As far as I know things are equal, but I would hardly ever play 3. Bc4 as White in a normal game to avoid the Two Knights Defence altogether.
As Black I would almost always play the Two Knights Defence if given the chance and if White plays 4. Nc3 I would play 4. ... Nxe4 immediately.
It is easy to make mistakes in the Two Knights Defence, and I suspect that a large number of players respond with 4. d3 just to avoid 4. ... Nxe4.
The engine gives White an advantage after 7...Ne7 8.c3 f5 9.Bc2 e4 10.Nd4 c5 and personally I don't like to play with very advancend pawns in the opening/middlegame.
Against 7...Nb4 8.a3 f5 9.Bb7/Bf5 the engine gives White a small advantage in an endgame with opposite-coloured bishops. So 7...Nb4 leads to an equal position. Not very ambitious.
The most interesting sideline should be 6...Nb4!? 7.Ng3 e4 8.Bxe4 (8.Be2!?) dxe4 9.Nxe4 Bf5 10.d3 Bxe4 11.dxe4 Qxd1 12.Kxd1 Bc5 13.a3 0-0-0 14.Nd2 Nc6 15.f3 Be3. A long forcing line. White has many ways to make mistakes.
The mainline 7...Bd6 (the only other option 7...Bg4 should transpose, but is also less flexible) is according to engines in White's favour, but I think the evaluation of the pawn-structure after Bxc6 bxc6 isn't right.7...Bd6 also develops a piece, and don't move a piece a second time as in Nb4/Ne7-lines.
In my youth I've played many 1.e4 e5 games, and with only basic opening knowledge the position after 4.Nc3 was often reached, also via the four knights. In those times, I've always played 4...Ne4 and got an easy advantage, because White don't played the right line and always lost the pair of bishops after Lxd5 or Lxf7. Many years has passed, and now I want to return to the open games, so I have to look again on this position, and now I must also consider the best continuation after 4...Ne4.
I call this one the Black Widow Gambit. It's pretty much the backweirdz Halloween Gambit. Two of my all-time favorites !! Thank you NBKXX for bringing this Front Stage & Center....
....
(I'll be following this spooky one in earnest anticipation....)
5.Bxf7+ maybe?
I would need to do some research, but it seems that Nc3 is not great. It isn't a blunder by any means, but black can get a fine position with a few accurate moves.
It seems instead of 7...Bc5, 7...Bd6 is the main move, followed mostly by 8.0-0.
Houdini quite likes 7...Qf6 which looks a bit unorthodox. Not sure if it can be trusted.
Would black later doing a 0-0-0 be out of the ? here ?
BTW, I thought....oh !...7. f5....then later thought probably not.
5.Bxf7+ maybe?
This is a very bad move. Black gets the pair of bishops and a strong pawn centre. The king is also in no real danger, because of artificial casting. A bit better, but also bad is 6.Bd5. This surrenders only the pair of bishops, and black has a pawn in the centre and easy development. Black is already a bit better.
I'm not playing 1.e4 with White, but I want to return to 1.e4 e5 with black, and 4.Nc3 in the Two Knights and 4.Bc4 in the Four Knights are clearly not the best moves, but normal development moves. So I want to know, which line for Black ist best against it.
Currently I think it's 6...Nb4!? or 7...Ld6 8.0-0 0-0. I must also correct my opinion against 7...Bg4. The bishop is quite strong on g4, and makes f5 and e4 even stronger. Sometimes White weakens his kingside with h3. In contrast to the mainline, the bishop is at least more active than on d7.
Houdini quite likes 7...Qf6 which looks a bit unorthodox. Not sure if it can be trusted.
This is also the favourit of Stockfish, but I don't like it. After 0-0,f5, the queen normaly goes to f6 "behind the pawns". This makes a lot more sense to me. I think the engines like Qf6 because they don't follow a real plan. They only put the pieces better, but in the end the queen should be misplaced.
well i would play 7...Bd6 and dont really understand what black has to worry about. I think that if white plays Bxc6 at some point its a somewhat typical situation where the pawn weakness isnt as significant as the bishop pair because the pawns are somewhat out of the way and difficult to attack.
7...Bd6 is the best way to play as Black if you want to win, although with optimal play by white (8.0-0 0-0 9.Re1) you should accept a (very) slight disadvantage. There are many pitfalls Black (actually both players) may fall in. I will mention just one of them: 9.Re1 Bg4 10.c3! (not 10.h3? Bh5 11.c3 f5, and now Black can cover the check from b3 with the bishop) 10...Kh8 (10...Qd7 11.h3 Bf5 --11...Bh5? 12.Nxe5-- 12.Bxc6 Qxc6 13.Rxe5 Bd3, when Black has compensation for the lost pawn, but he has not equalized yet) 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2, or 12.Qa4, with a (very) slight white advantage. You see, the threat of taking at c6 is stronger than it's execution!
If Black wishes so, he can have a completely equal game with the virtually unknown move 7. Bxe4 Be6! intending to stop the Bxc6 nonsense once and for all with ...Bd5. I will let you analyse that one yourself.
Thank you very much!
Yes, a big thanks to Pfren, I will investigate this line.
@NBKXX, I agree with you about 8...Qf6.
The Four Knights is just equal if black know the right moves. But Halloween Gambit 4...Nxe4?, I would not risk playing this in otb game, why lose rating when there are better alternates for an advantage.
I remember IM prfen replying to the similar thread, 'bout 2 years ago I'd say. Now I always play 4...Nxe4.
A question. What about 6...f5?
A question. What about 6...f5?
6...f5 is a weaker version of 6...Nb4, which has the same idea.
The Four Knights is just equal if black know the right moves. But Halloween Gambit 4...Nxe4?, I would not risk playing this in otb game, why lose rating when there are better alternates for an advantage.
4... Ne4 is the best move in this position. Of course Black could also transpose to an Italian game with 4...Bc5.
In some books/comments the move 4.Nc3 has the reputation of a mistake, and after 4...Ne4 Black should even has an small or huge advantage... Of course, the statistics are great for black, but I think after the best line 5.Ne4 d5 6.Bd3 the position is equal, maybe even a very tiny advantage vor White. The mainline goes on with 6...de 7.Be4 Ld6, but 6...Nb4!? and 7...Ne7!?,7...Nb4!? are maybe better alternatives?
Can you please share your opinion/analysis about this lines? :)