[Event "Black Repertoire - Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense: 4.O-O Nxd5 5.d4"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/dV73Jv0R/diXlfquN"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C67"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/LBB86"] [StudyName "Black Repertoire - Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense"] [ChapterName "4.O-O Nxd5 5.d4"] [UTCDate "2020.11.27"] [UTCTime "16:05:36"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/dV73Jv0R/diXlfquN"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 { Watch a video of this lesson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZJcQZoM7ZE } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense. Black leaves the bishop on b5 (rather than chasing it with a6) and immediately attacks the e4 pawn. In some lines, Black will play Nxe4 followed by a retreat Nd6, which will gain a tempo on the bishop on b5. We will look at four moves for White: 4.O-O, 4.d3, 4.Qe2 and 4.d4. The move 4.Nc3 leads to the Four Knights Game and will be studied in another lesson. } 4. O-O { White allows the e4 pawn to be taken with the idea of playing Re1 and recovering his pawn by pressuring Black's e5 pawn. } 4... Nxe4 { We play for an open position. } 5. d4 { The main line and an attempt at an improvement over the immediate 5.Re1. White gambits a pawn in hopes of opening up lines to the Black king. } 5... Nd6 { It was too dangerous to take the gambit pawn on d4. Our knight has now gained a tempo on the b5-bishop. We will consider two responses. } { [%cal Gd6b5] } 6. Bxc6 { The main line, leading to a trade of queens. } (6. dxe5 { This rare move seems to lose a piece, but it doesn't. } 6... Nxb5 7. a4 { Our knight is trapped, and we will have to give back a piece. } 7... Nbd4 8. Nxd4 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 d5 { The position is about equal. We have the bishop pair, and just need to catch up a little in development. }) 6... dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 { The most stable square for the knight. From f5, it may also go to e7 and then to g6 in some lines. Or it may go to h4 after a preparatory Be7. } 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 { The Berlin Wall Defense. Our plan will be: Ke8, Be7, Be6, Rd8, and possibly Nh4 to either trade with the f3-knight or fall back to g6. We can activate the h8-rook by pushing our h-pawn. Our king should be safe on e8. We will explore a couple of sample lines. } 9. Nc3 { A very popular flexible move. } (9. Rd1+ Ke8 10. Nc3 Be7 11. Bg5 Bxg5 12. Nxg5 h6 13. Nf3 Be6 { [%cal Gf5e7,Ga8d8,Gh6h5,Gh5h4] }) 9... Ke8 10. h3 { I'm not sure why this move is so popular. It does keep a pieces off the g4 square, and perhaps White intends to play g4, but no pieces were yet threatening to come to g4. Perhaps it is another flexible move and White is waiting to see what Black will do. } 10... Be7 { We'd like to get the f5-knight out of the way of our light-squared bishop. So, it's heading for h4. } { [%cal Gf5h4] } 11. Rd1 Nh4 12. Nxh4 Bxh4 13. Be3 Bf5 { [%cal Ga8d8,Gh7h5,Gh8h6] } *