The Ruy Lopez for White – Berlin Defence Part 3

Hello and welcome everybody again to our study of The Ruy Lopez from White’s perspective. It has been quite a long time since we had the last episode of our study. In fact, all of you know that there was this big event, World Championship 2008 that kept all of us very very busy in our chess quest. The most busy person from our side was of-course, my friend Chessyman who worked day and night to bring to you the live games and coverages, full with interesting and accurate analysis of each and every game. To tell you the truth, I was tuned to this blog throughout the event, watching and studying the analysis provided by him. And I must tell you that he has done a great great job indeed. Hope all of you enjoyed.

Now, as the event is over, we will be back concentrating on our study of openings. So, here we go…

In our last session, we had studied Black’s reply 5…Be7 and had started 5…Nd6, where we studied Black’s 7th move alternative Variation B1: 7…Ne4!?

Now we will survey Black’s reply, Variation B2: 7…Nf5. The sub-variations of this reply involve Black’s 9th move alternatives. So, let’s start.

Variation B21: 9…Ne7

Let’s study another Black’s 9th move alternative, Variation B22: 9…Be6

So White can pull out advantages whatever may the situation be if he/she plays cautiously. And as Berlin Defence is one of the most widely played variations in The Ruy Lopez, you can definitely give it a try!!

In the next post we will conclude the Berlin Defence. 

Keep visiting and keep reading. Your valuable comments are always welcome.

Stay tuned!!

Thanks a lot. Enjoy!!

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The Ruy Lopez for White – Berlin Defence Part 2

In the introductory discussion on Berlin Defence, we saw different structural patterns that might arise as a result of this defence by Black. Hope those features are clear in your head now.

Without wasting any time, we will start our study of different variations. The Main Variations in this defence revolves around Black’s fifth move alternative, mainly Variation A: 5…Be7 and Variation B: 5…Nd6.

Let’s start with Variation A: 5…Be7. Follow carefully:

Well, the next one, Variation B: 5…Nd6 is the most widely played response by Black under these circumstances. So let’s see what it has in store for White. Pay very very serious attention. This variation will demand a pretty lengthy discussion owing to the fact that it has a lot of sub-variations. For convenience, we will study it in parts. Sub-variations involve Black’s 7th and 9th move alternatives.

Variation B1: 7…Ne4!?

Pretty interesting, isn’t it? The truth is, White can always find ways to keep an advantage. Important is to play cautiously.

We will study Variation B2 (much more preferred by Black) in my next post. Hence, it will be much more interesting for White to refute and will have much more options open for both sides.

Stay tuned. We will be back shortly.

Keep visiting and keep reading. Thanks a lot. Enjoy!!

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The Ruy Lopez for White – Berlin Defence Part 1

Before We Start

Hello Chesslovers,

It’s time to get very very serious now. 

Until now, we have been discussing those variations in the Ruy Lopez which are now less encountered in real games. The reason being the continuous improvements that has taken place due to the hard work and dedication of great players and masters in this opening. Somehow, both sides was able to find refutations and there was a need for improvement. So, improvement has taken place…….

From now on Ruy Lopez will not be just fun!, it will be full concentration + tremendous brainstorming + very hard work + complete dedication + an open mind, and all these will generate fun in the end. Because at the end of the day, if you want to generate something of very high quality, you have to bind yourself with these parameters.  Every chapters discussed from now on, will be the most adored variations in the Ruy Lopez and there is every possibility that you will turn up facing one of them everytime you go for this opening.

For those, whose chess ideas are like parts of their body they are reluctant to give up, it’s time to change your views because now you will come to know what “keeping an open mind” means.

My first and last warning to you will be “do not try to memorize moves”. Remember, when we study an opening, we do not study moves, but ideas.

Welcome, all of you, to the deepest and the most wonderful journey in the jungles of Ruy Lopez. Be serious.

