Dan's Limbeck Lecture Series
The Closed Ruy Lopez
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Hi! This is an
article on the
"tabiya" of the Closed Ruy Lopez.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
The idea behind the Ruy Lopez is twofold:
1) Put pressure on e5 and...
2) try to set up the "little center" e4-d4 by playing c3 and d4.
c3
is played so that if Black plays ...exd4, White
can recapture cxd4.
Let us look by starting with 3...a6:
3...a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 Normally one recaptures toward the center - here with bxc6, but in this case...
it is better to capture toward the outside for tactical reasons. 5. Nxe5 Now Black has three ways of winning back his pawn, but only one is really good. Can you find which way is best for Black?
It is 5....Qd4 with the double attack on e5 and e4
5...Qd4 For example, after the Knight retreat...6. Nf3 Qxe4+ 7.Qe2 Black is better NOT because after Qxe2+ White cannot castle - After all, White's King might even be better in the center with Queens off,
but because Black has the Bishop pair, which is worth about 1/2 pawn. Therefore 4.Bxc6 is NOT a threat and "Morphy's move" 3...a6 is possible.
Return to the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
3...a6
This is a good idea since later (say after White guards e4) White may eventually threaten Bxc6 and Nxe5, so Black can guard the pawn simply by playing a later ...b5.
3...d6 is the Steinitz Variation
3...Nd4 is the Bird Variation
3...Nf6 is the currently popular Berlin Variation
3...Bc5 is the rarer Classical Variation
4.Ba4
Many beginners play 4...b5 here, but that is not the best move order. Let us consider this inaccurate play: 4...b5 5.Bb3 This position is similar to an Italian Game 3.Bc4 except:
1) The Bishop is guarded on b3
2) The Bishop is not vulnerable to ...d5 counterattacks, and
3) Black has weakened his Queenside with pawn pushes.
In modern theory, this is why 3.Bc4 is considered only OK but 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5?! 5.Bb3 is considered good for White! For example, after 5...Nf6 even 6.Ng5!? is possible as in the Two Knights.
Back to the main line where Black does not play 4...b5:
4...Nf6
Black follows the advice, Knights before Bishops and attacks the e-pawn.
4...d6 is the Modern Steinitz Variation
How should White defend the e-pawn? The answer is not 5.Nc3 or 5.d3 which go against the plan of c3 and d4, but:
5.O-O
White guards the pawn indirectly.
5...Be7
Black closes the e-file to threaten Nxe4 when there are no pins.
The immediate 5....Nxe4 is also good - it is the Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez:
5...Nxe4 Now what is the main move that almost all Grandmasters play here?
...
No, not the natural 6.Re1, which is not bad, but does not promise a lot after 6...Nc5.
6.d4 Yes, 6.d4 is the main move of the Open Variation. The tabiya of the Open Variation continues. 6...b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6. Back to the Closed Variation...
5...d6 is the Steinitz Delayed Variation
5...b5 leads to the Archangel Variation
Continuing with the main line of the Closed Variation:
6.Re1
Now White guards the e-pawn and creates a threat. What is it?
...
Yes, it is the "removal of the guard" 7.Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 winning a pawn.
So how does Black normally protect against this?
6...b5
He makes the remover move! Now the Knight can continue to protect the pawn.
6...d6 is the Steinitz Doubly Delayed Variation
7.Bb3
No credit for other White moves!
Now Black can castle or play 7...d6, but Closed Players play 7...d6 because 7...O-O is the signal for the Marshall Attack on the following move: 8.c3 d5!? So those who do not wish to play the Marshall for Black or face anti-Marshall lines just play...
7...d6
Now that the Black e-pawn is "overprotected", what is Black's threat?
...
He threatens to "win" the Bishop pair with ...Na5..Nxb3, worth 1/2 pawn if you remember.
So White's move is obvious since he wants to save his Bishop and play c3-d4:
8.c3
No credit for other moves!
Now Black can play ...Bg4, but that is not so good! The general rule is to not play ...Bg4 until White has committed himself with d4. So, for example, if Black tries this inaccurate move: 8...Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 Else the pin is for naught or Black just gives up the Bishop pair with Bxf3?! 10.d3! - Avoiding d4 and planning Nbd2-f1-g3. Not 10.d4? Bxf3 and either d4 is lost or the King is opened up. Play in this sideline might continue something like: 10...O-O 11.Nbd2 Na5 12.Bc2 c5 13.Nf1 Re8 14.Ng3 Bg6 15.Nh4 Bf8 And now not Nxg6, but put a Knight on f5! White is much better with good Kingside attacking prospects and Black's bad Bishop. This kind of opening happened in Kolker-G.Kramer NJ Open 1968 and GM Arthur Bisguier, watching the game, told me "Now Black has a terrible game - he does not resign, but it is pretty bad!" :)
Back to the main line before the incorrect 8...Bg4. Instead of 8...Bg4 Black just plays...
8...O-O
And now, what should White play?
...
Not 9.d4 because 9...Bg4 is effective since d4 has been played. Instead:
9.h3
Normally, moves like 9.h3 are a waste since the Bishop has other squares, but
In this case 10.d4 cannot be stopped, so it justifies White's entire play!
This position is the "Tabiya" of the Closed Ruy Lopez!
All the main variations of the Closed Ruy Lopez start here. For example:
9...Bb7 is the popular Zaitsev Variation
9...Na5 is the Classical Variation
9...h6 is the Smyslov Variation
9...Nb8 is the Breyer Variation
9...Nd7 is the (rare) Keres Variation
Hope you learned a lot in this article and can practice these opening ideas in your games!
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