The King's Knight's Opening

FROM this fine old game, handed down to us by the earliest writers on Chess, we have derived many of the most striking and favourite openings practised.

Your move of the Kt. gives the name to the opening. By this move, observe, you threaten to win his King's Pawn. Now he may protect it in five different ways - namely, by

He may also leave it unguarded, and attack your King's Pawn with his K.'s Kt. We must content ourselves with examining the consequences of his adopting the two best of these moves. Suppose, therefore, in the first place, that he defends his Pawn by

This known as Philidor's defence, because that celebrated master recommended it as preferable to all other ways of protecting the Pawn. Subsequent analysis has pretty clearly shown, however, that Philidor was mistaken, and that by defending the King's Pawn thus the second player has a much more difficult game than by playing the Q.'s Kt. to B.'s 3rd.

Your best move is 3. P. to Q's 4th, but you may also play

Black's 3rd move is that give by Philidor. In Variation I we shall see the effect of his moving 3. K. Kt. to B.'s 3rd. which is thought by many to be better for him.

Your move of 6. P. to K.'s 6th is a very powerful one, as it enables you to threaten to play your Kt. to K. B.'s 7th. and thus win the K.'s Rook.

Black moves his Kt. to K. R.'s 3rd, to prevent the playing of your Kt. to your K. B.'s 7th.

Instead of attacking his Q.'s P.. you may get a good game by playing 7. Q. to K. R.'s 5th. Ch.. and, when he interposes his Kt.'s Pawn, retiring your Q. to K. R.'s 3rd ; or you may play 7. P. to K. B.'s 3rd, as advised by Von H. der Lazza. See the "Chess-Player's Handbook." page 65.

At your 8th move, in place of sacrificing your Kt. thus, you will have a fine game by taking the K. R.'s P. with it. and if Black take the Kt., you may Check with your Q. at Q. R.'s 5th.

Black is obliged to interpose this P., for if he moves his K. to K.'s 2nd, you would Check with your Q.'s B., and win his Queen.

The move given as White's 13th by the chief authors was, 13. K. B. to Q. B.'s 4th : but the variation of taking the K.'s P. with the Kt., and following that by, 14. R. to Q.'s 6th, is shown in the work just mentioned to be superior.

Black has several other ways of playing, the consequence of which you will see set forth at page 69 of the "Handbook."

If he take the Rook you take the K.'s E. P. with your Kt., Checking, and then play K. B. to Q. B.'s 4th, Ch., &c.

Beginning at Black's 3rd move : -

This is much less hazardous than the move of P. to K. B.'s 4th, which Philidor commends.

This is generally acknowledged to be a better defence for Black than the move of 2. P. to Q.'s 3rd. which we have just examined.

If, instead of playing out your Bishop thus, you move 3. P. to Q.'s 4th. the opening is called the "Scotch Gambit," for which see Game III. The present was named by the Italian masters the "Giuoco Piano," and is an opening very frequently adopted by players of all classes.

If at this point you play 4. P. to Q. Kt.'s 4th. and Black takes that Pawn, you have an opening fertile in beautiful situations, called the "Evan's Gambit." (See Game V.)

You may also for your 6th move play P. to K.'s 5th. to which Black's best reply is 6. P. to Q.'s 4th. (See Variation I.)

Beginning at White's 6th move : -

In Black's situation, it is not uncommon for players to move 6. Q. to K.'s 2nd. When that is done you may Castle safely.

The game is about equal for both.

This is. without exception, one of the most instructive and entertaining games known, and we regret that our limits will admit only of a very meagre sketch of its almost infinite varieties. The reader, however, will find a copious analysis of this charming opening in the work so often referred to, pages 154-182.

After the advance of your P. to Q.'s 4th, Black is obliged to take it, or have a bad position : but he may take either with the Kt. or P. The consequences of his capturing Pawn with Pawn are shown in Game IV.

You can also take the K.'s P. with your Kt., and obtain a slight superiority of position.

If you play the Q. B. to K. Kt.'s 5th. thinking to prevent his Kt. from moving, he may still answer with 6. Kt. to Q. B.'s 3rd, because, although he would leave his Q. attacked by your B., he at the same time threatens to take yours.

The game is pretty equal.

This is now considered a better move for Black than taking with the Kt.

For the result of his playing 4. K. B. to Q, Kt.'s 5th. Ch., see Variation I.

You may also take the P. with your Kt. at once, as in Variation II., but the move above is that generally adopted.

Your move of 5. P. to Q. B.'s 3rd. is preferable to the more inviting one of 5. K. Kt. to his 5th : for. although it appears to enable Black, if he choose, to win a Pawn, he could only do so at the expense of another more valuable, since, on his taking P. with P., you could take his K. B.'s P. with your B., Ch., and when his K. took your B., you could play Q. to her 5th. Ch., and then capture his B. in return for your own. He advances his P. to your Q.'s 6th. foreseeing the advantage you would gain by his taking P. with P., and at the same time to prevent your getting two Pawns abreast in the centre. Perhaps his safest play is to move 5. K. Kt. to B.'s 3rd. which resolves the game into a position of the Giuoco Piano, before given.

