Chess Opening Secrets Revealed*: Chess: Understanding the Ruy Lopez (Open Variation) Part I

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 0-0 Nxe4
6 d4 b5 7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6 9 c3 Be7 Line

What's the game plan for White?

* Dislodge the errant e4 knight
(Bb3-c2, Nb1-d2, Nf3-d4, f2-f3)
and look for attacking possibilities
against Black's kingside.
* If possible, contain Black's
queenside counterplay via Be3
and Nb1-d2-b3.

What's the game plan for Black?

* Seek queenside counterplay through
... c5 and ... d4. On occasion, ... d4 is
playable even without ... c5.
* Execute a propitious ... f6 or ... f5
in response to White's central/kingside
activities.

Also available:
Chess: Understanding the Closed Ruy Lopez
(Flohr-Zaitsev Variation)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/08/chess-understanding-closed-ruy-lopez.html
Chess: Understanding the Ruy Lopez
(Schliemann Defense)
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/08/chess-understanding-ruy-lopez.html

For explanations of moves 1 through 4 please refer to Understanding the Closed Ruy Lopez
http://chesscoach1950.blogspot.com/2006/01/chess-understanding-closed-ruy-lopez.html.

1 e4

1 ... e5

2 Nf3

2 ... Nc6

3 Bb5

3 ... a6

3 ... Nf6
3 ... f5
3 ... g6
3 ... Bc5
3 ... Nd4
3 ... Nge7
3 ... d6
3 ... Bb4
3 ... Be7
3 ... a5
3 ... Qe7
3 ... Qf6
3 ... Nb8
3 ... Na5
3 ... Bd6
3 ... f6
3 ... Nce7
3 ... a6 (Closed Ruy Lopez)
3 ... a6 (Open Ruy Lopez Part II)
3 ... a6 (Marshall Gambit)
3 ... d5? 4 Nxe5 Qg5 5 Nf3 Qe7 6 e5.
3 ... g5? 4 d4 Nxd4 5 Nxd4 exd4 6 Qxd4 Qf6
7 e5 Qe7 8 O-O c6.

4 Ba4

4 ... Nf6

5 0-0

(i) Securing the King
(ii) Activating the h1 rook

Protecting e4 via 5 Qe2, 5 d3, or 5 Nc3
is also an option.

5 Bxc6
5 c3
5 d4 b5 6 dxe5 Nxe4 7 Bb3 Nc5 8 Bd5.
5 d4 Nxd4 6 Nxd4 exd4 7 e5 Ne4 8 Qxd4 Nc5 9 Nc3.
5 d4 Nxe4 6 Qe2 b5 7 d5 bxa4 8 Qxe4 Nb8 9 d6.
5 d4 Nxe4 6 Qe2 b5 7 Qxe4 d5 8 Qe3 bxa4 9 Nxe5 Nxe5
10 Qxe5+ Be6.
5 d4 Nxe4 6 Qe2 f5 7 d5 Na7 8 Nxe5 Qf6 9 Nd3.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 d5 8 Nxd4 Bd6 9 Nxc6 Bxh2+
10 Kh1 Qh4 11 Rxe4+ dxe4 12 Qd8+ Qxd8 13 Nxd8+ Kxd8
14 Kxh2 Be6.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 d5 8 Nxd4 Bd6 9 Qf3 O-O
10 Nxc6 bxc6 11 Bxc6 Bxh2+ 12 Kxh2 Qd6+ 13 Bf4 Qxc6
14 Nc3 Bf5.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 d5 8 Nxd4 Bd6 9 Qh5 O-O
10 Nxc6 bxc6 11 Bxc6 Rb8 12 Qxd5 Bxh2+ 13 Kf1.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 d5 8 Nxd4 Bd6 9 f3 Bxh2+
10 Kxh2 Qh4+ 11 Kg1 Qf2+ 12 Kh1 Qh4+.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 d5 8 Nxd4 Bd6 9 f3 Bxh2+
10 Kf1 Qf6 11 Nxc6 O-O.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 f5 8 Nxd4 Qh4 9 g3 Qf6
10 Bxc6 bxc6 11 f3 Bc5 12 c3 O-O 13 fxe4 fxe4.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 f5 8 Nxd4 b5 9 Bb3 Qh4
10 g3 Qf6 11 Nxc6 dxc6 12 f3.
5 d4 exd4 6 O-O Nxe4 7 Re1 f5 8 Nxd4 b5 9 Bb3 Nxd4
10 Qxd4 Bb7 11 f3.

