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Is this how you defend the Spanish Game?

White doesn't get much of anything accomplished in the early middlegame after the above position. A plan is as simple as figuring out how to advance your pieces safely to increase their scope, pressure on the opposing camp. What squares can be entered temporarily, permanently? You're always thinking about the center. How does this move affect my grip on the center?

23...f6 and Black has moved all his pawns, yet he never moves the Bc8.

SF says White was supposed to play 24.f5 to close the diagonal (Lasker would do this in double king pawn games from time-to-time), but Black never moves the Bc8 anyway.

These young fellows and their pawns nowadays. It's like they're driving on the expressway in L.A. -- eight lanes of busy, busy, busy. No!

Move a few pawns, seize those open lines and play with your pieces! Pick a static target and hammer it!

O.K., O.K., so what also irritates is that the double king pawns set there chatting on e4 & e5 until the endgame. The Black king does not have to castle, which puts him in a better position to win the endgame. Where's the Spanish in that?

What the heck was 33.Nc4 about? White still had a chance until that stunt.

C77 Sub-variants:
Ruy Lopez, Morphy defence
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6

Ruy Lopez, Four Knights (Tarrasch) variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Nc3

Ruy Lopez, Treybal (Bayreuth) variation (exchange var. deferred) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Bxc6

Ruy Lopez, Wormald (Alapin) attack
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Qe2

Ruy Lopez, Wormald attack, Gruenfeld variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Qe2 b5 6. Bb3 Be7 7. d4 d6 8. c3 Bg4

Ruy Lopez, Anderssen variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3

Ruy Lopez, Morphy defence, Duras variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c4

So I looked at some other Spanish games and now I'm making myself late this AM. The echoes of my father ring "Do as I say, not as I do."

As in the game above 7.Bg5 is uncommon, with only 9 games in the database. That often spells trouble, but I have not written off 7.Bg5 as unplayable. Study those 9 games and have a follow-up in mind.

7.0-0 is the main line with 396 games. That's not a lot for the Spanish game, but it's certainly reliable. The game is equal at this point.

In our game above 10...Na5 11.Bc2 was played, a common maneuver in the Morphy Defense (often played a few moves earlier). Many players with the White pieces will thereafter strikeout with a4 to open the file, or b4 to hit the knight (although this is not necessarily in conjunction with Bg5).

What about Black? Well, here is some modern C77 action from an aggressive player Mamedyarov: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/che... Black's minor pieces are active, and has some choices for his bishops.

You're just not going to find many Spanish games where Black plays b5, Na5 and g5, Nh5.

You'll note in the game above that Black did not castle and played 23...f6, and then dropped the f6-pawn quickly. White couldn't follow up w/additional forces, but I wouldn't make a habit of doing this as Black. Castling short is probably the way to go most of the time. Putting your king behind a pawn shield cuts down his exposure to checks and pins.

Here's a video of this C77 line. I have not watched it, but I trust this master from his other videos: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?... He has a handful of Ruy Lopez videos in other variations. Yes, you have to know the Exchange Variation: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...

Here's a GM miniature from Mato: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D0...

Finally, you might see 5.Qe2 some: http://www.chesstraps.net/html5/Pro...

I ranted about crazy modern GM play. I offered a few solutions, alternatives. I'm off!