% BOOKTITLE = Original Repertoire: The Ruy Lopez (sample)
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this Publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Joshua Doknjas"]
[PlyCount "5"]
[SourceTitle "Or: the Ruy Lopez"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2019.12.29"]

{The Ruy Lopez is perhaps the most classical of all chess openings. It dates
back to the 16th century and has featured in the opening repertoire of every
modern world champion. It is a highly flexible variation: Bobby Fischer used
it to create numerous powerful strategic masterpieces. In the hands of Anatoly
Karpov it led to many of his trademark positional squeezes, whereas Garry
Kasparov often used it as a springboard for his typically powerful attacks.
--- 'Opening Repertoire: The Ruy Lopez' is a modern examination of this
perennial favourite. Joshua Doknjas has put together a repertoire for White
based firmly around contemporary trends in the Lopez. He examines all aspects
of this highly complex opening and provides the reader with well-researched,
fresh, and innovative analysis. Each annotated game has valuable lessons on
how to play the opening and contains instructive commentary on typical
middlegame plans.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {. Joshua Doknjas is a FIDE
Master from Canada who has enjoyed success competing internationally. He has
won seven national titles for his age and tied for 1st in the 2019 U18 North
American Youth Chess Championship. This is his second book for Everyman Chess.}
*

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Joshua Doknjas"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/1B2p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 0 3"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceTitle "Or: the Ruy Lopez"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2019.12.29"]

{The Ruy Lopez is one of the most rich and diverse openings. The game can
easily lead to a complicated and strategic struggle, or a sharp fighting game,
where White aims to attack on the kingside while Black plays for a queenside
expansion. The wide variety of interesting positions that can be reached out
of the opening greatly contributes to the longevity of the Ruy Lopez. In
recent years, many top players such as Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave,
and Viswanathan Anand have employed this opening as a major part of their
repertoire.} 3... Z0 {This book is divided into three parts.} (3... Z0 {
Part One: Part One examines the classical systems, including the Zaitsev, the
Chigorin, and the Breyer. Over the years, these systems have declined a bit in
popularity because White can often obtain some pressure on Black's position,
which can be unpleasant to defend in practice. However, the lines are quite
complicated strategically and White should pay close attention to the typical
ideas and plans for both sides.}) (3... Z0 {Part Two: In Part Two, we'll move
on to the fashionable lines: the Berlin, the Open Ruy Lopez, and the Marshall.
These lines are frequently seen at the top level because of their solidity and
objective strength. Many of the variations are quite concrete as Black often
aims to equalize immediately out of the opening. For our repertoire, we'll try
to challenge Black by entering complicated and strategic positions. Therefore,
I recommend the 4 d3 Anti-Berlin, 9 c3 in the main line of the Open Ruy Lopez,
and the 8 a4 Anti-Marshall.}) (3... Z0 {Part Three: Part Three covers Black's
sharp tries and sidelines: 5...b5 and 5...Bc5, ...g6 and ...Nge7 systems, the
Schliemann, and rare lines. In many of these variations, Black plays for
active and rapid development. However, his position is often compromised by
either allowing White to take control of the centre or by creating a weakness
for White to attack.}) (3... Z0 {How to Get the Most out of This Book: • I
highly encourage readers to pay close attention to the questions and exercises
in every game. This is because they can help to understand the instructive
moments of the game and some of the important concepts to remember. --- •
Play through the games. All of the games I selected for this book feature
high-level players, and many of them display useful middlegame ideas that can
be applied in similar types of positions. --- • Read the short conclusion at
the end of each game as it summarizes the important ideas and variations that
were covered.}) (3... Z0 {Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my family
for their support and encouragement throughout this project, as well as Byron
Jacobs and the team at Everyman Chess for making it possible.}) (3... Z0 {
Joshua Doknjas, Canada, November 2019}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4: The Anti-Berlin: 4 d3"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Joshua Doknjas"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bqk2r/ppp2ppp/2p2n2/2b1p3/4P3/3P1N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 6"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceTitle "Or: the Ruy Lopez"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2019.12.29"]

{The Berlin is one of the most popular choices for Black against the Ruy Lopez
at the top level. This is mainly due to its solidity, as it is very difficult
for White to play aggressively against this variation. Our repertoire against
the Berlin is based on the 4 d3 Bc5 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 0-0 variation. The play here
is quite strategic and complicated, where there is lots of scope to outplay
the opponent. In many of the variations, White fights for control of the
centre with c3 and d4 or on the queenside with a3 and b4.} 6... Z0 {Game 14
looks at Black's 4th move sidelines after 4 d3: 4...Ne7 and 4...d6. Both of
these moves are solid, but a bit passive, and White has good chances for an
edge in these lines. In the game, White develops his pieces actively and
accurately prevents Black's main ideas. At some point, White loses most of his
advantage, but manages to win the game due to Black's weakened kingside. ---
Game 15 covers Black's sidelines in the diagram shown above, namely 6...Qd6
and 6...Bg4. 6...Qd6 is a slightly awkward square for Black's queen, as it
would be a problem for Black if White is able to play Nbd2-c4. Still, Black's
position is pretty solid and White should play accurately to secure an
advantage. 6...Bg4 was Black's choice in the game and led to very sharp play.
The complications favour White, but the positions are rather tricky. White
plays the opening very well and obtains a nearly winning position, but
blunders late in the game. --- Game 16 moves on to the solid 6...Bd6 variation.
