Four Knights Game - Chess Openings Explained

Jonathan Schrantz teaches an opening where all four Knights move toward the center. It's pretty and symmetrical, but there are sharp lines you should know. Learn the Scotch Four Knights, the Glek system, and more.
2016.03.28
Vladimir Kramnik vs Levon Aronian, Kramnik - Aronian (2012): C47 Four knights, Scotch, 4...exd4

Пікірлер: 121

  • @Socialdogma
    @Socialdogma8 жыл бұрын

    I was the guy in the audience. I am from Michigan but was town for the week and spent several days at the club. I had a blast attending several lectures and just hanging out.

  • @wowmegoguik

    @wowmegoguik

    7 жыл бұрын

    Socialdogma Did you have to pay to attend the lectures?

  • @Socialdogma

    @Socialdogma

    4 жыл бұрын

    No, the lectures were free but at that time I was a member.

  • @rzj_stuff

    @rzj_stuff

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@Socialdogma took u years to reply huh

  • @mublysnubly3407

    @mublysnubly3407

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Calvin Anderson if it wasn't for you we wouldn't have gotten an answer thank you.

  • @GODSHAND2393

    @GODSHAND2393

    3 жыл бұрын

    Were you now? I call BS...

  • @codewriter3000
    @codewriter30004 жыл бұрын

    2:13 "and this is actually a mistake already" I play this almost every single game when I'm white

  • @sollertia_

    @sollertia_

    4 жыл бұрын

    Lots of lower rated players or players who normally play the Italian that are surprised by weird defenses accidentally fall into the center fork trick... Imo it's not really a mistake for players of that level since it doesn't really lose material, just make Black's game easier to play (also relieving a lot of pressure from the aggressive light bishop which I find most dangerous in shorter time controls)

  • @9FictioN4

    @9FictioN4

    4 жыл бұрын

    I just lost a game to this move (im a noob) and came here to see what the hell was I supposed to do lol

  • @ShadMuffin

    @ShadMuffin

    3 жыл бұрын

    Found this video by looking at my early games online, I played the four knights italian so much but usually went into the italian first.

  • @djdeucejmusic

    @djdeucejmusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same. Lol

  • @sunsidhe
    @sunsidhe8 жыл бұрын

    These lectures are well researched and well presented. Shame the St Louis locals aren't turning out for them - they are still good viewing for the rest of us.

  • @numera8892

    @numera8892

    6 жыл бұрын

    sunsidhe UU

  • @IdoF47

    @IdoF47

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yea. lol. 1 guy saw this live, then the recording was watched 100k times.

  • @farhadpatwari
    @farhadpatwari5 жыл бұрын

    1:25 Starting Position 1:50 Variations 2:12 Italian (Mistake) 3:30 4:08 4:42 6:12 Gluck 8:24 K_Q fork 9:13 accurate move 11:21

  • @sleepy4x

    @sleepy4x

    3 жыл бұрын

    6:12 Glek (igor) not Gluck

  • @SaugaSen

    @SaugaSen

    Жыл бұрын

    Whose the grandmaster he’s referring to at 5:44 ?

  • @dangerzeh3053
    @dangerzeh30538 жыл бұрын

    'Chess Openings Explained' is my favorite segment you guys do. Please keep them coming. If I lived in St. Louis, you would've had two people in the audience ;)

  • @fuzzykoala6168

    @fuzzykoala6168

    3 жыл бұрын

    Lefter Mc 4

  • @Dhieen

    @Dhieen

    3 жыл бұрын

    5

  • @TF-sq4hj
    @TF-sq4hj5 жыл бұрын

    I think you had more audience here :D

  • @Lord_Simonw
    @Lord_Simonw Жыл бұрын

    1:25 starting position 1:50 variations 2:12 Italian four knight mistake 6:12 glek sistem 11:34 spanish four knights 12:17 knight d4 reply 13:10 game if u Castle here 15:24 game if u don't Castle here 16:20 bishop b4 reply 19:06 scotch four knights

  • @edward4033
    @edward40332 ай бұрын

    Wow! Very well explained. You have a way of covering all the intricacies of this opening without making it confusing to beginners like myself.

