Ruy Lopez best for White?

4. ...Nf6 is the Black's best reply, however it requires the Black to know Two Knights Defence. It's odd that Rybka would suggest Bb4 +, are you sure ? These are tactical lines that do affect the outcome.

My older version of Rybka puts Bb4 + as no.3 choice but this is a very difficult line for the Black to play.

At Depth = 18, Rybka 4 has 4...Bb4+ as the no.1 choice and 4...Nf6 as the no.2 choice, even though Fritz Powerbook 2010 has 4...Nf6 as the best reply. Engines and books don't always agree.

After 4...Bb4+, Rybka's top three choices for White are as follows, with Black doing (-0.07) to (-0.41) better.

5.c3,  = (-0.07)

5.Bd2,  = (-0.20)

5.Nbd2,  =/+ (-0.41)

Rybka 4 at Depth = 18

I've learned a lot playing Spanish/Ruy Lopez thematics on websites such as this one. Here's one of very few losses from my first online Spanish thematic. The game is notable in part because my opponent and I conversed regarding our research process while the game was in progress. I typed these comments into the annotations.

@ Ziryab

I found the move 10.d3 of great interest. It seems more logical to play 10.d4 after 8.c3. Without having seen 10.d3 in the database, I would have thought the move to be a waste of tempo, i.e., why is this young kid moving his center d-pawn only one square, especially after the excellent preparation of 8.c3? Challenge the center!

It shows that I have much to learn about the ideas behind the Ruy Lopez. :)

I am pretty sure that 6. bxc3 is the more accepted and better move here. After 6. 0-0 the Black doesn't have to take on b2, and could try something like c2 instead. 6. bxc3 gains a tempo by chasing the Bishop and the Q Bishop can now act on the a3-f8 diagonal, similarly as in the Evans.

If the Black plays something like 6....d6 in response to 0-0 then it would probably transpose anyway. Yeah, the things might not be lost for the Black in theory, but in practice it is a very difficult position for them to defend.

Depth = 25? Wow! How long does that take your cpu to reach that depth? My low end dual core cpu takes way too long after reaching depth = 18 to go any deeper.

I'll switch on Houdini and have it analyze 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bb4+ (!?) - and see both what evaluation I get and how long it takes. I need to set Houdini to use only 50% of my CPU, otherwise I can't surf the internet.

I agree. As to chess engines and opening positions, regardless of how good or terrible they are at evaluating opening lines, computers and people do not play chess in the same way - so books on opening theory are still better than chess engines for learning and playing openings.

I, too, have much to learn. That's a good reason for playing correspondence chess, such as what this site calls "online," and using games to explore chess history.

Analysis of The Scotch Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 with Houdini at Depth = 22.Houdini correctly finds 4...Nf6 (-0.05) as Black's best reply, followed closely by 4...Bb4+ (0.01 and 4...Bc5 (0.08).

I'm giving Rybka 4 one more chance to find Black's best theoretical reply of 4 ...Nf6. So far, Rybka can't find it at Depth = 13 with ...Bb4+ and ...Bc4 tied for first and ...Nf6 in second.

It's taking much too long. I have Rybka 4 set to 50%, so I can use my computer for other things. The search is running at only 15 kN/s. Rybka won't get to Depth = 22 in my lifetime.

Is there some tweak I can do to get this engine to run faster?

---

Back to the Ruy Lopez :)

I just started playing an unrated training game in the Ruy Lopez: Closed Variation. For new players to chess, like me, I highly recommend playing this opening with a stronger player who also has the time to teach along the way. I'm learning a lot about chess!

What difference does it make? By the time what is "best" matters, all you will face to 1. e4 is the Sicillian or Petrov anyway. Maybe a French or a Caro here or there.

I play this opening a lot too.(Beats the theory in Ruy!, but you realize that after 4...Nf6, it's not a real Scotch any more, but a transition into mainline Two Knights, right?

1...c5 (Sicilian) is the most popular reply, with 1...e5 second.  Between lower rated players like myself, 1...e5 and 1...c5 may be a tie.

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3, I am more likely to see 2...Nc6 than 2...Nf6 (Petroff). Thus, I have a very good chance of playing 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 (Ruy Lopez).

I'm playing the Ruy Lopez: Breyer Variation right now in a correspondence game. It's fun and I'm learning a lot about chess.

Ruy Lopez, Closed, Breyer Defense (C94)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Nb8

The idea behind Nb8 is ...Nb8-d7, a square where the knight will be more useful and flexible.  GM Ronen Har-Zvi has a 5 part video series on the Breyer Variation over at ICC. This will keep me busy. :)

After 4. ...Bc5 I often play 5. c3 dxc3 6. Bxf7 +. This is a line intrinsic to Scotch Gambit (although a similar idea can be found in the Danish) and I do pretty well with it, although in theory it may not be more than equal.

After 4. ...Nf6, it transposes into Open Two Knights Defence (not the Two Knights main line).

To follow up on the Ruy Lopez - Breyer Defense, Nc6 blocks the a8-h1 diagonal and Black's c-pawn. Black has the time to regroup with Nb8-Nd7 to clear the a8-h1 diagonal for his bishop while freeing his c-pawn for c7-c6-c5. Clever stuff.

Top players who have played this opening include WC Spassky and WC Karpov, Kamsky and Carlsen, who uses this opening against Anand.

Hungarian master Gyula Breyer (1893-1921) was one of the leading members of the hypermodern school of chess theory, but is best remembered for the variation of the Ruy Lopez named after him.

He didn't live long, but his contribution to the Ruy Lopez is still in practice today.

Take a look at Black's position after 9...Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7. Do you like it better than the Chigorin Defense? In the Chigorin, Black gains a tempo after 9...Na5, but in itself a5 is not a very good square for the knight.

What opening line is being discussed? In the Scotch Gambit, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5, 5.Bxf2+ doesn't fit.

Sorry, this:

Enroute to qualifying for the Women's World Championship, Humpy Koneru played this Breyer:

I'm not one to bring my queen out early, but the Scotch Gambit is a ton of fun and this opening with the bishop sacrifice/early queen attack absolutely rocks. Thanks!

I'll surprise my elementary students with this new opening weapon, and teach it to them. If anything, my students will learn how to attack the exposed enemy king.

They like superhero type names for the openings that they invent. What should I call this one? ChessBase titles it C44: Ponziani Opening and Scotch Gambit. That's too clumsy. :)

Here's the top rated player with White in ChessBase playing this opening. Enjoy.

I'm only playing the Breyer right now because that is the Closed Variation of the Ruy Lopez that arised in a training game. The Exchange Varaition is easy to remember and play. What variation to you suggest for someone new to this opening? Thanks.

BTW - The cool thing that I am learning about chess while playing the Breyer is maintaining the tension in the center for much longer than I ever have before. It has gone on for about 20 moves with no exchanges and tons of pawns in the center. The calculation required to avoid hanging pieces is crazy hard - for me.

I feel like if I can avoid hanging pieces in the Breyer, then I can avoid hanging pieces in any opening!

Why would you say something like this ? It's a fully respectable variation, played by many GMs and several top GMs as a repertoire choice.