Against this move, we'll see how White can try to put some pressure on Black's
queenside with Nbd2-b3-a5. In the game, White gains a better pawn structure
out of the opening and a promising position, but the play quickly becomes very
complicated where both sides have their chances. --- Game 17 examines the 6...Qe7
variation, where Black aims to develop actively with ...Bg4 followed by ...Nd7. In this game, we'll see how White can continue energetically and put
pressure on Black's position. The play can easily become quite sharp, as White
often plays b4 and g4 to gain space and restrict Black's bishops.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The Anti-Berlin 2"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Joshua Doknjas"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r1bq1rk1/pppn1ppp/2pb4/4p1B1/3PP3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RN1Q1RK1 b - - 0 9"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[SourceTitle "Or: the Ruy Lopez"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2019.12.29"]

{Game 18 begins our analysis of the 6...Nd7 variation, which we meet by
playing 7 c3 followed by 8 d4. In this game, we'll look at some of Black's
less common tries, where White's strong pawn centre can be very unpleasant for
Black to play against. In the game, Black manages to obtain some counterplay
with ...f5, leading to a complicated fight.} 9... Z0 {Game 19 examines 9...f6
and 9...Qe8, Black's two main options in the diagram shown above. The play is
very complicated here, and White generally tries to put pressure on Black's
e5-pawn, while Black will either gain space on the queenside, or transfer his
pieces towards the kingside. In the game, Black struggles to find a good plan
and White plays accurately to obtain a better position and slowly convert his
advantage.} *

[Event "14: Grenke Classic, Karlsruhe/Baden"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2018.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Caruana, F"]
[Black "Naiditsch, A"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C66"]
[Annotator "Joshua Doknjas"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2018.??.??"]
[SourceTitle "OR: The Ruy Lopez"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2019.12.29"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 ({Others: a)} 4... Bc5 {is the main
line and we will analyse it in the next five games of this chapter.}) ({b)} 
4... Ne7 {is a rare idea. Black aims for a solid, but slightly passive set-up
with ...c6 and ...d6. After} 5. Nc3 {, we have:} ({of course not} 5. Nxe5 $4 c6
6. Bc4 Qa5+) 5... c6 (5... Ng6 6. d4 {, when Black has:} exd4 (6... Bb4 {
was tried in D.Navara-M.Luch, Czechia 2006, White should play} 7. dxe5 $1 Nxe4
8. Qd4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Be7 {and here} 10. h4 $1 {is very strong. If Black plays}
h5 {, then White can play} (10... c6 11. Bc4 {is excellent for White, as h5 is
coming next}) 11. e6 {, intending to meet} fxe6 {with} 12. Qxg7 {. This takes
advantage of 10...h5, which weakened the g6-knight's protection. Without the
inclusion of h4 and ...h5, Black would be winning because of ...Bf6!}) 7. Qxd4
$1 ({not} 7. Nxd4 $2 {when Black easily gains counterplay against White's
centre after} c6 8. Bd3 Bc5 9. Be3 d6 {followed by ...0-0 and ...Re8}) 7... a6
8. Bc4 d6 9. h4 $1 {gives Black major problems on the kingside.} h5 {is met by}
10. Ng5 {, and one interesting variation is} Ne5 11. Bf4 $1 ({the simple} 11.
Be2 {also gives White a clear advantage}) 11... c5 12. Qxe5+ $1 dxe5 13. Bxf7+
Ke7 14. Bxe5 {and despite being up a queen for a knight and two pawns, Black
is completely lost in this position. One of White's ideas is to play Rd1
followed by Bxf6 and Nd5.}) 6. Bc4 {. Now Black has two main options:} d6 {
and now:} (6... Ng6 7. h4 $1 (7. d4 $6 exd4 8. Qxd4 {is met by} b6 $1 {
followed by ...Bc5, giving Black active play}) 7... h5 8. Ng5 d5 9. exd5 b5 (
9... cxd5 $2 {is a blunder due to} 10. Nxd5 $1 Nxd5 11. Qf3 {; the game Z.Efimenko-A.Cherniaev, Coventry 2005, continued} Be6 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Bb5+ Ke7
14. Bg5+ Nf6 15. Qxb7+ {and White was completely winning}) 10. Bb3 cxd5 11. d4
$1 (11. Nxb5 $2 {wins a pawn, but gives Black active play after} Bc5 {and ...Bg4 will be coming soon}) 11... e4 12. Qe2 a6 13. f3 {was excellent for White
in B.Socko-M.Luch, Warsaw 2014.}) 7. d4 $1 (7. O-O h6 {was quite solid for
Black in I.Saric-S.Fedorchuk, Rio Achaea 2018, play continued} 8. d4 Qc7 9. Nh4
$5 (9. h3 $1 {looks a bit stronger, and should give White a slight edge}) 9...
g6 $2 {, and here White could have played} ({the active} 9... g5 $1 {leads to
a roughly balanced game}) 10. dxe5 $1 dxe5 11. f4 {, obtaining a clear
advantage. For example,} Bg7 12. fxe5 Qxe5 13. Be3 {followed by Bd4.}) 7...
exd4 8. Qxd4 (8. Nxd4 {was tried in A.Sherwood-T.Rosenhöfer, correspondence
2018, and following} Ng6 9. Bb3 Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. h3 Re8 12. Re1 Bf8 {
, Black's position was quite solid, though White was able to put Black under
some pressure}) 8... Ng6 9. h4 {looks similar to some of the variations we saw
after 6...Ng6 7 h4, but here Black also has the additional possibility of
playing} Bg4 $5 (9... Qb6 10. Be3 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Ng4 12. h5 {led to a much
better endgame for White in N.Matinian-S.Soysal, Batumi 2018}) {. Still, White
should retain slightly better chances after} 10. Ng5 $1 Ne5 11. Bf4 Qc7 ({or} 
11... h6 12. Bxe5 hxg5 13. Bg3) 12. f3 Nxc4 13. Qxc4 {.}) ({c)} 4... Bd6 {
looks like an awkward square for the bishop, but Black's position is still
fairly solid. Play may continue} 5. c3 a6 6. Ba4 O-O 7. O-O Re8 {and now:} {
Instead, White should play} 8. Re1 $1 {, as here} ({A.Lanc-A.Malashenkov,
correspondence 2017, saw} 8. h3 {, but this seems to be slightly inaccurate.
