Italian game or two knights defence. whats your pick?

i cant decide. i always played the two knights defence but recently ive been in trouble against ridiculous well prepared 4.Ng5 players so i have to

1) increase my understanding of those lines

2) try out the italian game

3) learn something different than the main line two knighs defence. i like ulvestad variation but i dont know how good it is.

so do you prefer the italian game or two knights defence? and why do you prefer the one you are using?

  cool kolems:) but why you chose those lines? if you check my other post " line in italian game i dont like" i gave a explanation of the ulvestad

but in case many people are not familiar with the ulvestad i will add it here to.

Two knights.

I don't see where white really has much of anything against the mainline, with 4...d5, and 5...Na5.

When white plays 4.d3 and takes it into the Modern Bishop opening, I know I've got a struggle ahead.  But it's easy to transpose into pretty much identical lines against 3...Bc5, so that's neither here nor there.

my vote is for the italian game and i give a special shout out to the evan's gambit.

I feel more comfortable playing the italian, but I could play both ways, 2 knights to me just feels more like looking for a draw

 Your vote is to play 3...c5 in hopes that white will then continue into the Evans...statistically white's 5th most popular choice from that point?  Not much to build a repertoire choice around.

Personally I prefer the Giuoco Piano but I don't think there is anything wrong with the Two Knights, I just feel a little more comfortable in the Giuoco. You meet a lot of White players who are well prepared against the Ulvestad ? 

Edit: Oh I see, you face a lot of White players who are prepared against the TK main line, even that surprizes me a little. What would their ratings be ?

2 Knights is 2 tactical for me. Gimme the Itallian Game!

If one opening isn't working for you try something else. It doesn't matter why other people play the 2 Kts, 3 Kts, 4 Kts or Guico Piano if the same opening doesn't work for you. Try taking up the Petroff Defense or a single K-pawn opening instead. Sooner or later you're bound to find the defense that's "just right" for you. 

BTW you're talking about live chess games right? You can get away with lots of stuff in live chess that doesn't work in CC where your opponent can look the opening up. The Ulvestad is probably worth looking into, although I like the Fritz variation with 5...Nd5 instead of 5...b5. But again, my likes and dislikes aren't very likely (pun intended) to be very helpful in determining what line you should play.

2 Knights defense. Against 4.Ng5 play 4...Bc5.

there is no 3...c5 in the evan's gambit. and i did not chose the evan's gambit as the basis for a repertoire. i chose the italian game and mentioned that i liked the evan's gambit line in it. so...perhaps you are grasping at straws.

 Just an omitted "B".

Not grasping at straws.  Pointing out you don't seem to know the difference between the black pieces and the white.  If you're "voting," you're answering his question.  If you're answering it backwards, you're helping backwards.  Which is to say, not helping.

thanks for many helpful tips. i decided to stay with the two knights defence. its really enjoyable when i get to play the two knights defence 4.Ng5 variation and people gather around the chessboard to see what attack i get for the pawn. those small things are more enjoyable to me than actually winning the game! even tho its a very nice bonus to win. now i just have to decide between learning the mainline better or the ulvestad. i cant find much information on the status of the ulvestad. i dont want to use alot of time on it only to get a refutation thrown at me. i think the ulvestad is a good blitzweapon and as any other internetpatzer most of my games are blitz.

i dont know their ratings. its only two guys but i face them quite often when i play at the local library

im talking about every variant of chess exept CC. i feel like CC is taking the focus more on how good your database is instead of your actual skill but maybe its just me

any hints on the theoretical status of the ulvestad is greatly appriciated

italian