How do you look for advantage with the spanish game?

#1. What exactly was wrong with the Italian?

@generallolipop scotch is also fair enough. you could give it a go.

@LuckIsNoSkill
Some people move away from the italian because most players know what to do against it. They will know Evans Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Fried Liver, Etc. They also know when to push d5 and when not to, and what to do against Italian Attack and Slow Italian.

@Ragnar25 we could say the same for Ruy Lopez.

#14
Yes, it is rather the other way around: top players like Caruana, Kramnik, Carlsen have moved away from the Spanish Ruy Lopez to the Italian Giuoco Pianissimo as the Marshall Attack and the Berlin Defence are drawish.

@LuckIsNoSkill I am saying that at the sub-2100 level, players have very minimal preparation against the Spanish

@tpr I don't think all of them move away from the spanish. Many find new ways of playing it, like,



and they try handling the berlin with



And I do not think Carlsen plays the Italian all that much.
Just my thoughts

I would not know any top 2700+ player playing the Ruy Lopez these days, Italian yes, Berlin absolutely. But feel free to correct me, I might have missed something.

As far as getting an advantage goes, in general there is not a clear advantage to be had. If there would be, people would stop playing it (which is why the Scholars mate is not an opening ;-))

The only exception I have faced against around 1500 FIDE club level players (not above) is when I am black and someone dares to play the fried liver. It basically means a free win for black. Other unsound openings would be The Halloween gambit (also a win for black) and the Albins countergambit (advantage for white), although the Albins countergambit is a fun opening to play as black, there is no way experienced players will allow you to promote and get a third knight on the board. Which is why I stopped playing it :-)

@Mehzinho
Carlsen plays the Ruy Lopez, Fabiano Plays the Ruy Lopez, Anand Plays it, etc.
And Wesley So beat his opponent in the speed chess championship with 4. Ng5 very quickly. So I don't see how it basically means a free win for black,

Spent researching a opening Rui Lopes will pay off if you also apply that opening in black. Otherwise, sorry, it will be a waste of time.

@Ragnar25
Yes, you are right. Carlsen even played it in Norway chess 2020 (www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2010775)

I should have remembered that one.
Well, he does play it less, but it is indeed not abandoned like my previous post would suggest.