I would reccomend that you forget the whole idea of the 2Knights. It is passive and it usually gets you into trouble. :)
Two Knights Defence Mainline Ideas for Black
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I don't play this variation of the Two Knights.
If you don't like being a pawn down without knowing how to take adavantage of the compensation then I would not play the Two Knights defence. But since you asked I think blacks compensation lies in the better development and the possibility to play f5 later with Kingside pressure, I use to play the this line as black but found the whole plan slow and hated my Knight been stuck on a5 and the 3 pawn islands with 2 of them isolated. I gave up and instead switched to 3..Bc5 allowing Guioco Piano or Evans gambit lines which were more to my liking. Have you got any books on the 2 Knights defence? As I assume they would explain the ideas.
Yeah in the past I always avoided any lines that created structural weaknesses or required me to use initiative to compensate for structural problems or material deficit. I think this has limited my game somewhat so I'm trying to play openings where I play for the initiative more.
Thanks for the advice I think I can see the general idea for black its just hard for me to feel confident about playing these types of positions. I've watched a few videos on the Two Knights might look into getting a book as well.
I looked at the Two Knights' line with Dzindzi and he concluded that Black is equal in the main line. In another post Black can also play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ Bd7!?
An online member using exhaustive computer analysis demonstrated that White has no advantage here. I tried 7.Qe2 Be7 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Bxd7 Qxd7 10.Nxe5 & I thought that Black had to play Qxd5, but the proponent of this variation suggested the stronger 10...Qf5! =
In the Wilkes-Barre White seems to have a big advantage in the 5.Bxf7 line, but it is tough to convert against accurate defense.
The Fritz is one of the main lines of the TKD where White has only a small plus against accurate play. The starting moves are 5.exd5 Nd4 6.c3 b5 7.Bf1 Nxd5. White has two basic choices here, play 8.Ne6 or 8.cxd4. The former allows the Berliner Gambit i.e. 8...Qh4 9.Ng3 Bg4 10.f3 e4 11.cxd4 Bd6 12.Qe2! Berliner gives Be6 in his monograph but this loses to the Rook sac 13.Nc3!! Nxc3 14.dxc3 Bxg3+ 15.hxg3 Qxh1 16.Qxb5+ +/-
Black can avoid the Berliner Gambit with 8...Ne6 when White wins the b-pawn 9.Bxb5+ Bd7, but White should not play Bxd7+. GM Lev Alburt and I spent 1/2 hour looking at the variations and concluded they are equal. White can attempt to complicate with 9...Bd7 10.Bc4 Bc6 11.O-O but Black can equalize slowly.
I used to play the Fritz...and not once did white play the counterintuitive 7.Bf1. That's where the game actually begins.
richie_and_oprah wrote:
Sloughterchess, you should remind people that the time you spend with titled players that you like name dropping is because you are paying them.
It is a bit disingenious of you to pretend as if they actually hanging with you for the analysis sessions and your 'suggestions' and would do so without you paying them for their time.
You mean a GM wouldnt love hanging out with a B class player and analyzing chess positions/openings for free ?! 
richie_and_oprah wrote:
Sloughterchess, you should remind people that the time you spend with titled players that you like name dropping is because you are paying them.
It is a bit disingenious of you to pretend as if they actually hanging with you for the analysis sessions and your 'suggestions' and would do so without you paying them for their time.
The point is not name-dropping but to provide credible analysis by top players since no one trusts my computer analysis.
The Two Knights Defence by Pinski is a pretty good book covering all of blacks options.
Gamboo wrote:
I used to play the Fritz...and not once did white play the counterintuitive 7.Bf1. That's where the game actually begins.
7.Bf1 is the main line
Two of the main lines of the Fried Liver offer White poor chances:
richie_and_oprah wrote:
In addition, the suggestion is that by paying these people as 'coaches' and then using their names in making argument to support your own 'research' you are not only being unfair to the forums in which you post but also to the legacy of these accomplished people.
In short: you ain't making them look very good either.
They know that I am publishing their analysis. To suggest that this is unfair is to suggest that professionals who analyze openings with me somehow are offering inferior analysis. They give their best assessment of these openings. Dzindzi, especially made a point of saying that the Wilkes Barre was refuted by his chess engines Komodo 6 and Houdini 3 running on multiple cores. According to Dzindzi his computer was "just below professional grade". Yet according to my analysis without aid of computers he seemed to overlook the degree of difficulty that White had in getting in d4. According to Dzindzi Black was a pawn down with no compensation and that no other major opening offered White better winning chances. However when I took his position that he evaluated as +- and had Fritz 14 play both sides of the position at tournament level it wound up as a draw on move 68.
hayabusahayate16 wrote:
4... Bc5 the Traxler counter attack is a highly tactical game that's a lot of fun.
That's true, but it's also highly risky (despite being so popular). White should have a considerable advantage with best play.
richie_and_oprah wrote:
The friends one buys are the best friends to have eh?
You have my deepest sympathies.
The feeling is mutual.
Another main line of the Fried Liver is equal:
hayabusahayate16 wrote:
KM101 wrote:
hayabusahayate16 wrote:
4... Bc5 the Traxler counter attack is a highly tactical game that's a lot of fun.
That's true, but it's also highly risky (despite being so popular). White should have a considerable advantage with best play.
At what level does anyone exhibit best play tbough? Does anyone even really know what the best moves are in this opening? I doubt it, most openings have a lot of room for novelties and the traxler is no exception.
I wasn't talking about any level. That was just my general knowledge of the opening, but yes, it is a fun and tactical opening and can contain many sacrifices, especially for Black. It sure is an "exciting" opening.
Hi all,
I wanted to learn to play the two knights defence as black. I know a decent amount of the theory for my level but I find the positions kind of confusing as black. As white I guess its fairly straightforward you just want to consolidate and hang onto your pawn - but as black I'm not really sure how to go about using my initiative, what the main attacking ideas are. Any advice appreciated. Just to clarify I'm talking about this line...