After} h6 9. Re1 Bf8 {,} 10. d4 {was played with the idea of meeting} exd4 {
with} 11. e5 {, but the inclusion of h3 and ...h6 takes the sting out of this
plan. This is because White is unable to use the g5-square for his knight after
} Nd5 12. Bb3 Nb6 {.} (12... Z0)) 8... Bf8 9. d4 $1 {is quite dangerous for
Black. For example,} exd4 $2 10. e5 Nd5 11. Bb3 {and White is prepared to play
Ng5 next.}) 5. O-O Bd7 ({Others: a)} 5... g6 6. d4 $1 Bd7 (6... exd4 $6 {
runs into} 7. e5 $1) 7. d5 $1 {aims to take advantage of Black's slightly
inaccurate move order. Play may continue} (7. Re1 {transposes to 5...Bd7 6 Re1
g6, which we will examine below}) 7... Ne7 ({or} 7... Nb8 8. Qe2 Bg7 9. Bxd7+
Nbxd7 10. c4 a5 11. Nc3 Nc5 12. Ne1 {and White had a pleasant position in F.Nepustil-S.Kudela, correspondence 2015}) 8. Bxd7+ Nxd7 9. c4 Bg7 10. Be3 h6 11.
Nfd2 f5 12. f3 f4 13. Bf2 g5 14. Nc3 Ng6 {and in W.So-E.L'Ami, Batumi 2018,
and White played the slightly surprising} 15. c5 $5 {and obtained good play.} (
{But} 15. b4 $1 {seems best and has the idea of playing c5 next. Black will
find it difficult to create a powerful kingside attack without his
light-squared bishop.})) ({b) Black can obtain the bishop pair with} 5... a6 {
, but White will have good play in the centre after} 6. Bxc6+ ({not} 6. Ba4 $6
{as Black can play} b5 7. Bb3 Na5) 6... bxc6 7. Re1 {and now Black has:} c5 $5
{fights for control of the important d4-square.} (7... Be7 8. d4 exd4 9. Nxd4
Bd7 {is a solid, but passive set-up. The easiest route to an edge seems to be}
10. c4 $1 (10. Nc3 O-O 11. Qf3 {should also be good for White}) 10... O-O 11.
Nc3 Re8 12. Qf3 h6 13. Bf4 {and Black's position is unpleasant.}) ({Black tried
} 7... Bg4 {in S.Karjakin-V.Kramnik, Paris (blitz) 2018, and here I think
White should play} 8. c3 ({instead, the game continued} 8. Nbd2 Be7 9. h3 Bh5
10. Nf1 Nd7 {and Black had a solid position}) 8... Be7 (8... c5 {transposes to
7...c5 8 c3 Bg4}) 9. Be3 Nd7 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. d4 {with a slight edge.}) 8. c3 {
and now:} Bg4 (8... Be7 9. d4 cxd4 10. cxd4 O-O 11. Nc3 ({the immediate} 11.
dxe5 dxe5 12. Qc2 {followed by Nbd2 also looks good for White}) 11... Bb7 12.
dxe5 dxe5 13. Qc2 Bd6 14. Bg5 {gave White a comfortable edge in S.Ventura
Monfort-J.Lario Cortés, correspondence 2014.}) 9. h3 {gives Black a choice:}
Bxf3 {gives up the bishop pair, but makes it more difficult for White to play
d4. Following} (9... Bh5 $6 {runs into} 10. d4 $1 {and if} cxd4 (10... Nd7 {
is more solid, but White is much better after} 11. Be3) 11. cxd4 exd4 {, then
White wins after} 12. e5 dxe5 13. g4 $1 {(this move is why White needs to
insert 9 h3 Bh5 before playing d4)} Bg6 14. Nxe5 Be7 15. Nc6 {.}) 10. Qxf3 Be7
{, White has:} 11. Nd2 $1 (11. Be3 {was tried in Wei Yi-R.Rapport, Tbilisi
2017, but after the interesting manoeuvre} Qb8 $5 12. b3 a5 13. d4 $6 (13. Nd2
$1 {should be preferred, with the idea of meeting} a4 {with} 14. Reb1) 13... a4
$1 {Black had no problems equalizing.}) 11... O-O 12. Nc4 a5 $1 {looks best,
preventing Na5, but White still has a slight edge here. One sample line is} 13.
a4 Nd7 14. Qg4 Nb6 15. Nxb6 cxb6 16. f4 $1 {and White develops good play on
the kingside.}) ({c)} 5... Be7 {is a solid, but slightly passive set-up.
Following} 6. c3 O-O 7. Re1 {Black has three main moves:} a6 (7... Bd7 {
transposes to 5...Bd7 (our main game).}) (7... Bg4 8. Nbd2 Nd7 9. h3 Bh5 10.
Nf1 a6 {was tried in P.Harikrishna-R.Stern, Germany 2016, which continued} 11.
Ba4 Nc5 12. Bc2 Ne6 13. Ng3 {and White was slightly better.} ({But the
energetic} 13. g4 $1 {looks even stronger, for example,} Bg6 14. Ng3 Ng5 15.
Kg2 $1 {as in S.Ter Sahakyan-M.Bartel, Gjakova 2016, was promising for White.
