Black Knights' Tango


The Black Knights' Tango is a chess opening beginning with the moves:
This position can also be reached by transposition, for example 1.c4 Nf6, 1.d4 Nc6, or 1.c4 Nc6.

History

The opening originated in the 1920s, when it was played by both the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre and the American master Alexander Kevitz. Torre used it to defeat then-U.S. Chess Champion Frank James Marshall in only seven moves. It was later played by the Yugoslav master Mihailo Trajkovic and the Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Lutikov.
After decades of obscurity, the opening was revitalized by the International Master Georgi Orlov, who published a booklet and a book about it in 1992 and 1998, respectively. Orlov rechristened the opening the "Black Knights' Tango".
Since 1992, the opening has been employed by a number of strong grandmasters, including Victor Bologan, Joel Benjamin, Larry Christiansen, and Alex Yermolinsky. Yermolinsky has even ventured it against Garry Kasparov.

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 is prepared to strike back in the center with 3...e5, or with...e6 and...d5. The opening has some distinct variations but it is highly transpositional, and may transpose to the King's Indian Defense, Nimzo–Indian Defense, Bogo–Indian Defense, Chigorin Defense, Ragozin System, Catalan Opening, and English Opening.

Possible continuations

3.Nf3

The most common move, preventing 3...e5. Black usually responds with 3...e6, although 3...d6, intending a kind of Old Indian Defense, is also possible. After 3...e6, White can play 4.Nc3 Bb4 ; 4.a3, when Black can either play 4...d5, or 4...d6 preparing 5...e5 or even 5...g6, reaching a sort of King's Indian Defense; or 4.g3, when Black can transpose to the Catalan Opening with 4...d5, recommended by Palliser 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.

3.Nc3

This is White's second-most popular move. After the thematic 3...e5, one possibility for White is 4.Nf3, transposing to an English Opening. Palliser recommends 4...e4 in response, while Orlov prefers 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4. Instead, the main line is 4.d5 Ne7. 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 g6 7.Be2 Bg7 8.O-O O-O, reaching the main line of the King's Indian by transposition.
Another interesting but relatively unexplored idea is 3...e6, allowing White to play 4.e4, whereupon Black follows up with 4...d5. From that position, the main possibilities are 5.e5, 5.exd5, 5.cxd5, and 5.Bg5. These possibilities can also be reached via transposition from the Flohr–Mikenas Variation of the English Opening, although if Black wishes to play this way, the optimal move order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nc6.

3.d5

This ambitious move is playable but rarely seen. Black normally responds with 3...Ne5. Then after 4.e4, Black struck back in the center with 4...Ng6 5.f4 e5 in the seminal game Sämisch–Torre, Moscow 1925. However, Orlov considers both Torre's fourth and fifth moves inferior. He and Palliser both recommend instead 4...e6, after which play can become extremely sharp. For example, Elburg–Simmelink, correspondence 1999 continued 5.f4 Ng6 6.Bd3 exd5 7.e5 Ne4 8.cxd5 Qh4+ 9.g3 Bb4+! 10.Bd2. Nxg3 11.Nf3 Nxf4! 12.Bf1! Qh3! 14.Rg1 Nxf1 left Black with two extra pawns.