Description
On this DVD, IM Lawrence Trent presents a comprehensive repertoire and thematic analysis of the most enterprising, yet well less documented move 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 in the Two Knights Defence. Once labelled as foolish and primative lunge by the old masters, White ignores his development in order to immediately attack the Achilles Heel of Blacks position on f7.
Video running time 4 hours and 45 minutes. System Requirements: Disc drive, Windows 7 or higher.
An online review: I’m definitely willing to recommend this DVD to just about anyone who plays or faces the 4.Ng5 Two Knights. Trent proceeds systematically through the various alternatives, starting with the Traxler (a.k.a. WilkesBarre, i.e. 4 Bc5), the unnamed 4…d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 line, the Ulvestad or Fritz lines (which generally transpose) and finally the 5 Na5 main line. Right away I was impressed, as he presented a very simple and sound way of meeting the Traxler that avoided practically all of the crazy complications. This was a big plus. I was just as impressed by his coverage of the Ulvestad and Fritz Variations, and surprised, too. I took the DVD to offer a White repertoire (which it does), and expected as a result that he would claim a White edge everywhere, or at least everywhere but some ultimate main line in the 5…Na5 systems. To my surprise, he seems to say that with best play that Black equalizes, or at least that it’s unclear that White can obtain an edge. Wow! That turned what I initially thought was a weakness of the disc into a strength. After 5…b5 he had a clip on the inferior 6.dxc6, and I was wondering why he wasting our time on this in a White repertoire DVD. Worse still, he followed up with the relatively better but stil clearly inferior 6.Bxb5. But once one sees that matters are very much up in the air, even with best play from White, it turns out that the disc becomes valuable for Black, too. Similarly, he looks at a wide range of White approaches in the 5…Na5 mainline. After 6.Bb5 (6.d3 is also covered) 6…c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3, 8.Bd3 and 8.Be2 are all presented with multiple clips. In terms of the coverage it’s a product for both White and Black in the 4.Ng5 Two Knights. There was one disappointing chapter on the disc; fortunately, it’s in the least important line. Trent is rather dismissive of 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5, and, I think, rightly so. Anyone familiar with the Paul Morphy era will have seen many games with 6.Nxf7 and its near relatives crushing Black brilliantly. It turns out, however, that the immediate Fried Liver isn’t so clear, so Trent recommends the Lolli Attack with 6.d4. (This is also very wellknown.) He looks at variations following 6…Be7 7.Nxf7 Kxf7 8.Qf3 Ke6 9.Nc3, when White’s attack is very dangerous indeed. This is all well and good, and it may be true as an empirical matter that most of the club players who try 5…Nxd5 will fall into this mess.