The game saw} Nxf3 16. Qxf3 Bg5 {and here} 17. Bxg5 Qxg5 18. Rh1 {would be
better for White.})) 8. Ba4 b5 (8... Re8 9. Nbd2 b5 {transposes to 8...b5 9
Bc2 Re8}) ({while} 8... Bg4 9. Nbd2 Nd7 {is a rather slow plan that should be
met energetically:} 10. h3 Bh5 11. Bc2 Kh8 12. g4 $1 Bg6 13. Nf1 Nb6 14. Ng3 d5
15. Qe2 f6 16. h4 $1 {and White had an excellent position in K.Alekseenko-A.Naiditsch, Gibraltar 2019}) 9. Bc2 {leads to another split:} d5 (9... Re8 10.
Nbd2 Bf8 11. a4 (11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 Bg4 {leads to unclear play}) 11... Rb8
12. Nf1 h6 13. axb5 axb5 14. d4 exd4 15. Nxd4 $1 Bd7 16. Ng3 Ne5 17. f4 {
was unpleasant for Black in M.Zordick-H.Packroff, correspondence 2017.}) 10.
Nbd2 dxe4 {is probably Black's best choice, but White should have a risk-free
slight edge in this line;} (10... d4 11. cxd4 $1 exd4 12. a3 Nd7 13. Nb3 {
was tried in A.Muñiz Pardiño-J.Schwarz, correspondence 2018, which continued}
Nde5 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. f4 {and White obtained a very pleasant advantage}) ({
while} 10... Bg4 $6 11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 $1 Bg6 13. Nh4 d4 14. Ndf3 Bc5 15. a3 {
gave White an excellent position in A.Kasyan-L.Pospísil, correspondence 2016})
11. dxe4 Be6 12. a4 {, Black has:} Bc5 (12... b4 13. Qe2 Qc8 14. Nc4 Nd7 15. a5
$5 (15. Ng5 $1 {gains the bishop pair and looks pretty good for White}) 15...
f6 $6 (15... Qb7 $1 {should be preferred, when White is slightly better after}
16. Ne3) 16. Ne3 {gave White good control over the d5 and f5-squares in S.Movsesian-Z.Almasi, Istanbul 2012.}) (12... Qb8 $5 13. Qe2 Qb7 14. b4 $1 {
gained space on the queenside and made it difficult for Black to find an
active plan in R.Hall-V.Iotov, correspondence 2015.}) 13. Qe2 Ba7 14. b4 $1 Nh5
{and in F.Caruana-J.Gustafsson, Dortmund 2012, White played} 15. Nf1 {and
gained an advantage;} (15. g3 $5 {prevents ...Nf4 and is also better for White.
})) 6. Re1 $1 {QUESTION: Why is 6 Re1 more accurate than 6 c3 - ? --- ANSWER:
Because Black hasn't yet shown where he plans to develop his f8-bishop (to e7
or to g7), so White wants to maintain the possibility of playing c4 in one
move. If Black develops his bishop to e7, White will play c3, as we will see
in our main game. If Black tries 6...g6, then we can play 7 d4!, obtaining a
fairly good version of a King's Indian pawn structure.} ({Still,} 6. c3 {
is completely playable. The position after} g6 7. Re1 Bg7 8. Nbd2 O-O {is
fairly sound for Black, but White can fight for a small advantage here.}) 6...
Be7 ({Or: a)} 6... g6 7. d4 $1 Bg7 8. d5 Ne7 9. Bxd7+ {exchanges off Black's
light-squared bishop which usually plays a vital role in Black's kingside
attack.} Nxd7 10. Be3 {and now:} h6 (10... O-O 11. c4 h6 (11... f5 $6 {is met
by} 12. Ng5 $1) 12. Nfd2 f5 13. f3 {is very similar to the 10...h6 variation.})
11. Nfd2 f5 12. f3 {and here we'll look at two high-level games:} Nf6 (12... h5
13. c4 b6 {was tried in S.Sjugirov-P.Ponkratov, Yaroslavl 2018, in order to
slow down White's queenside attack. The game continued} 14. Nc3 f4 15. Bf2 g5
16. b4 Nf6 17. c5 Ng6 18. Rc1 (18. Qa4+ $1 {would have been even more
unpleasant for Black}) 18... O-O 19. cxd6 cxd6 20. Nb5 Rf7 21. Rc6 {and White
had excellent queenside play.}) 13. c4 c6 $5 {was played in L.Dominguez
Perez-T.Radjabov, Dortmund 2019;} (13... O-O 14. Nc3 f4 {looks natural in this
position, but isn't very effective, as Black doesn't have his light-squared
bishop; play may continue} 15. Bf2 g5 16. c5 Ng6 17. b4 h5 18. Nc4 {and White
has excellent queenside play, while it's difficult for Black to do much on the
kingside}) {. The game continued} 14. Nc3 O-O 15. Qb3 cxd5 16. cxd5 Rf7 17.
Rac1 (17. a4 {also deserved consideration}) 17... fxe4 18. Ndxe4 {and White
had a fairly comfortable edge.}) ({b)} 6... a6 7. Bxc6 Bxc6 8. c4 $1 {is a
strong move, making it much more difficult for Black to find active play.
Black needs to decide where he wants to develop his bishop:} Be7 {was tried in
I.Dolgov-V.Gorozhantsev, correspondence 2017, the game continued} (8... g6 9.
