Any Good Ideas For Black's Defense of Spanish Opening: Exchange Variation?

I've been reading a good amount of opening books and flipping through the Master moves in the database here, but I'm still looking for some help in generating some ideas for a good defense for Black in the Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening): Exchange Variation. Following some of the recent tournament trends, this variation seems to be very en vogue right now. It surprises me a bit because I haven't seen this many people play the Exchange Variation since I was a little kid, where we all thought doubled pawns = death!

The mainline, I think, goes 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 Nb1-c6 3. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. Bb5xc6 d7xc6

White does gain a substantial edge in pawn structure, but Black has open lines and the Bishop pair in order to even the odds going into the endgame. How should play proceed?

I sort of prefer the Berlin Exchange: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Bxc6 but do you have another favorite line? (D)

Or I guess something I forgot to add, if you're a fan of White in this opening, how do you like to break down Black's defense? What strategies are you looking for in the game?

Why did you attach Fischer's name to the diagram ?

Gonnosuke,

The line you give is very dangerous, for BOTH players and as white I prefer to avoid it ( in otb play anyway) with 9 Nc4 ......

NM Reb

I posted Fischer's name in the diagram because, as one who plays for the love of the game, I'm just trying to share a bit of trivia with the community here: namely, that Fischer made good use of this opening in the mid-twentieth century, specifically the 1960s. Is that in bad taste?

And in regards to Gonnosuke's suggestion, do Masters play this hard-lined fishing pole-esque variation in tournament play?

And in your preference, when someone throws the Berlin Wall against you, do you respond with the Exchange, or do you try a different route? That is, do you primarily play the Exchange only when Black responds with the Morphy 3. ... a6?

ouachita

You give some interesting choices to respond to 5. 0-0 with, namely 5. ... Qf6!? I'm surprised that 5. ... Nf6 is not listed as one of the "candidate" moves? I'm not trying to say that 5. ... Nf6 is the best move or anything, I'm just kind of surprised.

And I still think White maintains a unique edge or two proceeding into the middle game, but Black does have some nice compensation, I agree.

 Brandon,  To my knowledge Fischer only played the exchange against 3...a6. Thats why I ask about the diagram as a6 hasnt been played and I dont think Fischer ever exchanged when black played 3....Nf6. Fischer and Lasker are probably the greatest players who played the exchange variation at the highest levels.  Is here another ? Also, the only game that H Mecking won in his candidates match against V Korchnoi in 1974 was an exchange Ruy with the Brazilian genius playing a beautiful game against Viktor. In the end though experience triumphed over youth and it was Meckings only win in the match.

Gonnosuke

Whoo you play quite the razor-sharp game! Do you have any recent games where you employed or defended against the Ruy Lopez: Exchange? I might want to take a look at a sample game or two. With some patience, I might be able to follow the ideas behind the first dozen or so moves :)

Oh and I have sort of the same question for you as I have with others who posted: in your experience, does White pretty much only play the Exchange line against 3. ... a6 or do you find that White will regularly play the exchange after 3. ... Nf6?

NM tonydal

What are some of the key strategies for Black to look out for in his efforts to defend his position? 

just play boring and your fine

NM Reb

After 3. ... Nf6 is 4. Bxc6 a good move, but not the best? In my own experience, I love it when I reach this kind of position, but I guess maybe stronger players don't try this as much.

I know 4. Bxc6 has much more appeal strategically after 3. ... a6 rather than the also Fischer-esque 4. Ba4 (which is what I like to play, so I don't have much experience as White with Bxc6). I think a lot of engines would play 4. Bxc6 because you don't lose a tempo and 3. ... a6 does look kind of pointless after the pieces are exchanged :)

OK this what we wanted a good "chess game" discussion!

Aloha and Mahalo for every one's input! I'm opening my dusty chess books and fire up my chess engines to see if can enlighten myself to stop playing poorly! Best wishes to all for improving each others chess game!

The computer dislikes the exchange variation, but interestingly, thinks that after 5 0-0 bg4 h3 Bh5 is good, even though the refutation according to opening books is "7 g4!" but the computer actually thinks it's an error. And I have Fritz 10. So I don't know what to trust.

 I think he meant 5 .... Qd6 , Bronstein's line

Spassky almost always played 5.....f6 and this is also a very solid choice for black but Bronstein's line has always given me the most trouble when I am white.

There is an IM here that I have seen play 5...Ne7!? against the exchange Ruy...... its a very interesting line but not for the timid soul .

lol, everything except the simple ...Nf6. I don't think ...Nf6 is good, but it's funny.

ouachita

Okay yeah, when I'm looking at the position 3. ... a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. 0-0, 5. ... Nf6 looks dumb yeah. I was trying to visualize the position in my head, and forgot that my e-pawn is hanging.

I think a lot of strong tournament players love the position that White has: you inflict a near-permanent disadvantage into Black's pawn structure. It is proven that, like Gonnosuke was alluding to, that you can lose the endgame (and thus the game) without making any significant errors. You do give Black the Bishop pair, but as modern chess has shown us, the Knight and Bishop are pretty much equal (specific positional considerations aside), thus White doesn't really gain any drawback in executing the exchange on c6.

Yes, you do give Black open lines and the Bishop pair, but as White, you also gain smooth lines of development. If you can trade all the pieces, you will walk into a winning endgame, which is easier said than done of course, but I can see why such a strategy appeals to a lot of players.

Of course, I pretty much agree with you that Black is left with an overall comfortable position, as I'm not afraid to take up the this Ruy Lopez from Black's side. But I do strongly believe that Black's work is far, far from over after he exits the opening phase of the game.

Do you have some sample games at Black in your archive that I can browse to see how you handle yourself with this defense?

Elubas

According to a recent Chess Life article, I read that engines are very like to respond to moves like a3, a6, h3, and h6 (pressuring a Bishop) by accepting the exchange. And the computer is very likely to answer Bg4 with h3 and g4 (h6 and g5 respectively). I see this pretty often in grandmaster games where they play these sharp theoretical lines, and they are unafraid to not castle/break up their castled position to gain space/tempo.

It's in the March 2009 issue where Soltis poses the question of the century: WWFD: What would Fritz do?

After reading his article, I play h3 and g4 where I never did in the past. And I don't mind playing crazy moves like "Kf7" as Black, etc. :)

At the first way of looking at it, black seems completely fine. But he has indirect positional problems to solve and there are many losing endgames for him.