Vienna Game: 2...Nc6 3.Bc4
Watson–Murshed, Lloyds Bank Open 1992 · Piorun–Banusz, TCh-ESP Div Honor 2016 · 7:54 · ECO C25
Position as text
FEN:
In this video
Game 1: William Watson (2555) vs Niaz Murshed (2505)
Lloyds Bank Open 1992 · White won (1-0) · 37 moves
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Key moments
- 3...Bc5The first move after the opening line0:22
- 28.Ra3The evaluation moves from +3.69 to +1.272:09
- 32...f5The evaluation moves from −3.60 to +2.062:32
- 35...Qg6The evaluation moves from +1.33 to +7.87, and White stays more than two pawns ahead from here2:46
- 37.e5White wins after 37 moves2:54
Evaluation
Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.
Game 2: Kacper Piorun (2681) vs Tamas Banusz (2613)
TCh-ESP Div Honor 2016, 28 September 2016 · Black won (0-1) · 59 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
- 3...Nf6The first move after the opening line3:15
- 24...Nxb6The queens come off4:45
- 39...Rc3Black stays more than two pawns ahead from here6:00
- 51.gxh5The evaluation moves from −4.27 to −5.656:58
- 56.Rc6The evaluation moves from −5.40 to −6.417:22
- 57...Rc3The evaluation moves from −6.41 to −5.137:30
- 59...Ka2Black wins after 59 moves7:40
Evaluation
Above the line, White is better; below it, Black. Scores are in pawns, capped at five either way.
About these games
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4, White develops the bishop to its Italian diagonal against f7 while keeping the f-pawn free for a later f4. Black can answer symmetrically with 3...Bc5, which invites the queen sortie Qg4 against g7, or play 3...Nf6 and aim to exchange the c4-bishop with ...Na5. The second approach often leaves White with doubled c-pawns after dxc4.
Watson–Murshed went 3...Bc5 4.Qg4 g6, and the queen later settled on h4. After 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Qxf4 Bxc4 14.dxc4, the kings castled on opposite sides. White pressed on the d-file and the dark squares, and 17.c5 opened lines, reaching +1.56 at 18.cxd6. The advantage slipped with 28.Ra3, which dropped the score from +3.69 to +1.27, and 32.Nc3 left it at −3.60. Black's reply 32...f5 swung it back to +2.06. The decisive error was 35...Qg6, which allowed 36.Nc7+, and the score went from +1.33 to +7.87. After 37.e5, White won.
Piorun–Banusz reached the line by transposition and continued 3...Nf6 4.d3 Na5. Black took the bishop with 7...Nxc4, leaving White with doubled c-pawns. Black then held the bishop pair and manoeuvred quietly. The queens came off with 24...Nxb6, and the bishops later won the a4-pawn and then the b3-pawn. From 39...Rc3, Black stayed more than two pawns ahead. The passed b-pawn and the active king decided the rook endgame, with −5.54 at 53.Rc7+. Black won after 59...Ka2. Unlike Game 1's attack between opposite-side castled kings, this game was a slow positional squeeze.