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1. e4
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By common agreement we are playing the Ruy Lopez, which makes the next couple of moves mandatory... |
 
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1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
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With this move we enter into the Ruy Lopez. Black has a number of options here, though by far the most common continuation is (as indeed played in the game) 3...a6. Apart from that, Black may opt for 3...Nf6 (Berlin Defence), 3...f5 (Jaenitsch Gambit / Schliemann Defence), 3...d6 (Steinitz Defence), 3...Bc5 (Cordel Variation), 3...Nd4 (Bird Defence). Either of these are emininently playable, though only the Berlin Defence currently enjoys any real popularity. |
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3... a6
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The Murphy Defence, forcing an immediate declaration from White: will you exchange, or do you retreat? |
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4. Bxc6
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White opts for the Exchange Variation. For a long time thought to be completely harmless for Black, until Bobby Fischer turned it into a dangerous weapon in the 1960s. White has a slight lead in development and a superior pawn structure. Recapturing with the d-pawn opens lines for both queen and bishop, significantly lessening the impact of White's development. In principle, Black should at least consider a recapture with the b-pawn, as the general rule for pawn capture is "always capture towards the center". But though correct in its general principle, capturing with the b-pawn is hardly recommendable in this specific position. For instance, 4...bxc6 5.O-O d6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 c5 8.Qd3 and Black's pawn formation is stymied, his development non-existent, and his position close to untenable. |
1 comment
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4... dxc6
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The proffered sacrifice of the e5 pawn is purely illusory. On 5.Nxe4? Black has two forceful replies: 5...Qg5 and 5...Qd4. Either will affort Black a superior position, eg.: 5.Nxe5? Qd4 6.Nf3 Qxe4+ 7.Qe2 Qxe2+ 8.Kxe2 Bg4 9.Re1 O-O-O 10.Kf1 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Bd6 -+.
In the game position, the current main move - and White's most flexible choice - is 5.0-0. Before the days of Bobby Fischer the most common continuation was 5.d4, which offers a considerable simplification of the position. |
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5. O-O
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White has castled and his position is sound if not very threatening. Black, on the other hand, has lost the only developed piece he had (Nc6) so that all of his officers are now still on the back rank. However, his position is not so bad as all that, as he does have the half-open d-file and open lines for his bishops and Queen. What he needs now, more than anything else, is to keep the position reasonably closed while getting his king whisked away to safety - and he needs to protect his e-pawn too while doing it. There are various ways of achieving this, including the unpretentious 5...f6, and the more spectacular but ultimately dubious 5...Bg4 6.h3 h5!? |
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5... Qd6
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Before the days of computer-assisted opening analysis this move would be regarded as ugly, premature, foolhardy, and a waste of time. Today, it is one of the main lines in the Spanish Exchange Variation - though still regarded as ugly. Its redeeming features make up for its unsightliness however: it keeps up pressure on the d-file, vacates the back row in preparation for castling long, opens up for the possibility of transferring the queen to the king-side in preparation for a K-side attack on White's position, and it supports the pawn on e5. A measure of the strength of this move is that White cannot just wrench open the position by 6.d4; Black is fine after 6...exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7. |
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6. Na3
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Planning to harass Black's queen while preserving the option of opening the center quickly and efficiently by means of d2-d4. Black considered various options here, including 6...Qe6 and 6...b5. Of these, he evaluated the pawn move as clearly the stronger, as it would both restrict the mobility of White's night and expand his control of q-side space. Additionally, 6...Qe6 would place both queen and king on the e-file, at a time when opening this file would indeed seem to be a possible, tactical resource for White. Still, 6...Qe6 is playable, as demonstrated by Romanishin in his rather nice win against Fiorido: 6...Qe6 7.d4 exd4 8.Nxd4 Qf6 9.Re1 Bd7 10.e5 Qg6 11.e6 fxe6 12.Nc4 O-O-O 13.Bf4 c5 14.Nf3 Bc6 15.Qe2 Qf5 16.Qe3 Nf6 17.Nfe5 Nd5 18.Qa3 Qxf4 19.Nxc6 Qxc4 20.Nxd8 Kxd8 21.Rad1 Bd6 22.Qh3 Nf6 23.b3 Qg4 24.Qe3 Qh5 25.h3 Re8 26.Qd3 Kc8 27.Rd2 e5 28.Rde2 e4 29.Qc3 Qg5 30.Qe3 Qe5 31.g3 Qh5 32.Kg2 Nd5 33.Qd2 Qf3+ 34.Kg1 e3 35.fxe3 Qxg3+ 36.Rg2 Qe5 37.e4 Nf4 38.Rh2 Ng6 39.Rhe2 Nf4 40.Rh2 g5 41.c4 Nd3 {0-1 Fiorido, G. (2127) - Romanishin, O. (2511) / 3. Forni di Sopra Open, ITA 2012. |
