https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?board=ruymain Mainline - ChessPub Forum en-us ChessPub Forum Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:02:37 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 30 https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1155722737 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1155722737 Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:25:11 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1155722737/0#0">Paddy wrote</a> on 08/16/06 at 10:05:35:<br /><div id="437277776A1300">1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 d6 9. c3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. d5 Nc4 13. b3 Nb6 14. a4 Bd7  </div><!--437277776A1300--><br />Perhaps black can mix things up with 14...c4!? The TWIC data base shows +13 -8 =16.<br /><br />GM Papaioannou considers 12...Nd7 which transposes to the Keres variation,<br />11. d4 <b>Nd7 </b>12. d5!? Qc7. 12...Nb6 is more common in that line.<br /><br /> https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1594959399 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1594959399 Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:40:24 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1594959399/11#11">FreeRepublic wrote</a> on 02/16/24 at 03:01:41:<br /><div id="497D6A6A5D6A7F7A6D63666C0F01">In the diagramed position after 20Bxc5, ChessPublishing states:<br />"A pretty rare continuation. White creates a passed pawn on the d-file and doubles Black's pawns on the c-file, but the d-pawn is not going anywhere and Black's position looks pretty solid." </div><!--497D6A6A5D6A7F7A6D63666C0F01--><br />Ntirils' concern was that after 20 Bxc5 dxc5 21 Reb1 black is not in time to meet b3 with Ne8-d6<br /><br />In the line with 17 Be3 (instead of 17 Bg5 inducing ...h6), Ntirlis says Black is in time with 17 Be3 Nc5 18 Bxc5 dxc5 19 Qd2 Re7 20 Reb1 Ne8 21 b3 Nd6 https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1517015934 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1517015934 Sun, 12 Jun 2022 22:59:22 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1517015934/8#8">FreeRepublic wrote</a> on 05/17/22 at 23:21:43:<br /><div id="4571666651667376616F6A600302">The recent Sokolov-Lopez book provides a chapter:<br />Chapter 8. 11...Nd7 12a4 (Modern Line) </div><!--4571666651667376616F6A600302--><br /><br />Three of 8 chapters are on the Keres variation. Ivan Sokolov is a well known player and theoretician. And who better to dissect the Ruy Lopez, then Lopez himself?  <img rel=";&#45;&#41;" src="https://www.chesspub.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/wink.gif" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /><br /><br />I've been attracted to the Keres variation ever since Nigel Davies recommended it (Play 1e4 e5!). Also I like the fact that it seems unbalancing. However, I've never played it and have only looked in that direction from time to time.<br /><br />Perhaps some Keres variation proponent/enthusiast will tell us what they think about this book. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1488465104 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1488465104 Thu, 14 Jan 2021 22:43:30 GMT <a href="https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1488465104/27#27">Zapp Brannigan wrote</a> on 01/12/21 at 13:19:12:<br /><div id="0D3627270815253639393E3036395703">14.Nf1 Rfe8! "This move has not been played a lot but in my opinion it gives new life to the 12...cxd4 variation."  </div><!--0D3627270815253639393E3036395703--><br /><br />I note that David Howell, among others, is still playing 14..Rac8.  Anyone know the current theoretical status of this line and/or what is considered Black's best set-up?<br /><br /> <br /><br />          https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1195398740 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1195398740 Sat, 12 Oct 2019 23:07:11 GMT Zherebukh-Caruana<br /><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1870173" target="_blank">http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1870173</a><br /><br />A bit from Victor Mikhalevski in Chess Publishing:  "Here, in the diagram position after 20.Bg5, Caruana tried to surprise his opponent with the extremely rare 20...Bg7, instead of the common 20...Be7. However, the former Ukrainian GM was up to the task and outplayed one of the top players in the world in nice style. A great positional achievement from Zherebukh! This game may serve as a model game, proving 20...Bg7 to be dubious. Black should play 20...Be7, as he did on many previous occasions."<br /><br /> https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1567955918 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1567955918 Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:17:47 GMT Depending on your playing strength this really introductory book may be worth a look. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.schachversand.de/ruy-lopez-and-italian-structures.html" target="_blank">https://www.schachversand.de/ruy-lopez-and-italian-structures.html</a><br /><br />I would check the pdf-file. Having read the dutch edition this is something I would start with if teaching youth players. It is not heavy on theory but well explaining plans and structures. https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1460605697 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1460605697 Tue, 3 May 2016 16:33:32 GMT Well I've completed 2 engines-off correspondence games on chess.com in the meantime, and one conclusion I've come to is that in a couple of cases at least, this line with 9...Na5 and 10...Re8 will merely transpose to other variations.<br /><br />The first of those transpositions is if White plays 11.d3 and if play then proceeds 11...c5 12.Nbd2 a common position arises that typically originates from 9.d3 and Fischer even won from this position against Spassky in their rematch.<br /><br />The second of those transpositiions arises if White plays 11.d4 and then responds to 11...exd4 12.cxd4 c5 with 13.d5.  Then after 13...Nd7 a position arises that can be reached via the move order 10...c5 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 Re8 13.d5 Nd7 for which I find one example, an email correspondence game between a couple of 2300+ players in 2013.<br /><br />Going further though, if 14.Nbd2 Bf6, we reach a position that can be reached in this manner: 10...c5 11.d4 Nd7 (Keres' variation) 12.Nbd2 exd4 13.cxd4 Re8 14.d5, and there are an additional half dozen high level games involving 2400+ players, including Nigel Short twice, once with White, once with Black.<br /><br />Interestingly I was thinking about adopting the Keres' variation, so first exploring the 9...Na5 10.Bc2 Re8 move order may be my gateway.  Will probably pick up the Nigel Davies' book "Play 1.e4 e5" from 2005 which I think has the most coverage of any relatively recent book on the Keres' variation, though the line with 14.d5 did not first get played until 2008 so don't know if it will have coverage of 14.d5 https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1424337336 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1424337336 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 10:13:22 GMT Well, yes, but we're answering why no one has played 12.. Qc7 - it feels anti thematic and quite frankly somewhat odd waiting moves like 12 Kh1 shouldn't be making us play anti thematic ideas!<br /><br />I'm sure its a good enough move but, really, almost anything should be <img rel="&#58;&#45;&#41;" src="https://www.chesspub.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/smiley.gif" alt="Smiley" title="Smiley" /><br /><br />Gently amused by the idea of just going 12.. Kh8 <img rel=";&#45;&#41;" src="https://www.chesspub.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/wink.gif" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /> (Or exd4 and Re8, and can't see what can be wrong with Rb8 either - like Kh1 its a mildly useful move to have included in most positions.). https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1438517986 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1438517986 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 16:13:53 GMT @RoleyPoley: I think that the Marshall is especially nice for educating players. It teaches a lot about getting the initiative, developing an attack, sacrifices, opening up the second front, and so on.. While it is true that there is a mass of theory behind it, I would say that at a lower level most players are not familiar with that. You do not have to memorize everything, but you should be familiar with some key lines and the motifs and reasoning behind these moves. <br /><br />Bologan kind of opened my eyes when saying that White players avoid the Spanish Mainline not for the Zaitsev or the Chigorin, but because of the Marshall! It is one of the toughest nuts to crack out there. And if someone at your level knows about this and tries to avoid the Marshall, you can fight in a typical Spanish middlegame on equal grounds! I think it is a nice weapon for everybody.<br /><br />Cannot say this for the breyer, though, because it is positionally much more complex. And you should try not to get mated <img rel="&#58;D" src="https://www.chesspub.com/yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/cheesy.gif" alt="Cheesy" title="Cheesy" /> https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1441875557 ChessPub Forum/Mainline https://www.chesspub.com/cgi-bin/chess/YaBB.pl?num=1441875557 Sun, 8 Nov 2015 18:44:00 GMT I was initially disappointed too, but I got used to Eljanov's spoken English and presentation style after a while; probably another 5 on the suggested scale. Now I'd say the insights of so strong a player outweigh the shortcomings of the delivery.