  • @GoldenBoyXCM
    @GoldenBoyXCM7 жыл бұрын

    only 1 person what a shame. I love your videos !!

  • @GeneralBlorp
    @GeneralBlorp Жыл бұрын

    This guy is awesome. He makes lecturing look easy and actually got me interested in this channel / revitalized my interest in chess. 👍

  • @krileym
    @krileym3 жыл бұрын

    I'm here 5 years later trying to learn; great channel and thank you Mr. Schrantz!

  • @asd36f
    @asd36f5 жыл бұрын

    I've been a correspondence player for nearly 40 years, and in the last 10 or so years I turned to the Four Knights opening when playing White in an attempt from getting away from the highly-analysed variations of the major king pawn openings.

  • @iPhonePhixer
    @iPhonePhixer5 жыл бұрын

    I was one of those who found the 4 knights game with Spanish variation. Since I found it, I use it often, but I didn’t know much of the knowledge in this video. I can tell I’ll watch this video over and over and over. I want to absorb it all.

  • @mikemcknight1295
    @mikemcknight12952 жыл бұрын

    Greatly described. Thx for upload Jon.

  • @matthewinrandwick
    @matthewinrandwick8 жыл бұрын

    Great video, thanks to you and everyone at the club! I'd love to head down to Saint Louis to check these out in person!

  • @richardsimon4135
    @richardsimon41352 жыл бұрын

    Don't be disappointed Jonathan, KZread means that I'm always in your audience.

  • @noahz
    @noahz Жыл бұрын

    I play the Russian game, which often transposes into the Four Knights, so I went looking for a video on it. Was happy to find this @JonathanSchrantz video

  • @TrondArneAusdal
    @TrondArneAusdal8 жыл бұрын

    I love the concept of explaining the ideas in certain openings. What plans are normal in this and that opening etc. Super nice! Id love to see som Ruy Lopez and d4 opening breakdowns.

  • @danielbarreto465
    @danielbarreto4654 жыл бұрын

    appreciate the lecture. good video.

  • @strings2006
    @strings20067 жыл бұрын

    great lesson as always

  • @bernardotoresan4459
    @bernardotoresan44596 жыл бұрын

    Very nice lecture, congrats

  • @reza6718
    @reza67188 жыл бұрын

    great video thanks

  • @zenbronzed
    @zenbronzed3 жыл бұрын

    66k views as of Aug 2020... no worries about there being only one in the audience. Great vid, Jonathan.

  • @charlesdarwin180
    @charlesdarwin1808 жыл бұрын

    One person turned up? My bet that it was none other than the chess maniac and former Missouri scholastic state champ, Mike Kummer.

  • @sauryasircar5326

    @sauryasircar5326

    8 жыл бұрын

    I'd have turned up if I could.

  • @nahilismail3144
    @nahilismail31444 жыл бұрын

    5:24 afro mayev? i didnt get his name right can someone help me? i want to check out his games edit: found him! Vladimir Afromeev he won all of the games he played in everysigle opening as black except for one game? thasss crazyyyy

  • @hi10drakk
    @hi10drakk8 жыл бұрын

    This guy is a PRO coach. Openings - 101 by Jonathan Schrantz.

  • @MK-13337
    @MK-133378 жыл бұрын

    I study my openings from databases and books, but this series is fun and well explained. If I would request an opening it would be a 4... g6 variation of the Alekhines. (1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6). Lots of tactical and super sharp lines, where black survives by miracles it seems.

  • @tejas4039
    @tejas4039 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @zarbilzerian
    @zarbilzerian7 ай бұрын

    You don't know how intermediate plays the 4 knights. White usually moves the pawn to D3 after the E4. The bishop is used to protect the knight from being pinned by black knight. And when you push the pawns in front of the king to make the blck bishop move, it moves one sqaure and if you push again, black sacrifies his knight, and black re pins the white knight and you cant move it because of your queen. If you move your queen, they take the knight and it opens up the white king. I am amazed how many 1800s fall under this trap. They just play as per theories and cant think of themselves when face with this.