The Ruy Lopez – Berlin Defence

We will start with the Berlin Defence, recognized by Black’s third move, 3…Nf6. The Berlin Defence is an opening which demands that you should understand certain things first before going for further analysis:

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6

The Berlin Defence is one of Black’s most solid and reliable ways of meeting the Ruy Lopez . Recently it has found its way into the repertoires of some of the world’s leading young players, including Alexei Shirov and Vladimir Kramnik, while it has also been a long-time favourite of Britain’s first grandmaster, Tony Miles . Being such a solid defence, there is the drawback that Black finds it difficult to create winning chances if White is content to play for a draw, but of Course, this accusation could be levelled at most black defences .

The Berlin Endgame

The main line of the Berlin Defence gives rise to an endgame after the moves 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 0-0 Nxe4 5 d4 Nd6 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 dxe5 Nf5 8 Qxd8+ Kxd8. After White’s most flexible move, 9 Nc3, we reach the following position.

  

At first glance the pawn-structure seems to give White a persistent advantage. After all, White has a healthy 4-3 majority on the kingside, while Black should find it difficult to create a passed pawn from his own queenside majority, due to the doubled pawns. However, there are also some factors favouring Black. For example, White’s advanced pawn on e5 presents Black with squares on f5 and d5 . The e5pawn could actually become quite weak if it’s not well supported. Another plus for Black is that he possesses the bishop-pair.

In fact, White’s best chance for an advantage lies in the slightly vulnerable position of the black king, which has lost the right to castle and prevents the black rooks from connecting. White must play actively and attempt to exploit this temporary disharmony in the black position in order to create a concrete positional or tactical advantage.

The …Bb4xc3 Exchange

This surprising exchange is one of Black ‘s most potent weapons in the Berlin Endgame. At first sight, it appears a little strange just to give away the advantage of the bishop-pair, but following the trade, the presence of opposite-coloured bishops considerably eases Black’s defensive task. Light-square control on the kingside makes it very difficult for White to mobilize his pawn majority, while it’s also possible that White’s pawns can end up as targets .
 

 

White Plays Ng5xBe6

Similarly, this exchange is one of White’s weapons

Play continued 12 Nxe6! fxe6 13 Ne4 and we can see that the exchange has favoured White. Black no longer possesses the bishop-pair, and White can still advance his pawn majority on the kingside. Another point is that White’s e5-pawn is less vulnerable, as Black no longer has the long-term option of …Ke6 to attack it.

The Main Ideas

Since Black will find it difficult to connect rooks, he often tries to activate them on their original squares. In such cases it’s common for Black to play …a5-a4 to activate his a8-rook. Sometimes Black may even play …h5-h4 to give the h8-rook some scope. It could then go to h5, where it could attack the e5-pawn. Black normally develops his bishops on e6 and b4 and often leaves the e7-square free for a possible knight retreat.

White’s main plan will be to try to activate his kingside pawn majority. Hence the need for moves such as h3, which supports a later g4. The f3-knight will want to move so White can create a pawn roller with f4. Normally the bishop goes to b2, but on occasions it can also go to f4, perhaps dropping back to g3 or h2, from where it can support White’s pawn advance.

The structural patterns and the main ideas leading to them are the most important thing in the Berlin Defence to understand.

Next post onwards, we will study different variation in this defence. And that will be a very very deep study indeed!! Preparation should be at it’s best. Otherwise, refutations will come from Black side pretty fast.

Keep visiting and keep reading. We have just begun.

Thanks a lot. Enjoy !!

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The Ruy Lopez for White – Classical Variation Part 2

Hello and welcome everybody.

Today we will study the two remaining variations on the Classical variation of the Ruy Lopez and we will see how White can gain advantage from the position that arrives during the course of play.

Last time we discussed Black’s first fourth move alternative, 4…Nge7.

Now we will study another reply from Black, Variation B: 4…Nd4. Pay attention:

So the position still favours White!!

Now let’s move on to the next possible reply from Black, Variation C: 4…Nf6:

Variation C: 4…Nf6 is the most critical in the Classical Variation of the Ruy Lopez and the most obvious reply for Black too. White has to play cautiously when faced with this variation. Even without the queen on the board, White can snatch an advantage, and there is a lot of ways to convert this advantage into a victory.

