Nxe4

If you play any of the Italian System openings (Two Knghts, Max Lange, Giuoco Piano), sometimes you need to decided if Nxe4 by Black is payable (as Black) or allowable (as White). It often leads to sharp play, especially if Black is yet to castle. And while there is close to 200 years opening theory on such lines, it can still be difficult to play over the board.
Here is an up to date example, from the ANU Masters. Alana Chibnall takes on e4 and although the knight is pinned on the e file, d5 seems to hold. But after Bxd5 Qxd5 Nc3 Black quickly goes downhill, as the tactics favour White. Post game analysis suggested that Black let the knight go on e4 (playing O-O) and after Rxe4, d5 gets the piece back. This seems to work and in fact there are some lines where Black is a lot better. But just as there is 200 years of analysis, there is also 1 cpu checking on its accuracy, and it seems that best play should leave the position basically equal.


Bliznyuk,Andrey (2093) - Chibnall,Alana (1884)
2016 ANU Masters Canberra, Australia AUS (5.4), 21.03.2016

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. h3 Nf6 8. O-O Nxe4 9. Re1 d5 10. Bxd5 Qxd5 11. Nc3 Qa5 12. Rxe4+ Be6 13. d5 O-O-O 14. Ra4 Qc5 15. Be3 Qe7 16. Bxb6 cxb6 17. Qb3 Na5 18. Rxa5 bxa5 19. dxe6 Qxe6 20. Qxe6+ fxe6 21. Kf1 a6 22. Ke2 Rhf8 23. Rd1 b5 24. Ne4 h6 25. Nd4 e5 26. Rc1+ 1-0