The dreaded Bg4 pin - Ruy Lopez

Hello there!

Earlier this day I finished a swiss type tournament (45|45 time control) at DHLC's slow chess event. I played 2 Ruy Lopezes in this tournament, but the last one is the most instructive (but very unfulfilling because my opponent lost it, rather than me winning it.) game I had in the tournament.

PS. I haven't done a thorough analysis on this game (only checked the book moves for the opening) so giving your own annotations/variations would be really cool.

A few questions:

*c3 vs h3- that is always coming up on my mind. Most of the time I can play both because the bishop chase (b5-Na5) is premature because the pawn on e5 is hanging, but in this case, I can only choose one.

*the future of the dark squared bishop. With every Spanish game that I had, it's only either swapped for a knight, traded in one move (like in the game) or sacked at h6. Is that really the life of that poor bishop? 

*the move a4. I saw this move in high level Rlopez games. What is the purpose of this move? Aside from a potential open file for the rook, any other positional significance this move gives?

Thanks for dropping by. Looking forward for your input.

Cheers!

Bg4 isn't such a threat if you haven't already played d4 because there's not so much pressure on the centre.

The other questions I'm interested in...

That is the exact reason I'm "afraid" of it : it makes the d4 break more harder to achieve. In the game I seem to find an "antidote" for this which is a the move h3 + a knight landing on g3. But at the cost of it, black catched up, or to be more accurate, got a significant lead in development.

Well, I guess you can't have everything.

If you play h3 first than Na5 is going to pick up your more useful bishop with Na5, albeit at a cost of tempo. I don't know what is the most accurate but I would think it's preserving the bishop and playing for d4 at a later point. Kasparov, Anand have never played h3 then according to chessgames db, c3 29 and 52 times respectively, a4 once and 3 times. Only one of Anand's opponents played the 'dreaded' Bg4, Romanishin.

Interesting. I'll be looking for their games as I study the Lopez. It's just really annoying that when that pin happens, my Queen is so hampered in its mobility. Moving it would shatter my kside with Bxf3. Then if I defend with Nbd2 my dark squared bishop will be locked in. There seem to be endless problems when that bishop is on g4. Oh well, I'd find the answers and see what I can do with that dreaded bishop 

The bishop is usefull to avoid Nf5 ideas. Therefor, it's often bad for black to trade Bxf3, except if theres a tactical reason.

Therefor, playing Nbd2-Nf1-Ng3 and punish the bishop with h3!, avoiding any Bh5 ideas. That either forces Bxf3 (which gives the knight on g3 a very nice square on f5), or Be6 (or Bd7 or Bc8), after which d4 is playable, and black has just wasted time on the bishop.

The idea of a4 is to create pressure on b5, and if black takes, the a6 pawn becomes isolated on an open file. And if he doesn't, he has to accept that the pawn on b5 has to defended all time. And when white thinks: ¨Hey, my rook can be active on a7 after axb5 axb5 Ra7!¨ he can do it. So it creates alot of usefull pressure on black.

The ruy seems to equalise as black (same space, and active pieces), but he has to pay with a few pawn weaknesses (e5 and b5).

Thanks Viktor.

Thanks Viktor, I'm starting to see it. I figured out my problem: I try to solve all my problems in one move. It's just really awkward that at move 11 on my game, Black is significantly developed (and already pushing central pawns) and I'm there, re routing my pieces just to kick that dreaded bishop. 

Hi, Alcher.  Good game!

Thanks for your analysis.  I think I'm also going to do some later when I have time.

I'm not really sure what to say about the opening because I've not really played the Ruy Lopez as black very much.  I thought you'd play 4. Bxc6 since I saw that you did in another game and I only really prepared for that (BAD idea on my part!)    After 6 moves I didn't know any more theory.

Haha. If you can remember I did take some minutes on move 4. I'm quite interested on the Exchange Lopez but it feels like it doesn't give Black enough problems justl like in the mainline. Oh well, at least that game (the exchange one)  mislead you to prepare for that line :)

  Hi, I'd like to comment on a couple things: 

first, Bb3 is the normal move in the ruy lopez, had you played that black would not be so eager to play d5. 

Second, after an early Bg4 h3, followed by Nd2, f1, g3 not only breaks the pin but the knight on g3 is a great piece which can threaten black's king in many situations.

I think c3 is the better move than h3, as Scottrf pointed out - in the exchange variation, you get an extra tempo, allowing you to play both, which is why I play Bxc3. Combined with inflicting doubled c-pawns on Black, I feel like there's an advantage (possibly making unnecessary the loss of tempo through Nbd7-Nf1-Ng3), but I appreciate your preference for Ba4.

Hi.

If 8.Bb3 then 8..Na5 and I play Bc2 anyways. What makes it worse is that Black follows up with 9..c5 and Nc6 where d4 is locked down. That is only my analysis on that variation, other comments are welcome.

I looked into the exchange variation just to see if I can "shortcut" my way out of theory and swap pieces for a quick endgame (or a relatively equal middlegame). Then I realized that playing dry positions took the excitement out of my chess 

I don't see what the problem is with that pin. You played the opening correctly, and checking on a database the position around move 11 or 12 scores really high for white.

Black was able to play d5, so what? That doesn't mean you did something wrong. Black has counterplay in the Ruy, of course black can play the game as well...otherwise he wouldn't have entered the Ruy in the first place!

I have the feeling you overestimate the opening advantage that you're supposed to get with white.

I would have handled the position in a slightly different way though, like this for example:

(I prepared this variation with the help of a database)

  Bb3 is the main line of the ruy lopez.  I can appreciate trying to improve on that line by winning a tempo, but please note in your variation, black can play d5, in the main line, he cannot.  There is a reason that Bb3 is played by the world's top players and has been the main line for over a century.  

Hi.

1.)The reason I was doubtful of my play around move 12 is just because looking at the board. Black is fully developed and is already trying to break the center open while I still have pieces undeveloped. Well, I realized the answer on this: the long development scheme is justified later on when you had your kingside attack going (which I almost had in the game if not for the blunder at move 30)

2.) Yes, I also think I overestimated the opening advantage for white. But it still gives me the feeling that I can convert the ability to make the first move into a concrete advantage later in the game 

3.)Just a quick view on your given variation, 12.Qe2 runs into a loss of tempo for 12..Bxf3 ? maybe 12.g4 first. Anyway, I haven't really looked into it yet. I'm on it now!

Thanks for your help! 

Cheers.

Now I see! I missed the idea of playing d5 immideately. Thanks for that!

Are you sure about that?

In the Averbach variation (the one with 6...d6 and 7.c3) Bc2 is just as popular as Bb3 and on a side note it scores slighly better. I checked with 2 different databases.

I understand that Bb3 keeps pressure on f7 (useful because black wants to put that rook on e8), but I would say Bc2 immediately is just as good.

Black can't play ...d5 immediately because exd5 and black's e pawn is hanging and somehow still pinned to the king.

AlcherTheMovie, I would welcome 12...Bxf3. Black gives up an important piece and relieves the congestion of my knights, and the f5 square is even more mine.

If it's done with the idea of playing g6 and Bg7, this is surely an idea to consider, but I believe white could organize a strong attack because it's in a better position to pawnstorm. More space: just think at whose rooks are going to get involved in the kingside files!

It's a game all to be played of course, but with my queen better placed on f3 I don't think black would want to create pawn weaknesses.