Go through the sub-variations again and again and you will be able to recognize certain patterns that tells you how to gain an advantage.

This was all about The Classical Variation. Hope you liked it throughout…..

From my next post we will start discussion on one of the most famous, critical  and widely played variation of the Ruy Lopez which, if studied well, will completely change your views and approach towards the game (in case you do not play Ruy Lopez or in case you are not comfortable with this opening).

So friends, stay tuned for one of the most respected opening in chess history, the famous Berlin Defence. Believe me, it will be fabulous to get lost in the jungles of this opening.

Until then, bye and take care. 

Keep visiting, keep reading and keep learning.

Thanks, …..Enjoy!

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The Ruy Lopez for White – Classical Variation Part 1

We will start a new chapter today, which will deal with The Classical Variation, characterized by the move 3…Bc5.  It goes like this:

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Bc5 3…Bc5 is a very natural and active move. However, it has never been really popular because it runs straight into White’s basic plan of c3 and d4. As this can hardly be prevented, Black must be prepared to lose time by moving this bishop again. Nevertheless, there is a plus side in that that the bishop will be actively placed on the a7-g1 diagonal , where it can exert pressure on White’s centre. Black’s main problem is that it is difficult for him to maintain his pawn on e5, where it comes under considerable attack.

White’s two main options after 3…Bc5 are 4 c3 and 4 0-0. Out of these two, recommended is the slightly more flexible 4 0-0, which also rules out having to learn the unclear consequences of 4 c3 f5 !?

The different variations in this chapter basically revolves around Black’s fourth move alternatives. 

Let’s start with Variation A: 4…Nge7

In the next post, we will study the two remaining variations in this chapter.

Keep visiting and keep reading! There is lot more to come.

Thanks a lot. Enjoy!

     If you liked the article kindly Digg it, Stumble it, Add to Technorati, bookmark it and please consider subscribing through  “Subscribe by Email”  and have articles & a  Everyman Chessbase eBook delivered right to your inbox! OR “Subscribe to Chess Blog Feed” in a Fead Reader of your choice OR Subscribe to “SMS Alerts” & Get Article Headlines & Updates delivered to your Mobile Phone for free.

The Ruy Lopez for White – Schliemann Variation/Jaenisch Defence Part 3

Hello everybody,

The last discussion in the Schliemann Variation/Jaenisch Defence was regarding Black’s fourth move alternative 4…Nd4!?, where we saw that White can make out an advantage for him in the endgame.

This time we will study Black’s main continuation as a fourth move alternative, 4…fxe4, Third Main Option for Black in this situation. This Variation has two sub-variation and will be a little long. So, sit tight, watch and learn.

Following is a discussion on Variation C1: 5…Nf6

Now let’s study Black’s fifth move alternative, Variation C2: 5…d5

Black’s reply of 4…fxe4 is the most complicated Variation in the Schliemann/Jaenisch Defence owing to the fact that it has so many alternatives for both sides!!! But White, with cautious playing, can still keep an edge over Black. And that requires knowledge and imagination about how the outcome is going to be! 

So, take your time and go through the variation repeatedly until you get a clear picture of the happenings at various positions and you will come to know how to imagine a stronger position and how to plan for it.

Well, this was all about the Schliemann/Jaenisch Defence.

From the next post we will study a new chapter, The Classical Variation in the Ruy Lopez. 

So, keep visiting and keep reading. There is lot more to come. Let us know your feelings about earlier posts.

Until then, bye.

     If you liked the article kindly Digg it, Stumble it, Add to Technorati, bookmark it and please consider subscribing through  “Subscribe by Email”  and have articles & a  Everyman Chessbase eBook delivered right to your inbox! OR “Subscribe to Chess Blog Feed” in a Fead Reader of your choice OR Subscribe to “SMS Alerts” & Get Article Headlines & Updates delivered to your Mobile Phone for free.