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6... b5
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Black gains space on the queenside and White will have to spend additional tempi if he is to activate his knight on a3. Still, this does little to allay the fundamental challenge in Black's position: his precariously placed king. Indeed, in some respects the pawn move actually enhances the danger to Black's king: he can no longer rely on castling long, which means that White may gain dangerous pressure on his position once the center pawn on e5 has been exchanged. The straightaway advance to d4 is not that dangerous however, as Black is fine once the queens have been exchanged off the board: 7.d4 exd4 8.Nxd4 c5 9.Nf3 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 Be6. |
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7. c3
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The logical, maybe even necessary move, freeing up c2 for the knight while adding weight to the eventual d4 advance. But there are problems as well: first and foremost, the c-pawn advance to c3 leaves the d-pawn backwards and creates a gaping weakness on d3. This in itself is quite enough to cast the whole Na3 variation into doubt, in my mind. The more so as Black has a splendid rejoinder available... |
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7... c5
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The logical response. Advancing the d-pawn to d4 will now gain White nothing, while Black stands to get rid of his doubled c-pawn weakness. Meanwhile, the center is still closed, which means Black is not unduly bothered by not having had a chance to castle his King yet. Or, stated another way: the closed position negates any significant advantage that White might otherwise have stood to gain from his greater development, while Black has achieved already a marked positional advantage by means of the half-open d-file, pressure against White's weaknesses on d2 and d3, and his significantly greater mobility on both Q-side and K-side. In a very real sense, initiative has now shifted to Black; White just hasn't discovered it yet. On 8.d4 Black will reply 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 exd4 10.Nxd4 c5 after which his mobile Q-side majority gives him the better chances. |
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8. Nc2
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Sticking to the planned d4-advance - which would, if Black allowed it, actually equalize the game. However ... |
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8... c4
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And White is stuck! The d-pawn stays put, the weakness on d3 is now glaringly obvious, and the doubled c-pawn actually serves to reinforce Black's Q-side control. White's position is seriously cramped and his pieces have little mobility to speak of. Meanwhile, the center remains closed and Black has no worries about the safety of his King. |
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9. b3
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Gives White a little more space while pressuring the c4 pawn. |
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9... Be6
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Reinforces c4 while developing a piece. White gains control of the b-file after 10.bxc4 bxc4 11.Rb2, but it is hardly useful for him: he cannot hope to equalize unless he can neutralize the weakness on d3. |
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10. Ba3
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Though rather obvious, I tend to regard this move as being a slight error: it merely serves to prompt Black into a response he would like to do anyway, which means it is likely a loss of time. On the other hand, the bishop does need to get moved off the 1st rank, and it is hardly better placed on b2. Possibly 10.Qe2 is the better move. |
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10... c5
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Very strong. Black reinforces his control of d4 while effective blocking off the bishop diagonal and wrestling b4 away from the knight. The doubled c-pawns are now revealed as a significant strength rather than a weakness. |
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11. Ne3
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Forces the ensuing exchange, as 11...Nf6 12.bxc4 bxc4 13.Qa4+ Ke7 14.Nxc4 Bxc4 15.Qxc4 leaves White with a clear advantage. |
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11... cxb3
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White has removed the cramp on c4 and gains a mobile pawn flank on the Q-side. The fundamental weakness on d3 still exists however. |
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12. axb3
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A key position in the game. Black has almost regained parity in development, and anyhow the position is still closed to a significant degree, so White's lead in development matters little. What does matter is White's weakness on d3 and his relative lack of space (mobility). All of which will disappear in a moment, unless Black can somehow block the threatened d2-d4 advance. |
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