Description
PRE-ORDER: DUE DECEMBER 2025
Attacking the French with the Modern Two Knights by Colin Payne
With Illustrative Games Annotated by SIM Mike Read
Are you looking for a way of meeting the French that gets Black out of his comfort zone from move 3? Then the Two Knights Attack is the opening for you! The starting position occurs after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3. It is worth pointing out that his move-order avoids the Winawer entirely, as 3…Bb4 is not a pin.
The French Two Knights has been played through the ages by players such as Bird, Lasker and Capablanca to modern supergrandmasters including Carlsen, Nakamura and Grischuk. Yet it is also eminently suitable for the club player; there are simply so many opportunities for the unprepared black player to err. Contrary to popular belief, it is 100% sound; the best Black can hope for is an equal or balanced position.
So, what is modern about the lines suggested in this book? Using the latest engines and databases, Colin has discovered many unknown or rarely seen lines. Here are just two examples to whet the appetite.:
- If Black seeks a transposition to a Fort Knox Defence after 3…dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7, hoping for 5. d4,White can avoid his preparation with 5.Ne5! when best is 5…Nc6! 6.Nxd7 Qxd7 and now the unplayed 7.c3! which is best met by 7…0-0-0! 8.d4! with a trappy and likely winning pawn sacrifice.
- After 3…Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.d4 c5, the Traditional Main Line continues with 6.dxc5. In addition to this, Colin provides over 70 pages examining the alternative move 6.Bg5!?, the so-called Jackal Attack. Despite its dubious reputation, Colin’s analysis demonstrates the Jackal to be fully viable for White.
With over 300 pages and approximately 750 diagrams, this is the most comprehensive examination of the Two Knights Attack against the French so far, with 21 Illustrative Games annotated by SIM Mike Read.
Colin Payne and Mike Read’s earlier collaborations are The Vienna Gambit for the Club Player and Beating the Rubinstein French for the Club Player.
ISBN: 979-8266022041, Paperback, 332 pages, Independently Published
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