern Defense family. It goes 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6 4. Nf3 c6 5. Bg5 Qb6 6. Qd2 Qxb2. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... g6. After 12 moves it is White to move. After the last move Black is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6
2. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
2... Bg7 – Black plays the bishop to g7
3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
3... d6 – Black plays the pawn to d6
4. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
4... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
5. Bg5 – White plays the bishop to g5
5... Qb6 – Black plays the queen to b6
6. Qd2 – White plays the queen to d2
6... Qxb2 – Black takes on b2 with the queen
About the Modern Defense
Black plays ...g6 and ...Bg7 early, letting White take the centre and attacking it later. It is flexible and hypermodern.
The g7 bishop pressures d4 along the long diagonal.
Black strikes with ...d6 and ...c5 or ...e5 at the right time.
If Black waits too long, White's big centre and Be3, Qd2, h4 attack can crush.
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