Ruy Lopez - Closed

For the Morphy's Defence - Closed Ruy Lopez

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0 Be7

Now Black is threatening to play 6. ... Nxe4 (remember that 5. ... Nxe4 does not work due to the pin of Re1? Well, now it works since Be7 blocks the pin. Therefore White has to do something about his e4 pawn, and f3 is just weakening the dark squares around White's King. Therefore, the move played is:

6. Re1 b5

This move is played to chase back the Bishop. If instead 6. ... 0-0?! Then 7. Bxc6! dxc6 8.Nxe5 nets a pawn for White.

7. Bb3 0-0

This move order let's Black maintain options between playing the Breyer, Chigorin or the Marshall Attack

8. c3

This move is played for a few reasons:

(i) The Bishop on b3 maybe attacked by a future ... Na5 and thus needs to be preserved
(ii) c3 supports a later d4 advance to stake the centre
(iii) The pawn on e4 maybe attacked in the near future via ... Bb7 (fianchettoing the Bishop on the long diagonal and enveiling a threat on e4). Therefore, it is important for White to be able to play Bc2 to defend the pawn.
(iv) Bc2 takes a hidden aim on h7 and hides some ideas of mating threats and tactics AND also the Greek's gift

Up till now play has developed without a single exchange! (Normal in GM games and also high level chess to avoid drawishness). From here on we have some main branches of play:

8. ... d6 (also can be reached via transposition of 7. ...d6 8. h3 0-0)
8. ... d5!? (The Marshall Attack, giving up a pawn for a strong initiative and ferocious attack. Note that White's Queenside Bishop, Knight and Rook are still on their original squares...)

8. ... d6
9. h3 (D)












This is the only reasonable move. By denying the Bishop the g4 square White prepares to launch d4. If however, 9. d4? Bg4! (Bogoljubow Variation, -/+) And White finds himself in a deadly pin. 10. h3 Bh5 11. g4? Nxg4! 12. hxg4 Bxg4 and White has too much compensation for the sacrificed piece and a dangerous attack. The pin is still there, meaning black can regain his sacrificed piece with interest...

After 9. h3 we branch into some mainline defence:

9. ... Nb8
9. ... Na5
9. ... Bb7

9. ... Nb8 is the Breyer Defence












I will explain the ideas in a different post

9. ... Na5 is the Chigorin Defence which continues
10. Bc2 c5
11. d4 Qc7
















9. ... Bb7 is the Zaitsev variation

And thus ends our lesson for now