5 ... Nxe4

Inaugurating the Open Variation of the Ruy
Lopez. Black is now a pawn up. However, he'll
soon be forced to return it.

5 ... Be7
5 ... b5
5 ... Bbc5
5 ... d6
5 ... Bd6

6 d4!

(i) Attacking the e5 pawn a second time
(ii) Threatening d4-d5 in order to attack the c6 knight
and cramp Black's game in the center.

6 Re1
6 Bxc6
6 Qe2
6 Nc3

6 ... b5

Black wants to deter d4-d5 by playing ... d7-d5.
However, an immediate 6 ... d5 would give White
a powerful attack against the Black monarch:

7 Nxe5

Attacking the c6 knight in conjunction with
the a4 bishop

7 ... Bd7

Protecting the knight a second time

8 Nxf7

And the onslaught begins!

8 ... Kxf7 9 Qh5+ g6 10 Qxd5+ Kg7 11 Qxe4.

7 Nxe5 Bd7 8 Nxf7 Kxf7 9 Qh5+ Ke6 10 Bb3
10 ... Be8 11 Qg4+ Ke7 12 Re1.
7 Nxe5 Bd7 8 Nxf7 Kxf7 9 Qh5+ Ke6 10 Bb3
10 ... Nb4 11 Re1.

So, Black first eliminates this danger by
chasing away the bishop.

6 ... exd4 gives White a small advantage as
in Capablanca-Ed. Lasker, New York 1915:
7 Re1 d5 8 Nxd4 Bd6 9 Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10 Kh1!
10 ... Qh4 11 Rxe4+ dxe4 12 Qxd8+ Qxd8
13 Nxd8 Kxd8 14 Kxh2.

6 ... Be7
6 ... exd4
6 ... d5

7 Bb3

7 Nxe5
7 d5

7 ... d5

7 ... Be7
7 ... exd4

8 dxe5

Gaining his pawn back and attacking d5 a second time.

8 Nxe5
8 a4
8 c4
8 Nc3
8 Re1

8 ... Be6

Protecting d5.

8 ... Bd6
8 ... Ne7

9 c3

Keeping a tab on d4 and providing the bishop with
a retreat square on c2. Once there, the bishop can
help to remove Black's knight from e4 and fire down
at his kingside along the b1-h7 diagonal.

9 Nbd2
9 Be3
9 Qe2
9 a4
9 Re1
9 Nc3

9 ... Be7

9 ... Bc5
9 ... Nc5
9 ... Be7 10 a3 O-O 11 Nbd2 Qd7 12 Nxe4 dxe4
13 Qxd7 Bxd7 14 Nd2 e3 15 Nf3 exf2+ 16 Kxf2 Rad8
17 Be3 a5.
9 ... Be7 10 Re1 Qd7 11 Nbd2 Nc5 12 Bc2 O-O
13 b4 Na4 14 Nb1 f5 15 Bxa4 bxa4
16 Nbd2 f4.
9 ... Be7 10 Nbd2 Nc5 11 Bc2 O-O 12 Nb3 Nxb3
13 axb3 f5 14 Qd3 Qe8 15 Be3 a5 16 Rfd1.
9 ... Be7 10 Bf4 O-O 11 Nd4 Qd7 12 Nd2 Nc5
13 Bc2 f6 14 Qh5 g6 15 Bxg6.
9 ... Be7 10 Bc2 O-O 11 Nbd2 f5 12 Nd4 Qd7
13 Nxc6 Qxc6 14 Nb3 Bd7 15 Nd4 Qg6.
9 ... Be7 10 Nd4 Nxe5 11 Qe2 Bg4 12 f3 c5
13 fxg4 cxd4 14 cxd4 Nc6 15 Qe3 O-O
16 Rf5 Nb4.
9 ... Be7 10 a4 Nc5 11 Bc2 O-O 12 axb5 axb5
13 Rxa8 Qxa8 14 Be3 Ne4 15 Qd3 f5
16 Bb3 Na5.
9 ... Be7 10 Qe2 Qd7 11 Bc2 O-O 12 Nd4 f5
13 f3 Nc5 14 b4 Nb7 15 a3 Nxd4 16 cxd4.
9 ... Be7 10 Qe1 O-O 11 Bc2 Qd7 12 Bxe4 dxe4
13 Qxe4 Rad8 14 Nbd2 Bd5 15 Qe3 Qg4.

10 Be3