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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez (Read 58742 times)
NeverGiveUp
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #54 - 04/15/12 at 06:51:28
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and worse - there is 16.Re1!! fg5 17.Kg1! when black is just lost. White's attack is too strong.
Not published in NIC, but published in this forum.
  
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Markovich
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #53 - 04/15/12 at 00:23:29
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Thanks.
  

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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #52 - 04/14/12 at 16:35:07
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Matemax in the Yearbook:  25. Qe7 Qe6 26. Qc7 Kf6 27. Qf4 Rg8 28. g4 with a decisive advantage.
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #51 - 04/14/12 at 14:43:01
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Matemax wrote on 01/23/08 at 11:51:29:
19.Qh5

a) 19...Qg6 20.Bd5 (white remains at least a pawn up with a better position)

b) 19...Kf6 20.Kg1! - and I hope I made this move work, there are many branches ...

I got in contact with NIC about 2 weeks ago and they are interested to bring it in the "forum" of YB 86 (even with a photograph of me  Shocked)). Until now they did not come up with additional questions to the analysis but promised me to have a critical look.


Although it means running two concurrent Riga threads, I thought it best to post here a question I have about Matemax's analysis.  I'm in Maryland right now and don't have access to my NIC Yearbooks.  So after 19.Qh5+ Kf6 20.Kg1, would someone please explain White's winning procedure after 20...h6?  I looked at 21.Rf1+ Bf5 22.Bxa8 Rxa8 23.Qxh6+ Ke5 24.Qxg5 Qg6 25.Qf4+ Ke6 26.Qxc7 Rg8 27.g3 Qg5 after which it appears that, in view of his kingside color weakness, White's game will be extremely difficult to win.

I suppose I am missing something, but I would like to know what.
  

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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #50 - 11/18/09 at 13:10:33
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The verdict of the riga now really hangs on Matemax' brilliant analysis. It goes very deep and one may wonder how relevant it is for a practical game ... but then it's not nice to play a variation that is busted.
The endgame is not much for white and in the long term he may be in serious risk of losing. My results with it have been excellent. Sufficient replies against white's major tries here have been given in YB85. Same for 8.c4 which isn't much after 8. ... dc3 9.Nc3 Bb4 and black is OK. So it has to be 8.Bg5 - a move hardly ever played! (I never had it in a game) 
The whole analysis of Matemax is pretty forced so all depends on the endgame after 8.Bg5 f6 9.Nd4 Bc5 10.Nc6 Bf2 11.Kf1 Qd7 12.Nc3 bc6 13.Ne4 Be1 14.Nf6 gf6 15.Qh5 Kf8 16.Re1!! fg5 17.Qh6 Kf7 18.Bc6 Qd6 19.Qh5 Qg6 20.Bd5 Be6 21.Qf3 Qf6 22.Qf6 Kf6 23.Re6 Kf5 24.g4 Kg4 25.Ba8 Ra8 26.Rh6.
If any white would ever get this far, do we really believe this rook endgame would be lost for black?! I don't. Black's king is very well placed (strongly supporing any future K-size past pawn[s]) he only needs to activate his rook ... so there goes ...
26. ... Rf8+ 29.Ke2 (29.Kg2 Rd8=) Re8+ 30.Kd3 Re7 31.a4 Rf7! threatening Rf3-h3 with an about equal position. (32.Ra6 h5 or 32. ... Rf3+-h3 both about equal)
The ending is admittely complex but there are loads of rook endings worse than this one which are drawn. Which places the riga right back in the set of playable lines!   
 
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #49 - 05/08/08 at 18:59:59
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So, it looks like the Spanish game is done for, then.  Dear me, what to do?

Play it again, Sam?
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #48 - 05/08/08 at 17:30:05
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Matemax wrote on 05/08/08 at 06:38:11:
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White is simply better in the endgame with Tarrasch's 15.c3, and probably also in other endgames.

The endgame may be slightly better for White - but Black playing Riga usually knows better what he is doing (who wants to prepare Riga endgame with White if there are Marshalls and Co around  Grin?) and therefore I would say the chances are equal.


So, it looks like the Spanish game is done for, then.  Dear me, what to do?
  

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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #47 - 05/08/08 at 06:38:11
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Quote:
White is simply better in the endgame with Tarrasch's 15.c3, and probably also in other endgames.

The endgame may be slightly better for White - but Black playing Riga usually knows better what he is doing (who wants to prepare Riga endgame with White if there are Marshalls and Co around  Grin?) and therefore I would say the chances are equal.

8.Bg5 is an attempt of a direct refutation - probably not suitable for OTB cause of his complexity. OTB I think 8.c4 is an annoying move for Black.
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #46 - 05/07/08 at 17:35:49
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CheckMate wrote on 05/07/08 at 15:55:55:
I see many references here to 8. Bg6 Be7 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. c4! +-
That's true! However many Ruy Lopez books claims that black equalizes with Krause's 9 ... Kxe7!



White is simply better in the endgame with Tarrasch's 15.c3, and probably also in other endgames. It's not such difficult chess; at best Black can grovel for a long time and draw. It's hard for me to understand why anyone would want to play into that.  In part I think many here simply overestimate the rook and pawns versus the two minor pieces.

I mean, think about it.  If the Riga were adequate, the Spanish would be a big bust.  How likely is that?
« Last Edit: 05/07/08 at 23:53:28 by Markovich »  

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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #45 - 05/07/08 at 15:55:55
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I see many references here to 8. Bg6 Be7 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. c4! +-
That's true! However many Ruy Lopez books claims that black equalizes with Krause's 9 ... Kxe7!

