The Black Knights’ Tango – Chess Openings Explained

Jonathan Schrantz invites you to let your Knights dance out early into an unusual opening, the Black Knights’ Tango. Although uncommon, it can be soundly played.

2016.02.22
Hubert Beneteau vs. Marius Manolache, 2006: A50 Kevitz-Trajkovich defence
H Spiller vs Georgy Orlov, It (open) (1991): A50 Kevitz-Trajkovich defence
Nikita Maiorov vs Sergei Azarov, Byelorussian Championship (2005): E33 Nimzo-Indian, classical, Milner-Barry (Zurich) variation

58 Comments

  1. thanks Jonathan.
    I want to see nimzovitch defense

  2. can you cover the classical slav from blacks point of view or maybe the grunfeld for white

  3. Wow! Thanks for sharing this. I play the Alekhine's a lot and this looks like the Alekhine's for 1.D4.

  4. Why do SO MANY instructors insist drinking a drink DIRECTLY into their mike? The most irritating sound distracts the message.

  5. Can you do the Caro Kann? Not the most popular response to 1.e4 but it can produce interesting positions for both colors

  6. John, make a video of different positions where there's an obvious good move that isn't necessarily an attacking move and have viewers try and find the move.

  7. Great lecture! I would like to see Queens Gambit Accepted. I always feel its difficult to get an advantage when the gambit is accepted and black takes the pawn.

  8. Fantastic lecture that throws so much light on this opening. Loved it and learnt a lot! Awesome bottle crush n chuck technique there. 🙂

  9. Hey could u do a Video of the symettrical english with 1. c4 c5 2.g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5.Nf3 e6. This variation can often lead to a position, in wich black has a better position. It would be nice, if you would show me, and all the other "english opening" players how to play it. Thanks if you'd do a video at this topic.

  10. someone just snatch away his water bottle,it's so annoying to hear the "gulp" every few minutes.

  11. Please do the Closed Sicilian from Black's point of view. If you do not do this you will be hunted down and your internal organs harvested.

  12. could you do the schliemann defence? at my level my opponents mess up every time as white and the games are a lot livlier than the usual ruy lopez nonsense.

  13. OMG Thanks so much for covering my requested opening!

  14. Nice video. My main issue when playing the Tango is with 3. Nf3 e6 4. a3, preventing a Nimzo variation. I always feel too cramped in this position and have taken to the unsound 3. Nf3 e5? response to transpose into a Budapest. Any thoughts/advice for this line?

  15. Great lecture! Jonathan where are you from originally? Your accent says MI or WI.

  16. watched 10 times. Still cant fully understand. that makes this strategy very deep

  17. Can you do the lion defence from the philidor defence

  18. how to crush this type of attack ?? from white's perspective ….

  19. What do you need to consider when deciding to put the bishop on b4 or c5 in all these games the bishop went to b4.

  20. "Now that you have the false impression that the tango just wins by force…"

  21. love this opening, at some point can you cover the birds opening. I play it alot but i'm looking for a deeper understanding and more ways to control the center

  22. this is a weapon I have used on many an occasion (as black of course). The analysis was VERY good however after the moves: 1.c4 N1, 2.d4 N2, 3.d5 Ne5 you did not cover white's best move here:4. Qd5. At levels above 2K ppl find these and practically stop you out of the way. Which is why I very rarely use this now. I loved your analogy with the Alekhine; another of my favs. That looses to solid play by white too however so up to rating 2K both of these are sound.

  23. I love your lecture. It is very useful for my prep to respond 1.d4. When I play d5 or e6, white get an advantage. The black knight tango is Wonderfull for some reason:)

  24. Could you please cover the Walrus after Nf3 e4 for black? That would be really amazing, as there is not much on YT right now covering that.

  25. If 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3, then what should I play to most easily transpose to Black Knights’ Tango? Maybe e6 or Nc6?

  26. What a good job ! I'm recording the games in ChessX at same time and stockfish 12 agrees with all what you said and you forget nothing ( what is not the case on some channels) ,

    Keep up the good work and ty 🙂

  27. It's funny, I always played the Mexican defense and never knew it

  28. Play QGD Petrosian style against either Nimzo-like or black knights tango. Preserve light-squared B for endgame, sacrifice K’s, control center.

  29. Another great Ned Flanders lecture.

  30. 13:20 I found a different move there, it is not as good as Nxh2, but is the second engine move: Qh4. You gain the exchange, but with the Queen in the f2 square, instead of the bishop that would be easily quickly out of there.

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