Nc3 Bg7 10. d4 O-O (10... exd4 11. Nxd4 O-O 12. f3 {is better for White, as it
is very difficult for Black to create play here}) 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Qc2 {
was good for White in S.Lobanov-S.Himanshu, Leiden 2018, because he could soon
begin a queenside expansion with b4-b5.}) 9. Nc3 O-O 10. d4 Re8 11. Qc2 exd4
12. Nxd4 Bd7 13. Bf4 {and Black's position was very unpleasant.}) 7. c3 O-O 8.
h3 (8. Nbd2 {is the main line and White should also be slightly better here.})
8... Re8 9. a4 $1 {QUESTION: What is the purpose of 9 a4 - ? --- ANSWER: 9 a4
gains space on the queenside, while also preventing Black from playing ...a6
and ...b5.} (9. Nbd2 {is more natural and fully playable as well. Black will
likely play} Bf8 {, preparing ...Ne7, so White should play} 10. Ba4 $1 {
and after} Ne7 11. Bc2 Ng6 12. d4 c6 13. Nf1 {White has a slight edge.}) 9...
Bf8 (9... a6 10. Bc4 Na5 11. Ba2 c5 {aims to play ...b5, but White can fight
back with} 12. b4 (12. Bg5 {should also give White an edge}) 12... cxb4 13.
cxb4 Nc6 14. Bd2 {.}) 10. Bg5 $1 ({Others are possible: a)} 10. Bc4 $5 {
looks like a good alternative, preventing Black's main idea of} Ne7 $2 {
, as here White wins with} (10... h6 {is stronger, but White is slightly
better after} 11. a5 a6 12. Nbd2 Be6 13. Bxe6 Rxe6 14. c4 $1 {, restricting
Black's central play}) 11. Qb3 {.}) ({b)} 10. a5 {gaining more space on the
queenside also deserves consideration.}) 10... h6 11. Bh4 g5 12. Bg3 Ne7 (12...
Nh5 {seems to threaten ...Nxg3, but White can ignore this by playing} 13. Nbd2
$1 {and now:} Nxg3 (13... g4 $2 {runs into} 14. Bh4 $1 Be7 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16.
Nh2 $1 {, picking up the g4-pawn.} (16. Z0)) (13... Nf4 {is probably best.
White should meet this with} 14. Nf1 Bg7 15. Ne3 {and slowly prepare to play
d4.}) 14. fxg3 {and White is prepared to play g4 next, followed by Nf1-g3. For
example,} Ne7 15. Bxd7 Qxd7 16. g4 Ng6 17. Nf1 {with a clearly better position
for White.}) 13. Bxd7 Qxd7 14. Nbd2 Ng6 15. Nc4 Rad8 16. Ne3 d5 (16... c6 {
preparing ...d5 was more solid. After} 17. Qc2 d5 18. Rad1 {White will aim to
exploit Black's weak light-squares on the kingside with either Nf5 or Nh2-g4.})
17. exd5 Bg7 {EXERCISE: Black is prepared to play ...Nxd5 on his next move and
achieve a comfortable game. How can White make things difficult for Black?} (
17... Nxd5 {immediately runs into} 18. Ng4 $1 {.}) 18. d4 $1 {ANSWER:
Challenging Black in the centre and attacking the e5-pawn.} (18. c4 c6 $1 {
Is fine for Black, as after} 19. dxc6 bxc6 {White is unable to defend the
d3-pawn.}) 18... exd4 ({Or: a)} 18... e4 19. Nd2 {is good for White. Black is
unable to play} Nxd5 $6 {because of} 20. Nxd5 Qxd5 21. Bxc7 {.}) ({b)} 18...
Nxd5 19. dxe5 {gives White an extra pawn in the endgame arising after} Nxe3 20.
Qxd7 Rxd7 21. Rxe3 {.}) 19. cxd4 $6 (19. Qxd4 $1 {is best, when Black can try:}
Ne4 (19... Nxd5 20. Qxd5 ({or} 20. Qxa7) 20... Qxd5 21. Nxd5 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1
Rxd5 23. Bxc7 {and Black faces a very difficult defence in this endgame.}) 20.
Be5 $1 ({but not} 20. Qxa7 $6 f5 $1 {, and Black gets counterplay}) 20... Bxe5
(20... Nxe5 21. Qxe4 {is a safe extra pawn for White}) 21. Nxe5 Rxe5 22. Ng4 $1
Rxd5 23. Qxe4 {and White has a much better position.}) 19... Nxd5 20. Nxd5
Rxe1+ 21. Qxe1 Qxd5 22. Bxc7 Rc8 23. Rc1 Bxd4 24. Qd2 Qd7 25. Nxd4 Rxc7 26.
Rxc7 Qxc7 27. Nf5 {The position is close to equal, but the weaknesses around
Black's king give him some difficulties in defending.} Kh7 28. g3 Ne5 29. Qe3
Nc4 $6 (29... f6 $1 {was stronger, supporting the knight on e5.}) 30. Qc3 Qe5
31. Qd3 Nxb2 32. Qc2 Qe1+ 33. Kg2 Qd1 34. Qe4 Qxa4 $2 (34... Qd7 $1 {threatens
to play ...Qc6 or ...Nxa4.}) 35. Qxb7 Qa2 36. Ne3 Kg7 37. Qb4 Qb1 38. g4 Kg8
39. Nf5 Qc2 40. Qb8+ Kh7 41. Qb7 Kh8 42. Qe7 {. Black's 4th move sidelines in
the Berlin give White good chances to obtain a slight edge. In the 4...d6
variation after 5 0-0 Bd7, it is important to remember the accurate 6 Re1!,
which allows White to meet 6...g6 with 7 d4! and obtain a good King's Indian
structure. In our main game, Black opted for a ...Be7 set-up, but White was
able to put Black under some pressure by gaining space on the queenside (9 a4!)
and then preventing Black's main idea of ...Ne7 with 10 Bg5!.} 1-0

[Event "15: Spanish League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2018.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P"]
[Black "Navara, D"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C65"]
[Annotator "Joshua Doknjas"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[EventDate "2018.??.??"]
