Learning Spanish alphabet (for the rest of us)...

Learning Spanish properly is long overdue for me. But, better late than never. I don't know a better way of learning from solving puzzles, and solving them repeatedly. Since chessdotcom provided us with these nice tools and place to publish them, I decided to use it, so I can get back to this post within next days/weeks/months and solve the bellow posted puzzles several dozen times, like I've been doing for a while with some important exercises, like the puzzles in GM Julio Becerra's Anonymous Modenese 

So, here we go:

1) Tarrasch_trap-Steinitz_(Berlin)_Variation(s):

This version of Tarrasch trap basically refuted Steinitz Variation of Ruy Lopez, since Black is forced either to fall into the trap, or to give up the center to White, for instance like this:

That's how Neo-Steinitz (a.k.a. Steinitz deferred, etc.) Variations came into use, becoming one of a6 variations of Morphy Defence, while Steinitz Variation became Old Steinitz.

What would happen If White tries to set up the Tarrasch trap once the Morphy black a-file pawn came on a6 in Neo Steinitz? The answer lies in solving the following puzzle: 

2) Noah ark trap

Yes, even The Great Cuban fell into the Noah ark trap. So, besides the exercise, the above puzzle may be of use for healing one's ego after a bitter defeat in a game - but one has to bear in mind that Capablanca actually played the above game until 32. move!

The next puzzle is also Tarrasch trap, but in Ruy Lopez Open Variations.

3) Tarrasch trap - Open Variations:

That was Tarrasch and his traps. To learn Ruy Lopez properly, one ought to know these traps, IMHO.

Anyway, that is all for the time being. I intend publishing the follow up, but I am busy following WIM energia's excellent endgame articles, so I don't know when that happens.