A question about spanish game

This is a common opening.

But i have a question, why Bishop go Bb5 when he knows it will be a6 and he needs to move back to Ba4 and waste a step while he might develop a B knight or something else?

do a6 make white a weakness in the middle/endgame, or else, why waste a move while you know the other will threat you away?

ps. sorry my english isn't very good, if  u don't understand my question, ask me.

It's a good question, and one which Hartston discusses in Teach Yourself Better Chess. He says that Bb5 is probably better than Bc4 because (a) the B is not vulnerable to ...d5 by B, which can force early simplifications in games where W has played Bc4, and (b) W hopes to prove that B's pawns have become weak by being pushed to a6 and b5. And overall, Bb5 leads to longer-lasting pressure on B, which is why it is much more popular at IM and GM level. But for the likes of you and me, 3.Bc4 is certainly playable, and in its way more logical (though less subtle) than 3.Bb5.

sorry, i don't really understand, but what's the  point of playing Bb5 and being threatened to Ba4 by a6?

Doesn't u lose 1 more move to develop the bishop while u help the other side to develop the black's pawn structure?

ps is teach urself better a gd chess book for beginner?

I play many games by I lost every single one in online, i already choose playing to low rating ones, i've been playing for a month by now. Do u think this book will help me?

bump a bit,

i reli need help from this.

Thanks.

ps, is there any book for beginners for middle/endgame?

or even tactics

The sequence:

Bb5   a6

Ba4  b5

Bb3

isn't really helping B to develop, because the pawn moves are not doing anything really useful, other than chasing the B, but the B ends up on a useful diagonal anyway, and safe from attack, at least for a while.

I wouldn't recommend Hartston's Teach Yourself Better Chess as a book for a beginner; I think it's too advanced. Of the 'first' chess books I've looked at, I think I liked John Nunn's the best. I think it's called Learn Chess (that might be a different title in the USA). There have been some discussions of what's the best beginner's book in the forums here, so you could try searching them.

So basically the 3 moves of B is to move it to a better diagonal?

Also, doesn't that 3 moves of bishop lose ur tempo and let the opponent tp build up the pawn structure remotely while u just develop one of ur piece? while there are more piece u can develop?

i have considered john nunn's move by move.

do u think it is good?

I suppose the distinction is this:  It is very true that black is attacking white's bishop with a6 and b5.  However, pawns aren't pieces in the sense that moving them may not align with your goals for the position. Take for example the following moves

White in this example is in a tough situation, even though he was "gaining time" attacking black's pieces driving them backwards for a while. Even though the pawn moves are "gaining" time by attacking black's pieces, white was not gaining time for his pieces which quickly was taken advantage of by black as soon as the harrassment stopped. 

Back specifically to the Ruy Lopez or Spanish, yes, black gets to make pawn moves attacking white's bishop.  Whether or not those pawn moves will help black or hurt him (a strength to push back white or a weakness to defend) is not as clear.  Does that help any?

simple solution: play the italian game.

long(er) solution: yes the pawn moves force white`s bishop back, but it is regarded as not really developing that great for black. it`s possible that those pawn moves will eventually weaken black`s queen side later on even though it (seems to) gain tempi.

also, you can choose to capture with 4. Bxc6

personally, i never play the spanish because of this exact reason of retreating the bishop. i like fast attacking games for the most part, and this is too slow for me.

Maybe you would like to check out the earlier thread http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/italian-game-vs-ruy-lopez. This appears to be kind of topic that pops up every now and then in these forums.

the link is dead, but one more question about the spanish game, is forcing a6 out all part of the plan to exploit the queen side while remotely putting the bishop in a more aggressive diagonal?

If that's true, why they still playing a6 instead of other moves?

Just play 3. d4 and you don't have to lose a tempo with any piece.

you doesnt lose move because black also loses move with a6 and b5+ those moves are weakening the blacks queenside and control over d5

o right

so is there any strategy that in the middle/endgame i can use to fully exploit the wekness because of moving  a6 & b5?

There is no exploitable weakness. a6 and b5 can be useful moves if black intends to develop the kingside bishop outside the c7-e5 pawn chain.

thanks, that's very helpful

does white playing on kingside give them an advantage?

or else why on the kingside not on the queenside?

or is it just a habit of the GMs?

do this advantage, if there is any, also apply to amateur or only to GMs?

Fixed the link (see my first post).

a6 is a kind of usefull move as it gives black a chance for b5 releasing the pressure against the c6-knight which is supporting the centre. Also, a6 doesn't really have any major downsides as the bishop is not much better in a4 than in b5. However, black should be very carefull about actually playing b5. Especially playing b5 too early can lead to trouble as the bishop can be very agressive in b3 and white will often obtain an improved version of the Italian opening. I gave some illustrative variations about this in that earlier thread.

One more thing, usefullnes of a6 depends about blacks future plans of development. In most variations it appears to be usefull or at least not doing any harm for black but there are some variations of Ruy where black doesn't want to play a6.

so the whole progoress of the spanish game is kind of the best moves for both side?

also the link still doesn't work

it dsid missing pages someone haas moved or something like that

Did you check the link from my first post? The link in the quotes is the old one and broken but the one in the original works at least for me.