[SourceTitle "OR: The Ruy Lopez"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "2019.12.29"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. O-O Bg4 {A very
ambitious idea, Black is hoping to develop actively with moves such as ...Nd7,
...f6, and ...Qe7. However, this can only be achieved if White plays slowly.} (
{We will look at} 6... Bd6) (6... Nd7) ({and} 6... Qe7 {later in this chapter.}
) (6... Qd6 {is similar to the more popular 6...Qe7 variation, but here the
queen on d6 can be more easily attacked by Nbd2-c4. However, the advantage of
6...Qd6 is that it puts pressure on White's d3-pawn.} {After} 7. c3 {, Black
can play:} ({QUESTION: Why can't White play 7 h3 here? --- ANSWER:} 7. h3 $6 {
is a natural-looking move, but one which White should be very careful about
playing if Black hasn't castled kingside. Black can play} Rg8 $1 {followed by ...g5, putting White in serious danger. White can try} 8. c3 {intending to meet}
g5 {with} 9. d4 {, but after} g4 $1 {the play becomes very sharp, and it looks
quite dangerous for White.} (9... Z0)) 7... Bg4 (7... Bb6 8. Qc2 $1 (8. d4 {
runs into Black's main idea behind 7...Bb6:} Bg4 $1 9. Nbd2 Nd7 {and Black
should be able to obtain good counterplay against White's centre}) 8... Bg4 9.
Nbd2 Nd7 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Nxf3 O-O 12. Rd1 {and White has a better position, as
he can slowly prepare to play d4 while Black lacks active play.}) (7... O-O $6
{was tried in J.Vozda-R.Postl, correspondence 2009, and White obtained an
excellent position after} 8. d4 Bb6 9. a4 a5 10. Qc2 Nd7 11. Na3 $1 {. ---
QUESTION: What is the point of developing the knight to a3 instead of d2? ---
ANSWER: White developed his knight to a3 instead of d2 so that} exd4 12. cxd4
Bxd4 $2 {can be met by} 13. Rd1 c5 14. Nb5 $1 Qc6 15. Bf4 {with a winning
position.}) 8. Nbd2 {and now:} Qxd3 {leads to a better endgame for White after}
(8... Nd7 9. h3 Bxf3 {and in M.Kravtsiv-Z.Almasi, Heraklio 2017, White played
10 Qxf3, but the more accurate recapture would have been} 10. Nxf3 $1 {because
the knight can help White to play d4 and expand in the centre. The knight can
also put some pressure on Black's kingside, this is seen after} O-O 11. Nh4 $1
({the natural} 11. d4 {should be slightly better for White, but Black's
position is solid}) 11... Qe6 (11... g6 {weakens the kingside and can be met by
} 12. Qc2 Rfe8 13. Nf3 {followed by gaining space on the queenside with b4 and
a4, or Rd1 and d4}) 12. Nf5 Rfe8 13. Qg4 Bf8 14. Rd1 (14. f3 $5 {and d4 next
also looks good) and White's position is much more pleasant. His main plan is
to keep his centre well-supported and play d4 soon.})) 9. Nxe5 Qe2 10. Nxg4
Qxg4 11. Qxg4 Nxg4 12. Nb3 {and here Black has two options:} Be7 {looks
stronger, but the endgame is still unpleasant for Black. For example,} (12...
Bb6 {was seen in A.Manzo-L.Laffranchise, correspondence 2010, but the bishop
appeared to be misplaced on b6 after the moves} 13. c4 $1 a5 14. c5 Ba7 15. h3
Ne5 16. Nxa5 O-O-O 17. b4 {and White obtained a clear advantage.} (17. Z0)) 13.
Rd1 Ne5 14. Bf4 Nc4 15. Rab1 Rd8 ({or} 15... Rc8 16. Nd4) 16. Nd4 {is slightly
better for White.}) 7. h3 Bh5 (7... Bxf3 8. Qxf3 {gives Black two main options:
} Nd7 (8... O-O 9. Nd2 Re8 (9... Nd7 10. Nc4 a5 11. a4 Re8 12. Qg3 Qe7 13. Kh1
Bd6 {was M.Rodshtein-B.Bok, Yerevan 2014, and} 14. f4 $1 {would be quite
dangerous for Black}) 10. Nc4 Nd7 11. Bd2 Re6 $5 {, protecting the c6-pawn, so
that Black doesn't need to worry about ...b5 Na5!;} (11... b5 12. Na5 {and Nb7
next gives White an edge}) 12. g3 {was slightly better for White in M.Adams-M.Rodshtein, Tbilisi 2017;} ({but it would be stronger to first play} 12. a4 $1 {
and then after} Rg6 13. g3 {White can slowly prepare to create play on the
kingside.})) 9. Nd2 {and now:} Qe7 (9... Bd6 10. Nc4 Qe7 11. Qg3 f6 {and in I.Salgado Lopez-O.Korneev, Linares 2015, White was much better after} 12. Kh1 {;}
({the immediate} 12. f4 $1 {looks very strong as well.})) (9... Qf6 10. Qxf6 {
leads to a favourable endgame for White. E.Bacrot-L.Fressinet, Pau 2008, saw}
Nxf6 11. Nc4 Nd7 12. Bd2 {and White soon expanded on the queenside with b4 and
a4. After this, White prepared to play d4 and took control of the centre,
while Black had to defend passively.}) 10. Nc4 $1 (10. a4 {was played in E.Inarkiev-D.Jakovenko, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013, and should give White a slight
edge, but White can delay this move for now}) 10... f6 (10... O-O-O $6 {
isn't effective in this position; following} 11. Bd2 f6 12. a3 Nf8 13. b4 {
White was far ahead with his attack in I.Salgado Lopez-S.Maze, Haguenau 2013})
11. Bd2 {leads to another split:} Nf8 (11... O-O 12. Qg4 $1 {, intending to
create play on the kingside; for example,} (12. a3 {followed by b4 was also
good for White in M.Kanarek-D.Mastrovasilis, Suwalki 2017}) 12... Rfe8 13. Kh2
Nf8 14. g3 {followed by f4.}) (11... b6 12. a3 O-O 13. b4 Bd6 14. Ne3 Kh8 15.
h4 $1 {and White was clearly better in E.Sutovsky-L.Fressinet, Khanty-Mansiysk
2010, as he could slowly increase the pressure on the kingside while Black
lacked active play.}) 12. b4 Bd6 13. a4 Ne6 14. c3 {is much better for White.
