Chess Openings:Part I: Winning with Ruy Lopez
There's no doubt that one of the most popular things in chess is opening.
I think there's no need to say the main principles of the opening. So I'm going to talk about the openings that you must know.
So the 1st opening I'd like to be Ruy Lopez or Spanish game.The opening is very old but is still played very often in all levels. It has dozens of variations.
White's main objectives are`
1)White puts his light-squared bishop to b5 at move three, increasing pressure on Black’s center by threatening the e-pawn’s defender.
2)White is developing his kingside's pieces and is ready to castle kingside.
3)In many lines white is pinning the black knight to the king.
There are lines in Ruy Lopez where with best play white can take the advantage.
The first is Steinitz Defence.In this defence black is defending e4 pawn by a pawn, but meanwhile is cramping his positions and thus getting a pinned knight.
So, HOW TO BEAT STEINITZ DEFENCE
4.d4 Bd7
5.Nc3 Nf6
6.0–0 Be7
7.Re1 exd4 forced!
8.Nxd4 0–0!?
White has a fine position.
OR
4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bxc6! Bxc6 (forced) 7.Qd3! exd4 8.Nxd4 Bd7 9.Bg5 Be7 10.0–0–0! 0–0 11.f4 …
White has a powerful attack. Black's hopes are just for draw.
HOW TO BEAT THE CLASSICAL DEFENCE
The Classical Defense, 3…Bc5, allows White to secure a strong pawn center, and is the most difficult defence to play as black.
4.0–0 d6 […Nf6]
5.c3 Bd7
6.d4 exd4 […Bb6]
7.cxd4 Bb6
8.Nc3 Nge7
Forced, because if 8...Nf6?
9.e5! dxe5
10.dxe5 Ng4
11.Bg5 Qc8 and the game is in white's active.
The Bird's defence (3...Nd4) and Jaenisch gambit(3...f5) are very unpromising and so with careful play white is taking the lead.
Black can also play 3...Nf6 ,which is the Berlin defence, and in Berlin defence blacks hopes for win aren't so promising but it's very difficult for white to break down this defence. For example white can play 4.0-0 or 4.d3.
In the next post I will introduce the Morphy defence(3...a6) which is the most popular defence against Ruy Lopez so far.
