The Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez: examples of White wins Introduction; Deffner,R - Brueggemann,J [C68], NRW; Lasker,Emanuel - Steinitz,W, Moscow, 1896 The Ruy Lopez is divided opening into two major categories based off Black’s third move: 3…. deferred) Surname. It was introduced in the 70s by Smyslov and in the last years it has been fine-tuned by top GMs such as Svidler, Sokolov and Ivanchuk. It is a controversial variation and one which has never achieved mainstream popularity. "I was fascinated by this opening a few years ago and played it in tournaments. The odd-looking move 5….Qe7 is an ideal surprise weapon against the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Learn the ideas for both sides in this strategic opening! At first glance it looks like a beginner’s move. What is the The Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation? Opening : Ruy Lopez Treybal (Bayreuth) variation (Exchange var. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. The names of two World Champions are forever linked to the Exchange Variation: Emanuel Lasker and Bobby Fischer. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Ending: One of White's main goals in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation is to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation (The big pictures in this blog post are ANIMATED pictures. Bobby Fischer's record with the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation 12 games: 9 wins, 3 draws, and 0 loses Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation The Exchange Variation avoids much of the theory that comes along with most of the other Ruy Lopez variations. Here are links to the other parts of our ever-growing series on Chess Opening Basics. (Black has fewer problems to solve). Lasker’s most famous game with the Exchange Variation was at the St. Petersburg tournament of 1914, in which the wily old champion outfought the young pretender, José Raúl Capablanca, in a game pivotal to the former’s notable success in the event. Nf3 Nc6 3. Qxd4 Qxd4 7. There is also a free Short and Sweet course, which is here. Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation. Another World Champion, Vasily Smyslov, was on the losing side of the variation in an earlier blog post and this shows how potent this underrated variation can be in practical play. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Delayed Exchange: If you like the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, … Rf1-e1 Bf8-c5 RUY LOPEZ SMYSLOV DEFENCE 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. The Closed Defense. The Ruy Lopez opening starts with these moves. White has also traded the d-pawn for Black’s e-pawn, producing this classic structure. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Ending, How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Delayed Exchange. The Exchange Variation; M.Carlsen-V.Topalov (Nanjing, 2010) Ajit007; Help with the Ruy Lopez 1 • cole_lio • Chapter 1; cole_lio; Understanding Ruy Lopez + Italian before moving ... Ruy Lopez 3...Nf6 winning a pawn with a potential trap 1 • ctfoe • ctfoe - Miguel_H; ctfoe; Next. This is the position with all of the pieces removed, leaving just the kings and the pawns. Bb5 a6 4. Black's only good move is 4...dxc6, as 4...bxc6 leaves white with a small advantage. Active 1 year, 3 months ago. So I began Wednesday with round 2. Bb5 a6 4. The main idea, in the exchange variation of the Ruy is "exchange." Ruy Lopez was not only a keen player but also one of the first people to write about chess in any depth. It avoids complication, something that can be extremely useful if White happen to be okay with a draw. They individually completed “Pin ‘em & Skewer ‘em!” worksheets from ChessKid.com. 1. e4 e5 2. Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation White decides he doesn't want to risk having his Bishop trapped on the queenside, and exchanges it with black's Knight. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7) is a popular system at all levels, and offers a variety of plans for both sides. Bxc6 is the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. It is one of the most studied and popular openings ever, and is commonly played at Grandmaster Level. Take all the pieces off and White wins the ending. Black may recapture on c6 with either pawn; though 4...bxc6 is playable, 4...dxc6 is almost always chosen at master level.Black has gained the bishop pair at the cost of a weakened pawn structure, due to his doubled pawns on c6 and c7. It is considered as one of the best openings for white after the moves 1.e4 e5. It is extremely flexible for Black; both players will have a complex game. Bb5-a4 Ng8-f6 5. Nf3 Nc6 3. Yes, sign me up to awesome chess discounts! Ruy Lopez, exchange, Alekhine variation 1. e4 e5 2. Why does White exchange the bishop for Black’s knight? Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. Both of them used it at the highest levels of play. The variation appeared twice more in their 1992 rematch. This is why the opening is also known as The Spanish Game. The mainline continues 6. Naturally, the execution of this plan is anything but simple because Black obtains the Bishop pair and free piece play to compensate him for his doubled pawns on c6. World Champion Bobby Fischer was known to play this variation as white. RUY LOPEZ EXCHANGE VARIATION (1) 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Because advanced students wanted five rounds, which was my original plan too of one round per day (Mon… Read reviews from world’s largest community for readers. That's because he's traded away his light squared bishop, his best attacking piece. A simple idea underpins the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. This is because White can create a passed pawn on the kingside, where the pawn majority (four pawns against three pawns) will be able to advance, with the help of the king. The Closed Ruy Lopez (beginning with 4. Fischer favoured the main move (4 Ba4) over the Exchange Variation but had terrific success after 4 Bxc6. ... Why is the Cozio defense in the Ruy Lopez not played more often and what's white's best try to defeat it? Additionally, many players prefer bishops to knights and are reluctant to swap them off for knights during the opening phase of the game. This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Bb5 a6 4. Ruy Lopez was a Spanish priest in the 16th Century. White is definitely not after immediate gains. As students completed games, they analyzed those notated games with each other. The Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation is a variation of the Ruy Lopez chess opening that begins with the moves:. White will play d4 next, followed by offering the exchange of queens in order to head for an early endgame. Bxc6. The Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez is a chess … Don't miss out on these exclusive offers, sign up to our newsletter: We bring instructional chess content at up to, {"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"30","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}, Lifetime Repertoires: Wesley So\'s 1. e4 (Part 1), Chess Opening Basics: Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. Ruy Lopez book. The Berlin Defense with 3 …Nf6 is currently the most popular way to play, thanks to Vladimir Kramnik’s success with it in his 2000 title match against Garry Kasparov. Nxd4 Bd7 Malcolm Pein on…The Queen’s Gambit and Vera Menchik, Tackling the Traxler – The Grandmaster So Way, IM John Bartholomew's 1.d4 Repertoire for White. Bb5 a6 4. An Introduction to the Ruy Lopez (Adapted and amended from Rueben Fine’s Ideas Behind the Chess Openings, by Richard Westbrook, 2003.) The Ruy Lopez is an incredibly popular opening at all levels of chess, from the amateur player up to top level grandmasters. Get Started Learning the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, an important strategic option. He devotes several pages to it, attributing the idea to World Championship tier Bronstein. After 6. d3 Blacks basic plan is to stop white from playing d4. Year IM Keaton Kiewra teaches you what you need to know to play either side of the fascinating Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. One immediate point to note is that White cannot win a pawn after 4 …dxc6 (Black can also recapture with 4 …bxc6 but that way is considered inferior) 5 Nxe5 as Black will win it straight back with either 5 …Qd4 or 5 …Qg5, with a fork on the knight and a pawn in both cases. Re1 b5 7. Within the Morphy Defense, there are three main variations: The Exchange variation. - Chess.com member fergusonm. Although I had hoped to start round 2 of the advanced tournament Tuesday, the tactics worksheet took too long to complete. Follow along as IM Keaton Kiewra explains one of the most important and famous pawn endings in all of chess! Chessfactor Opening Ruy lopez Exchange variation. The Ruy Lopez Exchange (or Spanish Exchange) is a classical and well-respected opening that is a favorite among Grandmasters and club players alike. Bb5xc6 d7xc6 5. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Ending One of White's main goals in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation is to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. He can do this in several differense methods. C68: Ruy Lopez, exchange variation - 1. e4 e5 2. The reason for this that the king’s bishop is powerful piece and it usually exerts significant pressure on the black position in the Ruy Lopez. White will try very hard to reach this ending and Black must avoid it at all costs. Black has many ways to meet the Ruy Lopez; some solid, some sharp. This time Fischer won one and drew one of the two games. Ba4-b3 Bc8-b7 7. IM Keaton Kiewra demonstrates this tricky line which first lures a Black knight to f6 before entering the exchange structure. 