Black will soon castle kingside and White can play moves like g3 and h4-h5,
increasing the pressure on Black's position.}) 8. g4 $1 (8. Nbd2 {is a simpler
approach, avoiding the complications that arise after 8 g4 Nxg4. However, 8
Nbd2 allows Black to develop without too many difficulties. Following} Nd7 (
8... Qe7 {actually transposes to the 6...Qe7 variation, which is discussed
later in this chapter in Game 17}) 9. Nc4 (9. c3 $5 {is also playable, aiming
to later expand in the centre with d4}) 9... f6 10. c3 Bb6 11. Qe2 {leads to a
roughly balanced position.}) 8... Nxg4 (8... Bg6 9. Nxe5 Qe7 10. Nxg6 hxg6 {
gives Black the open h-file, but this isn't enough to compensate for the extra
pawn White has. After} 11. Kg2 $1 O-O-O 12. Nd2 {, Black can try:} Nh7 (12...
Rh7 {, intending ...Rdh8, is simply met by} 13. Rh1 {.}) (12... Nd7 13. Nf3 Ne5
(13... f5 $2 {runs into} 14. Bg5 Nf6 15. Nh4 $1 {with a nearly winning
position for White}) 14. Bf4 {is much better for White.}) 13. f4 $1 {is very
strong, covering up some of the entry points into White's position (the g5 and
e5-squares)} (13. Nf3 {should be fine for White, but allows unnecessary
complications after} f5 $1) 13... f5 {is still probably Black's most dangerous
idea, but White can play} 14. Qf3 {, when Black is struggling to show any play
for the pawn.}) 9. hxg4 Bxg4 10. Be3 (10. Kg2 $2 {looks like a natural way to
defend the knight on f3 and was played in K.Alekseenko-L.Babujian, Yerevan
2015, but} Qc8 $1 {with the threat of ...Bh3 would be very unpleasant for
White.} 11. Rh1 {is well met by} f5 {.}) 10... Bd6 {Black's most popular
choice, avoiding the exchange of bishops and supporting the e5-pawn. ---
EXERCISE: How should White arrange his pieces in order to best meet ...f5 - ?}
({Others: a)} 10... Qf6 $5 11. Kg2 $1 {, when Black can play:} ({not} 11. Nbd2
$2 Bh3) 11... Bxe3 (11... Be7 $6 {keeps more pieces on the board, but after}
12. Nbd2 O-O-O (12... h5 13. Rg1 g5 14. Kf1 {is perfectly safe for White}) 13.
Rg1 {White is doing very well.}) 12. fxe3 Qe6 {. --- EXERCISE: Find a good
plan for White to restrict Black's kingside play and bring the g2-king to
safety. --- ANSWER:} 13. Rf2 $1 {is an excellent idea and gives White a clear
advantage. White's plan is to play Nc3, Qh1, and Kf1-e2. For example,} (13. Kf2
$2 {runs into} O-O {followed by ...f5}) 13... h5 14. Qh1 O-O-O 15. Nc3 f6 16.
Kf1 g5 17. Ke2 {and White is much better.}) ({b)} 10... Be7 $5 11. Kg2 $1 {
and now:} (11. Nbd2 {is met by} Qc8 $1 {followed by ...f5}) ({while} 11. Kh1 $2
{appears to be similar to our main game, but the difference is seen in the
variation} f5 12. Rg1 h5 13. exf5 $2 {and here, because Black has his bishop
on e7 instead of d6, he win with} e4 $1 {, due to the pin on the d-file}) 11...
f5 {forces White to find one accurate move:} (11... Qc8 {threatens ...Bh3 and
prepares to activate the queen with ...Qe6. The following line shows how White
can obtain a much better position:} 12. Rh1 f5 13. Qg1 $1 Qe6 (13... fxe4 14.
dxe4 O-O {is met by} 15. Ne1 $1 {and White keeps everything under control}) 14.
exf5 Qxf5 15. Nfd2 O-O 16. Kf1 {and Black's best try is} Bd1 $1 {, but after
the forcing variation} 17. Na3 Bxc2 18. Nxc2 Qxd3+ 19. Ke1 Qxc2 {White can play
} 20. Qg4 $1 {, threatening either Qe4 or Qc4+ with a large advantage.}) (11...