  • @Majora1988
    @Majora19888 жыл бұрын

    Still asking for the King's Gambit Jon. :) Love your lectures still.

  • @devanshraizadavaid3197

    @devanshraizadavaid3197

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Majora1988 I started playing it a week ago. I would love to see the Schrantz exploration of it.

  • @gregbattis

    @gregbattis

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Majora1988 KG is terrible but I would like to see it too.

  • @gregbattis

    @gregbattis

    8 жыл бұрын

    No its terrible. But I do play it sometimes to mix things up.

  • @Majora1988

    @Majora1988

    8 жыл бұрын

    It's not so much that the King's Gambit is terrible, its just hard to get an advantage as white, because a GM won't try to maintain his material advantage, and will instead consolidate. I don't really agree with Fischer's refutation of the King's Gambit, but I do think that black equalizes without much difficulty with correct play.

  • @psilohead
    @psilohead8 жыл бұрын

    Jonathan is the best.

  • @tsss1179

    @tsss1179

    8 жыл бұрын

    +psilohead Agreed

  • @mikebliss3153
    @mikebliss31533 жыл бұрын

    I have found the Four Knights to be a particularly strong and dynamic opening if you intend on controlling the board from the wings as opposed to developing material in the center.

  • @mychessbest4162
    @mychessbest41625 жыл бұрын

    4:42 what if e4 attacks the knight which is defending the knight on g5 when it moves take the knight on g5

  • @msaravanan5971
    @msaravanan59714 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful

  • @joebortiatynski3192
    @joebortiatynski31922 жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @joshuasuperneau6469
    @joshuasuperneau64699 күн бұрын

    I would love to see a more in depth analysis on the Glek System. I know Daniel Naroditsky plays h3 kh2 in a lot of variations in order to unpin the pawn on f2 and then prepare it for the pawn push. I would love to see the ins and outs of that system.

  • @Usha_Prasanna
    @Usha_Prasanna5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks a lot

  • @helloworld2049
    @helloworld20498 жыл бұрын

    Hey could you please do a video about the tarrasch defense

  • @sachinpaul2111
    @sachinpaul21116 жыл бұрын

    Hello everyone, While I love avoiding the Italian 4 knights with what Johnathan suggested, what about a move order trick : e4 e5, Nf3 Nc6, Bc4 Bc5, Nc3

  • @amyschoenberger7916
    @amyschoenberger79166 жыл бұрын

    Hey Jon can you make a video of all the easiest checkmates!

  • @kerimsever6674
    @kerimsever66744 жыл бұрын

    Can you do Evans gambit?

  • @dawghousetv
    @dawghousetv3 жыл бұрын

    What if at 4:30, white knight takes pawn e5 to put in check? Then black knight recaptures, but white moves queen H5 putting in check, then can take black knight and pressure on other knight? Or am I wrong

  • @davidbrianorchard1623
    @davidbrianorchard16233 жыл бұрын

    ty for this..

  • @bodaraparth8643
    @bodaraparth86433 жыл бұрын

    Good!!!

  • @SaugaSen
    @SaugaSen Жыл бұрын

    Whose the grandmaster he’s referring to at 5:44 ?

  • @Trondborg
    @Trondborg8 жыл бұрын

    Excuse me please, my esteemed Sir Schrantz, I believe to know the match between Kramnik and Aronian ended tied in a 3:3, by +1 -1 =4, not in a win by Aronian, am I wrong? . Howsoever an extraordinary educational lecture as usual by a great Mr. Schranz, many thanks for this instructive lessons.

  • @frostedpumpkin3910
    @frostedpumpkin39102 жыл бұрын

    With the metger unpin, why doesn’t white just move the bishop back and keep the pin on the knight?

  • @2woinfinity718
    @2woinfinity7183 жыл бұрын

    after the fork trick. what if Bxd5?

