e4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 d4 cxd4 Nxd4.
Thats all you need to learn to have a decent stable mid game.
Thats all you need to learn to have a decent stable mid game.
This is an interesting thing about how much of a risk "booked up" opponents in "highly theoretical" openings really are:
zwischenzug.substack.com/p/what-really-happens-in-the-ruy-lopez
Looking at the eight "recent games" listed in the Lichess ~2000 blitz database:
"In the eight games I looked at, none made it past move 10 in what could be considered a “book” position. The games exited mainstream theory at moves 3, 4, 4, 7, 5, 9, 5, and 10 respectively. That comes out to an average of just under 6 moves of theory per game. Given that the Ruy Lopez starts on move 3, you’d have to say that on average the players weren’t very booked up."
zwischenzug.substack.com/p/what-really-happens-in-the-ruy-lopez
Looking at the eight "recent games" listed in the Lichess ~2000 blitz database:
"In the eight games I looked at, none made it past move 10 in what could be considered a “book” position. The games exited mainstream theory at moves 3, 4, 4, 7, 5, 9, 5, and 10 respectively. That comes out to an average of just under 6 moves of theory per game. Given that the Ruy Lopez starts on move 3, you’d have to say that on average the players weren’t very booked up."
@RamblinDave said in #22:
> This is an interesting thing about how much of a risk "booked up" opponents in "highly theoretical" openings really are:
> zwischenzug.substack.com/p/what-really-happens-in-the-ruy-lopez
>
> Looking at the eight "recent games" listed in the Lichess ~2000 blitz database:
> "In the eight games I looked at, none made it past move 10 in what could be considered a “book” position. The games exited mainstream theory at moves 3, 4, 4, 7, 5, 9, 5, and 10 respectively. That comes out to an average of just under 6 moves of theory per game. Given that the Ruy Lopez starts on move 3, you’d have to say that on average the players weren’t very booked up."
That is an excellent article. Thanks for sharing Dave. Kind of makes me realise at my level I really shouldn't worry about theory at all. Follow the first few moves and then as soon as (inevitably) my lower ranked opponent starts 'riffing' on move 4, control the centre and play sensible chess! :)
> This is an interesting thing about how much of a risk "booked up" opponents in "highly theoretical" openings really are:
> zwischenzug.substack.com/p/what-really-happens-in-the-ruy-lopez
>
> Looking at the eight "recent games" listed in the Lichess ~2000 blitz database:
> "In the eight games I looked at, none made it past move 10 in what could be considered a “book” position. The games exited mainstream theory at moves 3, 4, 4, 7, 5, 9, 5, and 10 respectively. That comes out to an average of just under 6 moves of theory per game. Given that the Ruy Lopez starts on move 3, you’d have to say that on average the players weren’t very booked up."
That is an excellent article. Thanks for sharing Dave. Kind of makes me realise at my level I really shouldn't worry about theory at all. Follow the first few moves and then as soon as (inevitably) my lower ranked opponent starts 'riffing' on move 4, control the centre and play sensible chess! :)
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