Qd7 $2 {runs into} 12. Nxe5 Bxd1 13. Nxd7 Bxc2 14. Nc3 $1 {.}) 12. Qe1 $1 {
preparing to play Nxe5. White has no time to waste, as Black is intending to
play ...0-0 and immediately open up the f-file.} fxe4 (12... O-O $2 {is now
met by} 13. Nxe5) ({and} 12... Bxf3+ 13. Kxf3 {is good for White, as Black has
no way of exploiting White's temporarily misplaced king}) 13. Nxe5 Qc8 14. Rg1
{and White has a much better position, for example,} Bh3+ 15. Kh2 Bd6 16. d4 {
followed by Rg3.}) 11. Kh1 $1 {ANSWER: Preparing to play Rg1. This makes it
more difficult for Black to open up the f-file, because after ...f5 Rg1, the
bishop on g4 will be under attack.} ({Others: a)} 11. Nbd2 $6 f5 $1 12. exf5
O-O 13. Qe1 Bxf3 14. Nxf3 Rxf5 15. Qe2 Qf6 16. Nh2 e4 $1 {gave Black
sufficient compensation in Wei Yi-Xiu Deshun, China 2015.}) ({b)} 11. Kg2 f5 $1
{gives Black good play. Compared to the 10...Be7 variation, here} 12. Qe1 $6 {
is ineffective, because after} O-O {White is unable to play Nxe5.}) 11... f5 (
11... Qd7 12. Rg1 Bh5 $1 {is one of the most tricky lines for White to deal
with in this sharp 8...Nxg4 line. White must begin by covering the h3-square,
as Black is threatening ...Qh3.} (12... h5 {was tried in D.Kokarev-A.Pridorozhni, Khanty-Mansiysk 2015, and White responded very accurately with}
13. Nbd2 O-O-O 14. Qe1 $1 f6 15. Nh2 Be6 16. Nc4 {and after} Kb8 {, best would
have been} 17. Qa5 $1 {and Black is under major pressure on the queenside}) 13.
Rg3 $1 f5 $1 {, and only now can White play} (13... O-O-O $6 {is not at all
dangerous for White after} 14. Nbd2 f5 15. exf5) 14. Rg5 {because Black's
queen can no longer move to h3. M.Kuusela-K.Miettinen, correspondence 2014,
continued} g6 15. exf5 Rf8 {and White was able to obtain an advantage after 16
Nbd2. But even stronger is} 16. Rxh5 $1 gxh5 17. Nh4 {, and one sample line is}
Qf7 18. Qf3 Be7 19. Qh3 Qf6 ({or} 19... Bxh4 20. Qxh4 Qxf5 21. Nd2) 20. Nf3
Qxf5 21. Qxf5 Rxf5 22. Nbd2 {and White has a much better endgame, which is
quite similar to the one we will see in our main game.}) 12. Rg1 h5 (12... Qd7
13. exf5 Qxf5 {is met by} 14. Nh4 $1 {.}) 13. exf5 Qf6 14. Nbd2 Qxf5 15. Rg3 $1
{Freeing the g1-square for the queen.} (15. Nh4 $5 {also looks very strong.
Play may continue} Qf6 16. Ndf3 O-O-O {threatens to play ...Rdf8, which forces
White to play} (16... Rf8 {runs into} 17. Rxg4 hxg4 18. Ng5 {followed by Qxg4})
17. Bg5 {. A sample line is} Qf7 18. Bxd8 Rxd8 19. Qe2 $1 Rf8 20. Qe3 Bxf3+ (
20... Qf6 $5 {is possible to maintain the pressure, but after} 21. Raf1 {
White is ready to play Rg2 or Rg3 next, and Black is struggling to show
adequate compensation}) 21. Nxf3 Qxf3+ 22. Qxf3 Rxf3 23. Raf1 {with a close to
winning endgame for White.}) 15... h4 (15... O-O-O 16. Qg1 Rdf8 17. Nh2 ({or} 
17. Ng5 {) is excellent for White.})) 16. Rxg4 $1 {Giving back some of the
material to obtain an endgame where White's two knights will be much more
useful than Black's rook and two pawns.} Qxg4 17. Nh2 (17. Ng5 {was also
possible, for example} Qd7 18. Qe2 O-O-O 19. Rg1 {and White can play Qg4 next.}
) 17... Qd7 18. Qg4 Qxg4 19. Nxg4 {An interesting endgame has arisen where
White has two knights for Black's rook and two pawns. Although this should
usually be a roughly balanced endgame, this position is close to winning for
White. This is mainly because Black is unable to use his rooks effectively, as
they lack targets. Meanwhile, White's minor pieces can be placed on the weak
squares that Black has, such as e4 and g5.} Kf7 20. Rg1 Rh5 21. Nh2 Be7 22.
Nhf3 Rf5 23. Kh2 Rf8 24. Kh3 (24. Ng5+ {may have been slightly stronger.})
24... Kg8 25. Nh2 (25. Kg4 $1 {and Rh1 next was good as well.}) 25... Kh7 26.
Ne4 g5 27. Bxg5 Rg8 28. Kxh4 Rf4+ 29. Kh5 Rf5 30. Kh4 Rf4+ 31. Kh5 Rf5 32. Rg3
Rh8 33. Nf3 $4 {White had played excellently throughout the game to convert
his advantage, but here he blunders.} (33. Rh3 $1 {is winning for White, for
example,} Kg7+ 34. Kg4 Rxh3 35. Bxe7 Rfh5 36. Nf3 {and White's actively placed
minor pieces make it impossible for Black to do anything with his rooks.})
33... Bxg5 34. Rxg5 Rxf3 35. Rxe5 Rf7 36. Kg4 Kg7 37. f4 Rh2 38. Rc5 Kf8 39. b4
Ke8 40. f5 Rg7+ 41. Kf4 Rgg2 42. f6 Kf7 43. Re5 Rf2+ 44. Nxf2 {. In this game
we looked at two of Black's rarer options on move 6, 6...Qd6 and 6...Bg4. 6...Qd6 should be met by 7 c3, aiming to expand in the centre. Black has many
different options to choose from, but White retains a more comfortable
position against all of them. 6...Bg4 is an interesting variation where Black
must decide between playing a solid but worse position after 7 h3 Bxf3, or if
he wants to sacrifice material after 7...Bh5 8 g4. White should have an
advantage against both of these lines, but some accuracy is needed in the
sharp 7...Bh5 8 g4 variations and the defensive ideas for White should be
reviewed carefully.} 1/2-1/2

