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Italian Game: Two Knights, Knight Attack, 8.Bd3

Nakamura–Caruana, Norway Chess 2023 · Abasov–Esipenko, FIDE World Cup 2025 · 8:18 · ECO C58

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In this video

Game 1: Hikaru Nakamura (2775) vs Fabiano Caruana (2764)

Norway Chess 2023, 9 June 2023 · White won (1-0) · 55 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

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Key moments

  1. 8...Nd5The first move after the opening line0:36
  2. 17...f5The evaluation moves from +0.09 to +2.061:16
  3. 19...Rd8White stays more than two pawns ahead from here1:26
  4. 21.Rxc4The queens come off1:34
  5. 50...Ba8The evaluation moves from +4.53 to +5.454:02
  6. 54...Ra7The evaluation moves from +6.01 to +6.814:22
  7. 55.d4White wins after 55 moves4:24

Evaluation

Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.

Game 2: Nijat Abasov (2587) vs Andrey Esipenko (2681)

FIDE World Cup 2025, 5 November 2025 · Black won (0-1) · 46 moves

Click a move to jump the video to it. Dotted moves are the opening line the video is about.

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Key moments

  1. 8...Nd5The first move after the opening line5:00
  2. 25.dxe7The queens come off6:18
  3. 29.b3The evaluation moves from −0.77 to −1.976:38
  4. 32.Nxc5The evaluation moves from −1.73 to −3.11, and Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:52
  5. 44.Kf3The evaluation moves from −3.87 to −4.657:52
  6. 46...h5Black wins after 46 moves8:05

Evaluation

Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.

About these games

After 4.Ng5 attacks f7, Black gives up a pawn with 4...d5 and 5...Na5, and the check on b5 leaves Black with split queenside pawns on a7 and c6 against White's extra pawn. With 8.Bd3 the bishop takes a square that keeps it out of reach of ...Na5-c4 and watches the e4 square, at the cost of blocking the d-pawn. Black counts on quick development, open lines and pressure against White's kingside for the lost pawn.

Nakamura–Caruana followed 8...Nd5 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.O-O Nf4 11.Nc3 Nxd3 12.cxd3: White gave up the bishop pair to keep the extra pawn. Caruana's 17...f5 loosened the position and took the score from +0.09 to +2.06, and 18.Nxc5 won a second pawn. Queens came off with 21.Rxc4, and White stood at +3.32 after 23.Bb2. With rooks and minor pieces left, Nakamura advanced the kingside pawns, reaching +5.45 at 53.f5, and White won after 55.d4.

Abasov–Esipenko went 10...O-O 11.Re1 f5, giving up the e-pawn to attack with ...g5-g4. After 16...gxf3 17.cxd6 fxg2 the position was level, −0.33 at 18.Bxg2, and still +0.19 after 23.Ne4. A sequence of exchanges, 23...Qxe7 24.Qxg8+ Rxg8 25.dxe7 f3 26.e8=Q Rxe8, left Black better at −1.41 by 28.Bg2. After 32.Nxc5 Nxa1 the score fell from −1.73 to −3.11, and Black won after 46...h5. Where White kept the extra pawn and simplified in Game 1, here Black's attack dictated the play.

Chapters

  1. 0:00Introduction and the opening line
  2. 0:10Game 1: Nakamura vs Caruana, Norway Chess 2023
  3. 4:33Game 2: Abasov vs Esipenko, FIDE World Cup 2025

The opening line

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Bd3

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