http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Same for the Petroff

Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 ♘f6

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<Opening of the Day>

Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6

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If black wants to play ...Nf6 early, isn't it more flexible for him to play 3...a6 first? And then on 4. Ba4, ...Nf6?

Doesn't this give him more options? Or is there something basic here that I'm missing?

Flexible because after 3...a6 and 4. Ba4, he can always break the pin if he wants, by playing ...b5 anytime he sees fit.

This goes back to one of the basic themes of the Ruy Lopez, the vulnerability of Black's e-pawn. Consider these two sequences:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Nxe5

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Since Black dare not play 6...Nxe4 7.Re1 as the open e-file will be deadly, he has simply lost a pawn.

Now look at this sequence:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Bxc6 dxc6

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Since White hasn't castled he doesn't have the Re1 idea ready, so if he plays 5.Nxe5 Black can safely play the standard counter 5...Qd4 regaining the pawn. If White tries to get back to the previous line with 5.0-0, Black has time for 5...Bd6.

Thank you very much for taking the time to explain this, and with diagrams.

Maybe I should have been a bit more precise in my question... I'm a 2000+ player, and of course I'm familiar with the exchange variation and this early play on winning or not winning the e pawn (Nc3 on the 5th move also threatens to win it, but is no longer popular after the 2nd world war).

So I will now be more specific, and hopefully you would still be able to help.

It is true, that 3...a6 takes the risk, that white will play the exchange variation. However, the vast majority of Ruy Lopez players don't go for the exchange variation, which has many resources for black, and in which, much like the Berlin itself, the two bishops often tell in the Q-less middle game, and black goes like "Good luck exploiting that K-side pawn majority".

So the precision of my question would now be - let's suppose that white ISN'T going to play 4. Bxc6, but would make the usual retreat to a4.

3...Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 (White must parry Nxb5 threat) dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 : famous Berlin Wall line

3...Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Bf1 (or even Bd3; but again White spends a tempo to parry Black's threat)

<So the precision of my question would now be - let's suppose that white ISN'T going to play 4. Bxc6, but would make the usual retreat to a4.> Then it's not Berlin defence anymore. 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 is considered main line of Ruy Lopez and is different system than Berlin defence (defined by 3...Nf6).

I'll get home, prepare a cup of tea and go carefully over the variations you prepared, and finally learn something of value :-)

I would. :) Just kidding, I agree completely with what you meant to say. 4 Knights has all the qualities of a typical opening that gets revived. It's only a matter of time.

Ivanchuk vs Nakamura, 2013

I once beat a 2100 player (when I was below 1900 myself) with a game that started from the Berlin, 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dc and now 7. Nxe5, instead of the more customary 7. ed.

As I didn't know the theory, my idea was simply to get my Q to f3, play c3 and enjoy a space advantage on the K-side. I still think that this variation has potential.

Yes. Tom Miller does.

Based on the games in the database, 4. Qe2 seems to me just as good as other 4th moves for White.

I set up that opening in Stockfish 7. Here are some experimental games. Black's moves are entirely Stockfish. White's moves are a combination of Stockfish and mine.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Qe2 a6 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. O‑O Bd6 7. d4 Bg4 8. Nbd2 O‑O 9. dxe5 Bxe5 10. Rd1 Qc8 11. h3 Bh5 12. Re1 Re8 13. Qd3 Bf4 14. Nc4 Bxc1 15. Raxc1 Rd8 16. Qb3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Qe6 18. b3 Qe7 19. Qc3 Re8 20. f3 Nh5 21. Qe3 Qf6 22. e5 Qh4 23. Rcd1 Nf4 24. Rd4 g5 25. Kh2 Red8 26. Re4 Nd5 27. Qg1 Nf4 28. e6 fxe6 29. Qf1 Qh6 30. g3 Ng6 31. Rxe6 Qg7 32. Qf2 Qf7 33. R6e4 Rf8 34. Kg2 Rad8 35. Ne5 Nxe5 36. Rxe5 Qg6 37. g4 Rfe8 38. h4 gxh4 39. Qxh4 h6 40. R1e2 Rf8 41. Re6 Qf7 42. Qf2 Qf4 43. Qg3 Qxg3+ 44. Kxg3 Kg7 45. Re7+ Rf7 46. R2e6 Rd6 47. f4 Rxe6 48. Rxe6 Rf6 49. Re7+ Rf7 50. Rxf7+ Kxf7 51. b4 c5 52. bxc5 b5 53. a3 Kg6 54. Kh4 c6 55. f5+ Kf7 56. Kh5 Kg7 57. f6+ Kxf6 58. Kxh6 Ke6 59. g5 Kd5 60. g6 Kxc5 61. g7 Kc4 62. g8=Q+ Kc3 63. Qb3+ Kd4 64. Qd3+ Kc5 65. Kg6 a5 66. Kf6 b4 67. Ke5 bxa3 68. Qxa3+ Kb5 69. Kd6 a4 70. Qc5+ Ka6 71. Kxc6 a3 72. Qxa3#

Opening Explorer

and that move does seem best for Black. Better than 4. ... a6 like in the two games I posted above. I've put the position after 4... Bc5 into Stockfish 7 and the games have been mostly draws.