  • @briangorman1079
    @briangorman10793 жыл бұрын

    marking the Scotch 19:09

  • @Glicerol
    @Glicerol7 жыл бұрын

    Please do video about Belgrade Gambit :)

  • @captainzork6109
    @captainzork61097 жыл бұрын

    The F6 move at 24:17 sure excalated quickly o.O

  • @guycardwell2541
    @guycardwell25414 жыл бұрын

    7:22 Nxe4! with an improved Halloween gambit for black

  • @lewiscooke-carroll1771
    @lewiscooke-carroll17716 жыл бұрын

    if white at 4:55 castles doesn't e4 win?

  • @dmaster20ify
    @dmaster20ify8 жыл бұрын

    [11:17] Glect system. I don't understand how Grand master Shranz sees no adantage for black! White's light squared bishop is block in by white's pawns, while both of black's bishop are active. I normally played that system for black, and I never go for re routing my knight to play c6, d5 and attack white's centre. I aim for moving the f6 knight to play f5 and launch a kingside attack. I mean, my pawns are pointing towards the kingside and that is where my bishops also points. That's a surprising assement by Shranz, which will make wonder about my assessment. I mean he is a Grand master and I am not even a master.

  • @RrockCj
    @RrockCj6 жыл бұрын

    14:40 Bh3 kinda the better move with a possible fork against queen, and if declined , Ng4, with a following Queen

  • @zaaxi7424
    @zaaxi74244 жыл бұрын

    Wow that fork trick will work great against players at my level, I hate seeing these positions in chess

  • @MagmaTeja
    @MagmaTeja8 жыл бұрын

    I recently saw an unusual opening for white against the Sicilian. It's called the Wing Gambit. Any chance of covering that in the future?

  • @BixenteFabregas

    @BixenteFabregas

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Magma Thrower Best black response to the wing gambit is, after 1.e4 c5 2.b4, the acception of the gambit by 2...cxb4, and on 3.a3, the thematic 3...d5!. If 4.exd5 Qxd5 and this is an enhanced center-counter gambit because the queen cannot be pushed back by Nc3, and White cannot take the b4-pawn immediately. 5.axb4 is strongly met by Qe5+ and the a1-rook bites the dust. This variation removes practically all the venom of the gambit.

  • @khahamdebbarma2583
    @khahamdebbarma2583 Жыл бұрын

    I came here after losing against an opponent playing scotch four knights

  • @pfsloan2597
    @pfsloan25975 жыл бұрын

    Nice. 4 knights is only boring because most amateurs play it safe. There are many chances to play wide open like Kramnik-Aronian.

  • @Glicerol
    @Glicerol7 жыл бұрын

    :P Why you only had one person on audience?

  • @leventeadamszabo5852
    @leventeadamszabo58524 жыл бұрын

    Is he doing it on purpose? Eye-talian game? WTF?! Great game and great lecture by the way- as always. I miss his opening theory lectures...

  • @spectralanalysis
    @spectralanalysis Жыл бұрын

    Jeez, Kramnik was a monster

  • @aminalsharawy95
    @aminalsharawy956 жыл бұрын

    in 35:34 white had a winning and it was to give a queen check in e8 and if kg7 then queen e5+ forking the rook and the king and if after queen e8 check black played kh7 then qxf7 and after kh8 qf8+ forking the king and the rook once again :-)

  • @TheMainStayz
    @TheMainStayz6 жыл бұрын

    _gut_

  • @davidelederman7337
    @davidelederman73376 жыл бұрын

    Computer says there is nothing wrong with that line of the Italian four nights, white is slightly better

  • @martinb.3997
    @martinb.3997 Жыл бұрын

    15:37 Castling without the castle

  • @bm8350
    @bm83507 жыл бұрын

    Funny enough my engine says black is up about a pawn after g4.

  • @adebayoadegboyega1658
    @adebayoadegboyega16585 жыл бұрын

    Why skip, over the Scotch four knights. You see these breezing comments, black is ok, but you face the line and face awesome difficulties. Please go back and do the Scotch four knights!!