This is his best move. If you snatch at his Kt. he can take your K.'s P., Ch., and afterwards take the Bishop.

And whether Black retreat his Q. to K. B.'s 3rd, or to K.'s 2nd to protect his K. B.'s P., you will have a fine game.

Beginning at Black's 4th : -

Black plays thus to prevent your Q. Kt. coming into play at the moment. If he venture to take the Q. Kt.'s P. with his P.. you obtain a fine attack with your two Bishops.

Your game is better developed than Black's.

Beginning at White's move :

Black's rejoinder is highly ingenious. If you answer it with 5. Q. to her 3rd, he gets a fine game by playing 5. K. Kt. to B.'s 3rd : and if you reply with 5. Q. Kt. to B.'s 3rd. he obtains an advantage by 5. K. B. to Q. Kt.'s 5th.

You here threaten to win his Q. R. If he play the obvious move of 5. Q. takes K. P., Ch., you must move your K. B. to K.'s 2nd ; and if he then play 6. K. B. to Q.'s 3rd, to guard his Q. B. P. from your Kt., you can take the B. with your Q., winning his Q. in return if he takes yours.

This variation is too difficult for you to comprehend at once : play it over, therefore, repeatedly till you understand the object of the moves : it will repay the study.

This beautiful variation of the Giuoco Piano arises from the sacrifice of your Q. Kt.'s P. at the 4th move. Black must either retreat his B. or take it with the B. or Kt. If he declines to take it. you must not push the P. one step further, attacking his Kt. with the view to win his K.'s P., because, after playing his Kt. to Q. R.'s 4th, he could move his Q. to K. B.'s 3rd, when you had taken his P., attacking your Kt., and threatening to Check-mate you. Your best, or, at least, your safest play, therefore, instead of P. to Q. Kt.'s 5th, would be to Castle, or move P. to Q. R.'s 4th.

If he prefer taking the Q. Kt.'s P., at move 4. with his Kt., it is not prudent for you to take his K. P. with your K. Kt., on account of his playing in reply. 5. Q. to K. B.'s 3rd. You had better, therefore, move 5. P. to Q. B.'s 3rd, as you do if he take with the Bishop.

If Black retreats the B. to Q. R.'s 4th, it admits frequently of your playing the Q. to Kt.'s 3rd, without the danger of her being attacked by his Q. Kt. (see Game II.) If he retire him to K.'s 2nd or Q.'s 3rd. you must speedily get an improved attack.

At your 6th move you may also play 6. P. to Q.'s 4th, as in Variation I.

If Black, instead of 6. P. to Q.'s 3rd, move 6. K. Kt. to B.'s 3rd, you must reply with 7. P. to Q.'s 4th. and you insure a great attack.

You have an undoubted advantage.

Beginning at White s 6th move : -

In place of taking the P. you can Castle safely at this stage, and if Black then take your Q. B.'s P., with P., you will strengthen your attack by playing 8. P. to K.'s 5th. Should Black at his 7th move, instead of retiring his B. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd, give Check with him, your best move is 8. K. to B.'s sq.

This is much better for him than to play his Kt. to K.'s 4th, or Kt. to Q.'s 4th. If he play the former, you answer with Kt. takes Kt., following that with Q. B. to Q. R.'s 3rd, and if he play the latter, you can move Q. B. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd, and then Q. B. to Q.'s 3rd advantageously.

You may now take of his K. Kt., and then move K. Kt. to Q.'s 4th, and afterwards P. to K. B.'s 4th, with a fine open game.

With his B. at Q. E.'s 4th, he may more safely adopt the defence of 6. K. Kt. to B.'s 3rd, than when the B. is at Q. B.'s 4th. (See Variation I.)

You may now take the K.'s P. with your Kt., having by far the better game.

Beginning at Black's 6th move :

If you move 7. P. to Q.'s 4th, his best play is to Castle, we think.

He has a variety of moves at command here. If he play 8. P. to K. K.'s 3rd, you reply by taking his K. B. P. with your Kt., and, on his capturing your Kt., you take the R. with your B., checking afterwards, taking his K. P. with P., and then by checking, with your Q. at K. R.'s 5th, you win one of his Kts., and have a splendid position.

Should he at his 8th move play K. P. takes K. B.'s P., you may advance, as move 9, your P. to Q.'s 4th. and if he then attack your K. Kt. with the K. R.'s P., you can leave the K. Kt. to his fate, merely taking the doubled P. with Q. B. first, and the P. which took your Kt. afterwards, and you must have an overwhelming position of attack.

Black has the better game.