  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #44 - 04/26/08 at 16:15:04
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JEH wrote on 04/26/08 at 15:12:17:
Patzel wrote on 04/26/08 at 11:40:07:
I1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 d5 8. Bg5! f6 (Be7!? 89.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.c4! ) 9.Nxd4 Bc5 (Bd7 10.Nc3!) 10.Nxc6 Bxf2 11.Kf1! Qd7 12.Nc3!


How about 12. ...0-0 e.g. 13. Nxd5 Kh8 14. Rxe5 fxg5, with an infinity symbol? Possible continuation is 15. Ne5 Qd6 16. Bb3 Bc5+ 17. Ke1 Bf5. and the White King isn't looking too safe.


I suggest to have a look at 13.Re4 de4 and now either 14.Qd7 or 14.Bf4
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #43 - 04/26/08 at 15:12:17
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Patzel wrote on 04/26/08 at 11:40:07:
I1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 d5 8. Bg5! f6 (Be7!? 89.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.c4! ) 9.Nxd4 Bc5 (Bd7 10.Nc3!) 10.Nxc6 Bxf2 11.Kf1! Qd7 12.Nc3!


How about 12. ...0-0 e.g. 13. Nxd5 Kh8 14. Rxe5 fxg5, with an infinity symbol? Possible continuation is 15. Ne5 Qd6 16. Bb3 Bc5+ 17. Ke1 Bf5. and the White King isn't looking too safe.
  

Those who want to go by my perverse footsteps play such pawn structure with fuzzy atypical still strategic orientations

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, stuck in the middlegame with you
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #42 - 04/26/08 at 11:40:07
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I think the Riga Variation isn´t playable, because of 8.Bg5! :

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 d5 8. Bg5! f6 (Be7!? 89.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.c4! ) 9.Nxd4 Bc5 (Bd7 10.Nc3!) 10.Nxc6 Bxf2 11.Kf1! Qd7 12.Nc3! bxc6 13.Nxe4 Bxe1 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Qh5 Kf8 16.Re1! fxg5 (Qf5+ 17.Kg1 Qg6 18.Qe2) 17.Qh6+ Kf7 18.Bxc6 Qd6 (Qf5+ 19.Kg1 Be6 20.Rf1) 19.Qh5+ Qg6 20.Bxd5+ Be6 21.Qf3+ Qf6 22.Qxf6+ Kxf6 23.Rxe6+ Kf5 24.g4+ Kxg4 25.Bxa8 Rxa8 26.Rh6
This endgame should be winning for White. For example:
26...Rf8+ 27.Ke2 Rf7 28.Rxa6 h5 29.Ra3 Re7+ 30.Kf2 Rf7+ 31.Kg2 +- 

I analyse the rook endgame a bit and White should win without any problems with the queenside passed pawn

So I wouldn´t play the Riga Varíation, because of Bg5! and I think the main variation is bettert for White, too, because of the two peaces.
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #41 - 04/15/08 at 20:45:03
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CheckMate wrote on 04/14/08 at 14:31:01:
@ Anonymous:

Mr Khalifman does analyze the Riga endgame. It's interesting that he almost considers it playable for Black with the best lines leading to a small advantage for White (doesn't he come to the same conclusion about every line in the Ruy Lopez?).


@ TopNotch:

While I agree with you in principle I feel some sympathy towards our anonymous "bad guy". Such small details as how to face the Riga variation and other offbeat lines may influence my decision to buy the book in the first place. Let's say that I would buy the book if he treats 8. Bg5 against the Riga but not if he only treats the endgame variation.
Personally I never buy a book without knowing exactly what it contains. I invariably looks through  the book at the book shop or discuss it with a friend who also have it before I buy anything. Such an attitude is essential these days with so much trash out on the market.

A related question is: If I would to review a book how much of the content is I allowed to expose without infringing copyright law? I think the reader deserves to know some about what theoretical lines are covered. For instance if an important line is missing it's my responsibility as a reviewer to report this fact. The published list of content is usually too coarse grained to be really useful. Good book reviews are unfortunately very rare.



Thank you CheckMate for sticking up for me and taking my side but i do not like your comment that labels me as a "bad boy"!
  
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Re: Riga Variation of the Open Ruy Lopez
Reply #40 - 04/14/08 at 14:31:01
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@ Anonymous:

Mr Khalifman does analyze the Riga endgame. It's interesting that he almost considers it playable for Black with the best lines leading to a small advantage for White (doesn't he come to the same conclusion about every line in the Ruy Lopez?).


@ TopNotch:

While I agree with you in principle I feel some sympathy towards our anonymous "bad guy". Such small details as how to face the Riga variation and other offbeat lines may influence my decision to buy the book in the first place. Let's say that I would buy the book if he treats 8. Bg5 against the Riga but not if he only treats the endgame variation.
Personally I never buy a book without knowing exactly what it contains. I invariably looks through  the book at the book shop or discuss it with a friend who also have it before I buy anything. Such an attitude is essential these days with so much trash out on the market.

A related question is: If I would to review a book how much of the content is I allowed to expose without infringing copyright law? I think the reader deserves to know some about what theoretical lines are covered. For instance if an important line is missing it's my responsibility as a reviewer to report this fact. The published list of content is usually too coarse grained to be really useful. Good book reviews are unfortunately very rare.

  
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