The Ruy Lopez for White – Schliemann Variation/Jaenisch Defence Part 2

The last discussion in Schliemann/Jaenisch Defence was regarding Black’s reply 4…Nf6, which we saw, can become more or less an easy task for White to convert into an advantage for him/her.

This time we will study Black’s fourth move alternative 4…Nd4!?, the Second Main Option for Black in this situation. We will study different move alternatives from both White and Black at different positions of the game and in doing so we will find out how the actual line mentioned has turned out to be the Main Line!

Just sit tight, watch and learn:

Hmm… 

Let me ask you something first. After studying progressively the different lines above and comparing them with the actual Main Line, don’t you feel that White can snatch a victory if faced with this Variation? If you don’t think so then you better think again, because we actually saw that White can certainly make his/her position better step by step with gradual development. No tactical moves, no brilliant sacrifices like Mikhail Tal, no surprise element for the opponent, no brand new ideas like David Bronstein! Just a calm play, castling early for King safety, and a clear simple idea; the idea of making your “Position” better. Because that’s what you must and must do when you face a strong opponent!! Isn’t it? 

Now let me tell you something. The above Main Line guides you through the opening to a near endgame where you, as White, have a “lead in development”. Now what does this “lead in development” means? It doesn’t mean that you have a “material advantage”. It means that you have developed your pieces properly, your pieces are mobile enough, which in turn means you can further develop them to a comfortable square on the board, your King is castled to safety, you have a good hold on the centre and you have exchanged pieces correctly. And that gives you a “positional advantage”. So how do you learn to satisfy all these parameters? You learn them by studying the different positions that might arise from a different response made either by you or your opponent at a particular instance. And that generates far-sightedness. To see a position or even a move coming shortly. This far-sightedness is really important in chess. After you have done it, then comes tactics, and sacrifices that might benefit you, and waiting moves, and penetrations, and winning or losing an exchange. It’s far far away! So, a “lead in development” in the truest sense, is really really necessary. Ruy Lopez is an Opening that helps you understand this. You follow Ruy Lopez, and you will know what “positional advantage” can really offer you.

For those who know how to convert an advantage to a victory, it’s an easy task from the position shown above. 

For those who doesn’t know or are a little confused, don’t worry at all. Just study and try to co-relate. We will study “endgames” shortly!!

Keep visiting and keep reading.

Thank you. Enjoy!

     If you liked the article kindly Digg it, Stumble it, Add to Technorati, bookmark it and please consider subscribing through  “Subscribe by Email”  and have articles & a  Everyman Chessbase eBook delivered right to your inbox! OR “Subscribe to Chess Blog Feed” in a Fead Reader of your choice OR Subscribe to “SMS Alerts” & Get Article Headlines & Updates delivered to your Mobile Phone for free.

The Ruy Lopez for White – Schliemann Variation/Jaenisch Defence Part 1

 Now we will study the various defences/counter-attacks offered by Black after 3 Bb5. One of the defences that demands mentioning is the Schliemann Variation (also known as Jaenisch Defence), recognized by 3…f5.

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 f5

The Schliemann Variation is probably the sharpest way of meeting the Ruy Lopez. Black immediately goes on the counterattack in the centre, in King’s Gambit fashion . Most positional considerations are overtaken by tactics and hard variations, so there’s much more homework for the student here than in many of the other chapters. That said , a well -prepared player on the white side could certainly look forward to facing the Schliemann. After all , this line is fun for White too, but only if you know your stuff!

The Schliemann is quite popular at club level, where many white players refuse to take up the challenge and opt out with the passive 4 d3 . However, this is just the type of move Schliemann players would enjoy playing against, as Black is put under no immediate pressure and has been able to ‘get away with’ his third move. After, for instance, 4…fxe4 5 dxe4 Nf6, Black already has a comfortable development plan and White no longer has a d-pawn! Instead of this, White must try to punish Black for his sins and thus recommended for White is the critical reply 4 Nc3!.

Let’s see what this reply from Black has in store for White! Follow carefully:

In the next post we will discuss another reply from Black. That will be Variation B. Hope you liked this one.

