Hello everybody!

SWJediknight wrote on 08/25/11 at 08:44:44:


I always liked this line, but haven't looked at it for ages. According to my data, the main theoretical development since then is 9.Qd3, which is not included in the article mentioned above. It was known before (at least since 1958, Wade-Redolfi, München ol), but there are quite some high level games with it since 1999, the latest outing on +2600 level in 2010. So what about covering this line?

Re Exchange Variation: In a certain way 4.Bxc6 is a logical move after 3...a6, but it's not really thematic, isn't it? If somebody wants to play Spanish, but doesn't like to get involved into all this complicated Closed lines, I think that Greet's suggestion of 5.Qe2 is the better choice, as it is more "spanish" than the Exchange, so it should be a better "first step" to a "grown-up" Spanish repertoire. As Greet himself mentions, after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6, White can postpone Qe2 for one move and continue 5.0-0, and only play it after 5...Be7, whereas after other fifth moves by Black, we get the Open, Möller or Archangelsk variation.

Best regards,

Zwischenzugzwang

Another idea against 3...Bc5 is 4.Nc3, transposing into the Four Knights. But leaving that aside for the time being, I wonder if we're underrating White's chances in 3...Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 Nd5 7.0-0 Be7 8.cxd4 d6 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Qb3 Nxc3 11.Qxc3 Bd5 12.Bc4. Doesn't 12...dxe5 13.dxe5 Bxc4 14.Qxc4 produce some advantage for White?

The big advantage of including the Exchange Variation would be that we could solve 3...Bc5 by playing 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 =. 

Seriously, I don't believe that 3...Bc5 4.c3 gives White much, and I have the additional problem that I have a strong new idea against 4.0-0 which I don't want to give away. So I'd be in the bad position to argue with second best lines. Probably we'll agreee only in 2013 that it's basically equal.

Therefore I propose a slightly unorthodox approach against 3...Bc5. I understand that our repertoire is meant to be ultra-orthodox (& often with a long beard), but there exists a nice, rarer alternative in 4.Nxe5!? Qg5 5.Ng4. Look in your database, Markovich, and you'll see that some strong 2500 players have scored heavily with the line (admittedly in less than ten games). Objectively it is +0.20 at best (or maybe just equal), but do you seriously expect a significant plus for White against Bc5?

It could be mentioned that 6...Bg4 is a decades-old main line.

@fling

I was looking for games that showed the key ideas clearly for White rather than the most theoretically relevant games. If you think there is a game in a particular variation that better exemplifies the key ideas then please share it. 

@SWJediKnight

I think that 5...Bg4 6.h3 is slightly better for White regardless of which piece he places on h5. On the other hand the Worrall is completely harmless theoretically, though that doesn't mean you can't do well with it as Tiviakov amongst others have shown.

TN wrote on 08/24/11 at 10:00:22:


I had a look at this, and the main line after 5 ...f6 looks a bit better for White after your proposed 14.a4 Ne7, which I can't find mentioned in Johnsen & Johannesen's The Ruy Lopez. However, I think that 14 ...Kb7 looks like an improvement. Even so, Marin's recommended 6 ...Bg4 looks interesting, and it seems like his line improves on the given game Smeets-Sokolov, 2011. 10 ...Bd6 is natural for Black, in order to keep the rook free and not defending e5. I can't find anything particular for White in this position.

If this results in nothing we'll have to turn to 3...Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 4.c3. I am not convinced at beforehand that Black can equalize here. But I am under the impression that it's too early for this drastic measure.
At the moment I lack the energy to look at TN's summary. Even my overview of 3...f5 is not entirely complete. I intend to repair this shortcomings on short term.