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Black Knights’ Tango

The Black Knights’ Tango (also known as the Mexican

Defense or Kevitz–Trajkovic Defense) is a chess open-

ing beginning with the moves:

1. d4 Nf6

2. c4 Nc6

This position can also be reached by transposition, for ex-

ample 1.c4 Nf6, 1.d4 Nc6, or 1.c4 Nc6.

1 History

The opening originated in the 1920s, when it was played

byboththe Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre (hence the

name “Mexican Defense”)[1] and the  American master

Alexander Kevitz   (the “Kevitz” in “Kevitz–Trajkovic

Defense”). Torre used it to defeat then-U.S. Chess

Champion Frank James Marshall in only seven moves.[2]

It was later played by the Yugoslav master MihailoTrajkovic[3][4] and the Soviet grandmaster  Anatoly Lu-

tikov.[5][6][7][8]

After decades of obscurity, the opening was revitalized

by   International Master Georgi Orlov, who published

a booklet and a book about it in 1992 and 1998, re-

spectively. Orlov rechristened the opening the “Black

Knights’ Tango”.[9]

Since 1992, the opening has been employed by a num-

ber of strong grandmasters, including  Victor Bologan,

Joel Benjamin, Larry Christiansen, and  Alex Yermolin-

sky.[10] Yermolinsky has even ventured it against Garry

Kasparov.[11]

2 Basic ideas

Although fairly uncommon, the “Tango” has a sounder

positional basis than most other offbeat openings: Black

develops quickly, has a flexible pawn structure, and ispre-

pared to strike back in the center with 3...e5, or with

...e6 and ...d5. The opening has some distinct varia-

tions but it is highly  transpositional, and may transpose

to the   King’s Indian Defense,   Nimzo–Indian Defense,Bogo–Indian Defense,   Chigorin Defense,   Ragozin Sys-

tem, Catalan Opening, and English Opening.

3 Possible continuations

3.1 3.Nf3

The most common move, preventing 3...e5.[12] Black usu-

ally responds with 3...e6, although 3...d6, intending a

kind of Old Indian Defense, is also possible.[12][13] Af-

ter 3...e6, White can play 4.Nc3 Bb4 (transposing to the

Nimzo–Indian Defense);[14][15] 4.a3, when Black can ei-

ther play 4...d5 (reaching a kind of Queen’s Gambit De-

clined or Ragozin System),[16] or 4...d6 preparing 5...e5or even 5...g6 (“championed by Bologan”, according to

Palliser), reaching a sort of King’s Indian Defense;[17][18]

or 4.g3, when Black can transpose to the Catalan Opening

with 4...d5, recommended by Palliser[19][20] or 4...Bb4+,

preferred by Orlov, which transposes to a Nimzo–Indian

after 5.Nc3, or to a Bogo–Indian Defense after 5.Bd2 or

5.Nbd2.[19][21]

3.2 3.Nc3

This is White’s second most popular move.

[22]

After thethematic 3...e5, one possibility for White is 4.Nf3, trans-

posing to an English Opening.[23] Palliser recommends

4...e4!? in response, while Orlov prefers 4...exd4 5.Nxd4

Bb4.[23][24] Instead, themain line is 4.d5 Ne7.[25] Now the

game may continue in “Tango” fashion, for example with

5.Nf3 Ng6, or transpose to the King’s Indian Defense

with, for example, 5.Nf3 d6 6.e4 (6.Bg5!?) g6 7.Be2 Bg7

8.O-O O-O, reaching the main line of the King’s Indian

by transposition.[26]

Another interesting but relatively unexplored idea is

3...e6, allowing White to play 4.e4 (other moves such

as 4.d5, 4.Bg5, 4.a3, 4.f3, and 4.Nf3 are also possible),whereupon Black follows up with 4...d5. From that po-

sition, the main possibilities are 5.e5 (the main line),

5.exd5, 5.cxd5, and 5.Bg5. These possibilities can also be

reached via transposition from the Flohr–Mikenas Varia-

tion of the English Opening (1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4), al-

though if Black wishes to play this way, the optimal move

order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nc6.