Until then bye.

Keep visiting and keep reading. There is lot more to come…..

Thank you. Enjoy!

     If you liked the article kindly Digg it, Stumble it, Add to Technorati, bookmark it and please consider subscribing through  “Subscribe by Email”  and have articles & a  Everyman Chessbase eBook delivered right to your inbox! OR “Subscribe to Chess Blog Feed” in a Fead Reader of your choice OR Subscribe to “SMS Alerts” & Get Article Headlines & Updates delivered to your Mobile Phone for free.

The Ruy Lopez for White – an Introduction

 Let’s start with the following famous moves:

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5

Three moves, and we reach a position that carries a famous name behind it, the name of Rodrigo (Ruy) López de Segura. The Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Game, as it’ s often called) is a simple opening, with a simple idea . White’s second and third moves have both increased the pressure on the centre, and in particular the e5-square. Give or take a few developing moves , the next stage of White’s plan is to take control of the centre and increase the pressure on e5 with the advance d4, which is often supported by c3. It may be a simple enough plan, but it can be highly effective. Because of this, the Ruy Lopez has stood the test of time . Other openings come and go, drifting in and out of fashion, but the Lopez has always been a popular choice for all levels of player, from novice to World Champion, and it will continue to be.

Mobile and Little Centres

If Black buckles under the pressure and relinquishes the centre with …exd4, then depending on whether White has played c3 or not, White either obtains a Mobile Centre or a Little Centre, either of which is generally favourable to the one in possession.

This is the Mobile Centre. The pair of central pawns on e4 and d4 control many important squares and give White a space advantage plus more freedom of movement for his pieces. In addition, White has the option of creating a central breakthrough with a timely e5. This thrust could provide a platform for a successful attack on the black king.

The following diagram shows the Little Centre.

This pawn structure is less dangerous for Black than the previous one , but it still favours White. The pawn on e4 is more advanced than Black’s central d6-pawn, which once again means that White has more space to move his pieces. Added to this is that White also has control over the important d5- and f5-squares.

How Does Black React?

Of course Black has many different possible defences against the Lopez, but in general there are two different types of strategy. The first is to meet White’s d4 advance by bolstering the e5-pawn with pawns and pieces. This plan is seen in all the closed defences, the Classical Variation, the Deferred Steinitz and the trendy Meller and Arkhangelsk Variations.

Black’s second strategy revolves around a swift counterattack against White’s e4-pawn. This is seen in lines such as the sharp Schliemann Variation, the Berlin Defence and the Open Lopez.

A Real Opening

As a junior player you might be quite content to play openings such as the Vienna Game, the King’s Gambit and the Scotch Gambit, obtaining quick victories against the unsuspecting opponents who did not know their theory.

However, as time will progress and your opponents will become more experienced, your repertoire of tricky openings just won’t work any more. No one will fall for your traps, and often all you will be left with is a sterile equality, or something even worse.

This was exactly the case with John Emms! In 1989, Emms appeared in the British Championship for the fourth time. Keen to make more of an impression than on his previous undistinguished attempts, he vowed that as White he would give up his ‘baby openings’, take a deep breath and try the Ruy Lopez. After all, it was time he grew up! His chance came in round 9, when he was paired with Scotland’s top player Paul Motwani, who was a seasoned 1…e5 player. The experience for him was quite enlightening!”

So friends, does that stir something inside you? Well, this is just the begining. We will now study one by one, all the defences and counter-attacks Black can offer in reply and we will see how White can benefit from all of them!

Keep visiting and keep reading! From my next post onwards, we will travel the jungles of different variations of Ruy Lopez. Thank you. Enjoy!

     If you liked the article kindly Digg it, Stumble it, Add to Technorati, bookmark it and please consider subscribing through  “Subscribe by Email”  and have articles & a  Everyman Chessbase eBook delivered right to your inbox! OR “Subscribe to Chess Blog Feed” in a Fead Reader of your choice OR Subscribe to “SMS Alerts” & Get Article Headlines & Updates delivered to your Mobile Phone for free.