  • @ucancallmedude8329
    @ucancallmedude83295 жыл бұрын

    Interestingly strong engines do not agree on the f3 sacrifice. More than one lection mentions it on YT, that it is really strong play for black and that Ng4 and Qh4 are unstoppable, but h3 recommended by stockfish, at 14:50 does give white +1.3 on evaluation as a response. Edit: After further analasys lichess stockfish ( which does not even see ng4 after h3, does give black over +4) simply sucks. Do your homework on your own people.

  • @iNFaunTae
    @iNFaunTae5 жыл бұрын

    the i-talian

  • @hplovecraftmacncheese
    @hplovecraftmacncheese3 жыл бұрын

    The eye talyin. The bell grad gambit.

  • @MiguelGonzalez-mt7hv
    @MiguelGonzalez-mt7hv Жыл бұрын

    Found this video because I just lost a match playing the Italian variation and it hurt. Hopefully wont make that mistake again

  • @noneofyourbusiness6269
    @noneofyourbusiness62695 жыл бұрын

    eye-talian

  • @Dhieen
    @Dhieen3 жыл бұрын

    Only one person in the audience? wtf?

  • @hamdanhussain12-e84
    @hamdanhussain12-e844 жыл бұрын

    Never knew ian from smosh is interested in chess

  • @stephanfrion2805
    @stephanfrion2805 Жыл бұрын

    scotch 4 knights 19:17

  • @talentlogic1512
    @talentlogic15123 жыл бұрын

    12:31 he says doo doo lol

  • @eduardbeiline8353
    @eduardbeiline83538 жыл бұрын

    The Urusov Gambit please

  • @BixenteFabregas

    @BixenteFabregas

    8 жыл бұрын

    +Eduard Beiline You can't alas play the Urusov gambit versus an opening expert. 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 seems to be fun until your opponent knows that 2...c6 is an excellent move... Bye bye Urusov.

  • @eduardbeiline8353

    @eduardbeiline8353

    8 жыл бұрын

    Not all know the Urusov Gambit

  • @NOMVrewq
    @NOMVrewq8 жыл бұрын

    rybka's fav

  • @maximko1373
    @maximko1373 Жыл бұрын

    You sound like dream @Socialdogma

  • @DoctaHobo
    @DoctaHobo6 ай бұрын

    2:16 for why Bc4 is bad

  • @Old_Chess_Man
    @Old_Chess_Man6 жыл бұрын

    You don't want a King's gambit one Majora1988! it's butsted

  • @md65000
    @md65000 Жыл бұрын

    Did he really say "eye-talian"?

  • @theshamsharmashow3968
    @theshamsharmashow3968 Жыл бұрын

    21:05 resume

  • @gregbattis
    @gregbattis8 жыл бұрын

    Chess club can you go over my game?

  • @alexwschan185
    @alexwschan1854 жыл бұрын

    3:01 Why don't the Bishop just take the pawn, can the Bishop just take the pawn?

  • @takcio9445

    @takcio9445

    4 жыл бұрын

    yeah I'm thinking black queen takes bishop leaving black in a great position

  • @takcio9445

    @takcio9445

    4 жыл бұрын

    but idk

  • @chessanalyst9648
    @chessanalyst96487 жыл бұрын

    The amount of time where both sides castle and develop bishops to b5 and b4 pissed me off. I am known for liking positions that are dull but this is another level of dull. Pos opening at any cost I will avoid this lol...

  • @santiagoargayo6409

    @santiagoargayo6409

    5 жыл бұрын

    Why? Whats the problem with that position?

  • @BorisNVM
    @BorisNVM2 жыл бұрын

    fornite

  • @sdgvscrwogs2483
    @sdgvscrwogs24833 жыл бұрын

    Somebody tell him it's pronounced "Italian" not "I-talian".

  • @evans9951
    @evans99513 жыл бұрын

    I accidentally disliked this sorry. Greetings from Canada . Sorry.