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Ruy Lopez

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, White's 3.Bb5 attacks the knight that defends the e5-pawn. There is no immediate threat: taking on c6 and then on e5 does not yet win a pawn, because Black can regain it with a queen move. The real point is long-term pressure on e5 and on Black's centre, combined with quick castling and a later c3 and d4 to build a broad pawn centre.

The Berlin Defence, 3...Nf6, hits e4 at once. After 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 comes the Berlin Wall Endgame. Black has lost the right to castle and has doubled c-pawns, but holds the bishop pair. White's kingside pawn majority with e5 is set against Black's solid blockade. Quieter tries include 4.d3 and 5.Re1. The main road is 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O. After 5...Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 come the Closed systems: the Chigorin with 9...Na5, the Breyer with 9...Nb8 and the Zaitsev with 9...Bb7. In these lines Black holds e5 and plays on the queenside with ...c5, while White manoeuvres the b1-knight towards g3 or f5 and aims for the kingside. Instead of 7...d6, Black can castle with 7...O-O and meet 8.c3 with the Marshall Attack, 8...d5, giving up a pawn for an attack on White's king. White avoids it with the Anti-Marshall moves 8.a4 or 8.h3. Other branches are the Open Variation with 5...Nxe4, the Arkhangelsk and Møller set-ups, the Exchange Variation 4.Bxc6, and the Schliemann with 3...f5.

Start with the Berlin Wall Endgame, Part 1 of 3, where both sides play for small advantages with the queens already off the board.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 · 44 videos · 88 master games · ECO C60–C96

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After 3.Bb5. Explore from here →

The videos, in order

4 playlists, the same as on YouTube.

Berlin Defence1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 10 videos
  1. 1Berlin Defence, Berlin Wall Endgame, Part 1 of 3Kasparov–Kramnik 2001 · Adams–Anand 20146:18
  2. 2Berlin Defence, Berlin Wall Endgame, Part 2 of 3Caruana–Carlsen 2015 · Nakamura–Topalov 20148:24
  3. 3Berlin Defence, Berlin Wall Endgame, Part 3 of 3Carlsen–Anand 2014 · Vitiugov–Karjakin 20207:08
  4. 4Berlin Defence, l'Hermet VariationMaghami–Navara 2010 · Vitiugov–Harikrishna 20196:38
  5. 5Berlin Defence, 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7, Part 1 of 2McShane–Carlsen 2012 · Nepomniachtchi–Kramnik 20198:04
  6. 6Berlin Defence, 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7, Part 2 of 2Robson–Grischuk 2016 · So–Gukesh6:58
  7. 7Berlin Defence, Anti-Berlin 4.d3Svidler–Andreikin 2013 · Firouzja–Carlsen 20206:14
  8. 8Berlin Defence, 4.d3 Bc5Carlsen–Aronian 2015 · Van Foreest–Keymer 20267:48
  9. 9Berlin Defence, 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 O-OSvidler–Ivanchuk 2008 · Carlsen–Kramnik 20156:04
  10. 10Berlin Defence, 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6Carlsen–Caruana 2014 · Nisipeanu–Radjabov 20197:08