5…Qe7 is an ambitious attempt to fight for the initiative and leads to sharper play than most lines in the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Want to learn an opening that doesn't require too much theory and was a favorite of Bobby Fischer? Viewed 307 times 2 [FEN ""] 1. e4 e5 2. We use cookies to enhance your experience. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. Good to know this strong line is finally getting the recognition it deserves." Nf6, the Berlin Defense. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. The small pictures are NON-ANIMATED) The Ruy Lopez is named after a Spanish priest called Ruy Lopez. The reason for this that the king’s bishop is powerful piece and it usually exerts significant pressure on the black position in the Ruy Lopez. White’s position is extremely advantageous and in practical play the first player will have excellent chances to win the game. Start playing the Exchange Variation today! 0-0 f7-f6 6. d2-d4 e5xd4 RUY LOPEZ ARCHANGELSK VARIATION 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. We shall return to the subject of the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation another time. Hot Network Questions 3 1a, White’s advantage is small due to the exchange of pieces and reduction of tension in the center. Ask Question Asked 1 year, 3 months ago. 3… a6, the Morphy Defense. One of White's main goals in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation is to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. Not only do you force … White gains a better pawn structure in return for the bishop pair and both players must know what they're aiming for to reach a good position. Closed Variation . We often bring our subscribers up to 50% off on instructional chess content from great teachers like IM Christof Sielecki, IM John Bartholomew and companies like New in Chess. The Strategic And Ambitious Ruy Lopez Exchange After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6, GM Werle recommends starting a positional attack with 4.Bxc6, doubling Black's pawns. By continuing to visit this site you agree to our use of cookies. Black has a pawn majority on the queenside but there is a major difference: the doubled pawns make it impossible to produce a passed pawn by normal means. Ruy Lopez, Exchange (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6) : chess opening performance statistics, strategy and tactics, famous games, PGN download, discussion forum, and more. However, the traditional third move is 3 …a6, which ‘asks the bishop a question.’ The main lines are reached after 4 Ba4, but White has an interesting option with 4 Bxc6. Soltis wrote a well annotated book called Winning With the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. This article focuses on positions arising from the Ruy Lopez opening, after the Ruy Lopez exchange variation starting with Bxc6 dxc6. Bxc6 - Chess Opening explorer. Main article: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Exchange Variation after 4...dxc6 In the Exchange Variation, 4.Bxc6, (ECO C68–C69) White damages Black's pawn structure, giving him a ready-made long-term plan of playing d4...exd4 Qxd4, followed by exchanging all the pieces and winning the pure pawn ending. Nf3 Nc6 3. This variation does not arise from the Ruy Lopez tense center, as White immediately exchanges the bishop rather than trying to keep the tension with d2-d4. Follow along as IM Keaton Kiewra explains one of the most important and famous pawn endings in all of chess! Nf3 Nc6 3. It has provided the battle scene for many heavyweight clashes between the world's elite players, including (among others) Alexei Shirov, Jan Timman, Nigel Short, and Michael Adams. Let us take a look at the basics of this interesting opening. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. 0-0 b7-b5 6. He even played it in one (drawn) game during his titanic title match against Boris Spassky in 1972. And, compare the two lines that follow (Variation 2 and Variation 2a). Black should recapture away from the center with 4…dxc6, opening the path for the light-bishop to develop and keeping black’s pawn structure compact.. Another benefit to this move is revealed if white plays the misguided 5. Click on them to view the animation. Meanwhile, anyone wanting to investigate the Opening in much greater detail may like to know our new Chessable course on the subject, The Smart Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation by Grandmaster Jan Werle, which can be found here. There are not many openings in which the endgame is ‘decided’ as early as move four, which makes the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation very special. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d4 exd4 6. Bxc6 dxc6 5. The main plan is deep and it relates to the endgame. The Arkhangelsk variation. He drew every game as Black (no mean feat against Kasparov) and this helped him wrest the ultimate crown from the head of the reigning champion. 4. 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