3.3 3.d5

This ambitious move is playable but rarely seen.[27] Black

normally responds with 3...Ne5. Then after 4.e4 (invit-ing 4...Nxe4??   5.Qd4 winning a knight), Black struck

back in the center with 4...Ng6 5.f4 e5 in the seminal

1

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2   5 EXTERNAL LINKS 

game Sämisch–Torre, Moscow 1925.[1] However, Orlov

considers both Torre’s fourth and fifth moves inferior.[28]

He and Palliser both recommend instead 4...e6,[28][29]

after which play can become extremely sharp. For ex-

ample, Elburg–Simmelink, correspondence 1999 contin-

ued 5.f4 Ng6 6.Bd3 exd5 7.e5?!   Ne4 8.cxd5 Qh4+

9.g3 Bb4+! 10.Bd2?   (Better is 10.Nc3!   Nxc3!11.bxc3 Bxc3+ 12.Bd2 Bxd2+ 13.Qxd2 Qe7 14.Nf3 d6

15.Bb5+! Kf8 16.Qc3 with some practical chances for

the  sacrificed pawn).[30] Nxg3 11.Nf3 (see diagram at

left) Nxf4! 12.Bf1! (12.Nxh4?? Nxd3#!; 12.Bxb4?

Nxd3+ 13.Qxd3 Qxb4+ is hopeless for White.[31] Bxd2+

13.Nbxd2 (see diagram at right; 13.Qxd2? Nxf1+

14.Nxh4 Nxd2 is winning for Black.) Qh3! 14.Rg1

(White cannot take either of Black’s two hanging pieces:

14.Bxh3 Nd3#; 14.hxg3 Qxg3#. Nor is 14.Ng5 Qg2! any

better.) Nxf1 left Black with two extra pawns.[32]

4 References

Notes

[1] ,“Fridrich Sämisch vs Carlos Torre-Repeto, Baden-Baden

1925”. Chessgames.com. Retrieved 2009-03-06.

[2]   Frank James Marshall vs Carlos Torre-Repetto, Baden-

Baden, 1925

[3] Palliser, p. 10.

[4]   Walter Korn, Modern Chess Openings  (9th ed. 1957), Pit-

man, p. 234 (citing a 1952 game by Trajkovic).

[5] Walter Korn,   Modern Chess Openings   (12th ed. 1982),

David McKay, p. 310.  ISBN 0-679-13500-6.

[6]   Czerniak–Lutikov, IBM B 1968. Chessgames.com. Re-

trieved on 2009-03-06.

[7]   Trapl–Lutikov, Warsaw Armies Championship 1969.

Chessgames.com. Retrieved on 2009-03-06.

[8]   Uhlmann–Lutikov, Sarajevo 1969. Chessgames.com.

Retrieved on 2009-03-06.

[9] He explained, “this no-name opening has languished,

rarely getting even an honorable mention. I hopeto change

that by first highlighting the defense with a catchy name.

Thus The Black Knights Tango!" Orlov 1992, p. 2. His

1998 book added the apostrophe after “Knights”.

[10] Palliser, pp. 7, 10.

[11]   “Garry Kasparov vs Alex Yermolinsky, Yerevan

Olympiad 1996”. Chessgames.com. Retrieved 2009-03-

06.

[12] Palliser, p. 82.

[13] Orlov 1998, pp. 53–54.

[14] Palliser, p. 92.

[15] Orlov 1998, p. 80.

[16] Orlov 1998, p. 118.

[17] Palliser, p. 176.

[18] Orlov 1998, pp. 115–18.

[19] Palliser, p. 159.

[20] Orlov 1998, pp. 59–60.

[21] Orlov 1998, pp. 60–61, 80.

[22] Orlov 1998, p. 26.

[23] Palliser, p. 76.

[24] Orlov 1998, p. 27.

[25] Orlov 1998, p. 28.

[26] Orlov 1998, pp. 34–35.

[27] Palliser, p. 55.

[28] Orlov 1998, p. 8.

[29] Palliser, p. 66.

[30] Palliser, p. 69.

[31] Orlov 1998, p. 11.

[32] Palliser, p. 70.

Bibliography

•   Georgi Orlov,   Black Knights’ Tango, International

Chess Enterprises, 1992. ISBN 1-879479-03-6.

•   Georgi Orlov,   The Black Knights’ Tango: Outwit 

Your Opponents from Move 2!, Batsford, 1998.

ISBN 0-7134-8349-0.

•   Richard Palliser, Tango! A Dynamic Answer to 1 d4,

Everyman Chess, 2005. ISBN 1-85744-388-8.

5 External links

•   Betwixt the Tango and the Budapest   (arguing that

3. Nf3 does not prevent 3 ..e5)

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3

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