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Closed1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 14 videos
  1. 1Closed, Martinez Variation, Part 1 of 2Carlsen–Topalov 2010 · Grischuk–Svidler 20126:44
  2. 2Closed, Martinez Variation, Part 2 of 2Karjakin–Aronian 2012 · Anand–Carlsen 20157:18
  3. 3Closed, Zaitsev Variation, Part 1 of 2Leko–Ivanchuk 2008 · Karjakin–Fedoseev 20216:14
  4. 4Closed, Zaitsev Variation, Part 2 of 2Kamsky–Timman 1990 · Topalov–Mamedyarov 20196:28
  5. 5Closed, Breyer Variation, Part 1 of 2Fischer–Spassky 1992 · Karjakin–Carlsen 20137:54
  6. 6Closed, Breyer Variation, Part 2 of 2Short–Mamedyarov 2012 · Alekseenko–Oparin 20195:48
  7. 7Closed, Chigorin Variation, Part 1 of 3Grischuk–Smirin 2007 · Karjakin–Sethuraman 20156:54
  8. 8Closed, Chigorin Variation, Part 2 of 3Almasi–Navara 2009 · Hou–Caruana 20188:44
  9. 9Closed, Chigorin Variation, Part 3 of 3Topalov–Shirov 2004 · Sutovsky–Almasi 20146:58
  10. 10Closed, Bogoljubov VariationSutovsky–Morozevich 2012 · Andreikin–Ding 20195:54
  11. 11Closed, Pilnik VariationAdams–Grandelius 2014 · Delchev–Inarkiev 20117:48
  12. 12Closed, Anti-Marshall 8.a4, Part 1 of 2Kasparov–Leko 2001 · Ivanchuk–Carlsen 20236:06
  13. 13Closed, Anti-Marshall 8.a4, Part 2 of 2Anand–Grischuk 2007 · Nakamura–Aronian 20158:18
  14. 14Closed, Anti-Marshall 8.h3Perez–Karjakin 2012 · Anand–Aronian 20147:08

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Marshall, Arkhangelsk & Open1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O 11 videos
  1. 1Marshall Attack, Main Line, Part 1 of 2Anand–Svidler 2007 · Mamedov–Iskandarov 20225:38
  2. 2Marshall Attack, Main Line, Part 2 of 2Kamsky–Ivanchuk 1991 · So–Onischuk 20157:18
  3. 3Marshall Attack, Modern Main LineKramnik–Leko 2004 · So–Megaranto 20105:44
  4. 4Marshall Attack, 12.d3Polgar–Adams 1999 · Radjabov–Ding 20197:28
  5. 5Arkhangelsk VariationAlmasi–Beliavsky 1998 · Hess–Onischuk 20126:44
  6. 6Neo-Arkhangelsk Variation, Part 1 of 2Perez–Giri 2013 · Caruana–Carlsen 20176:08
  7. 7Neo-Arkhangelsk Variation, Part 2 of 2Sokolov–Grischuk 2003 · Anand–Latasa 20225:28
  8. 8Møller DefencePerez–Adhiban 2016 · Vachier-Lagrave–Caruana 20196:14
  9. 9Open Variation, Main LineXiong–Adhiban 2019 · Vachier-Lagrave–Caruana 20225:58
  10. 10Open Variation, ClassicalCaruana–Wei 2016 · Vachier-Lagrave–Anand 20185:54
  11. 11Open Variation, 9.Nbd2Kasparov–Shirov 2001 · Vachier-Lagrave–Deac 20216:44

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Exchange & Sidelines1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 9 videos
  1. 1Exchange Variation, 5.O-OMcShane–Adams 2019 · Naiditsch–Caruana 20136:58
  2. 2Exchange Variation, GligoricPons–Navara 2010 · Kamsky–Carlsen 20138:38
  3. 3Exchange Variation, Gligoric, 7.Nxd4 c5Adams–Leko 2008 · Motylev–Maiorov 20108:34
  4. 4Exchange Variation Doubly DeferredGrischuk–Aronian 2011 · Giri–Ding 20216:24
  5. 5Anderssen VariationRapport–Ding 2022 · Nakamura–Caruana 20247:24
  6. 6Worrall AttackShort–Karpov 1992 · Karthikeyan–Wei 20166:08
  7. 7Modern Steinitz DefenceAnand–Short 2001 · Grischuk–Mamedyarov 20177:18
  8. 8Fianchetto DefenceAnand–Nakamura 2013 · Vachier-Lagrave–Demchenko 20215:58
  9. 9Schliemann Defence (Jaenisch Gambit)Caruana–Radjabov 2013 · Karthik–Erigaisi 20247:51

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