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Ruy Lopez (Spanish Game) - Berlin Defense (C65 - 67) ⎸Chess Openings for Tournament Players
For the theory of the Ruy Lopez watch this video on the basics: • Ruy Lopez - Ideas, Pri...
The Breyer Variation in depth - a positional approach by black: • Ruy Lopez - Breyer Var...
The Exchange Variation - the simple approach by white: • Ruy Lopez - Exchange V...
The Archangel Variation - black’s most aggressive line: • Ruy Lopez - Archangel ...
The Berlin Defense is one of the most popular, if not the most popular defense for black. It was introduced by the great Vladimir Kramnik (even though it has been played previously, it was never analyzed in depth or employed properly). He prepared the Berlin for his World Championship match against Garry Kasparov in 2000. He used the opening to fight Garry’s e4, and his Ruy Lopez, which is by far the most aggressive way for white to play against 1…e5 by black.
Kramnik used the so called “Berlin Endgame”, an almost forced line in which the queens get exchanged off early on in the opening and the position becomes much simpler to play, mainly because neither side has significant attacking prospects due to the queen trade and the face that by move 9 only two pieces occupy the center of the board. This endgame (also known as the Berlin wall) has since become one of the most popular ways for black to fight for a draw, but it also gives black winning chances if played correctly.
The Berlin Defense endgame occurs after the moves:
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 Nf6 (this move signifies the Berlin)
4. 0-0
Castles by white on move 4 inevitably leads to the endgame and black has no other way to play the position. The game continues with:
…Nxe4
5. d4 (immediately opening up the center and exploiting black’s king position) Nd6 (the knight has to retreat, otherwise white would be winning after a move such as 6.Re1, and it retreats with tempo on the b5 bishop, so the bishop has to give itself up)
6. Bxc6 dxc6
7. dxe5 Nf5
8. Qxd8 Kxd8
This is the starting position of most Berlin Defense games. Both sides have benefits and downsides to entering this position. White has castled and has a lead in development. His major downside is the over-extended e5 pawn which is hard to defend (and white would like to have it back on e4, or even or e3 or e2). The pawn reduces the scope of the c1 bishop and it weakens the central light squares for white. On the other hand, black has forfeited castling rights by letting white capture the queen. Black’s major weakness in the Berlin defence, though, is the ruined queenside pawn structure. He has doubled c pawns, which means that his queenside pawn majority is virtual, and it’s almost impossible to create a passed pawn. White’s kingside four to three is very real, though, and his main aim in the position is to exchange pieces and force a kingside passer. Black’s second asset is the fact that white had relinquished his bishop pair by capturing the c6 knight. This means that black will generally have greater attacking prospects with his bishops.
The main alternative to 4.0-0, and entering the Berlin wall endgame is for white to play 4.d3. This move leads to a common Ruy Lopez position in which the queens stay on the board and both sides fight for central control in a long maneuvering battle.
Here are some instructional Berlin Defense games to study:
Fabiano Caruana vs Arkadij Naiditsch, 2018 Grenke Chess Classic, Round 4:
• Caruana crushes Naidit...
Game 1, Kasparov vs Kramnik 2000.:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6
dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. b3 h6 11. Bb2
Kc8 12. h3 b6 13. Rad1 Ne7 14. Ne2 Ng6 15. Ne1 h5 16. Nd3 c5
17. c4 a5 18. a4 h4 19. Nc3 Be6 20. Nd5 Kb7 21. Ne3 Rh5
22. Bc3 Re8 23. Rd2 Kc8 24. f4 Ne7 25. Nf2 Nf5 1/2-1/2
Game 3, Kasparov vs Kramnik 2000.:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6
dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. b3 h6 11. Bb2
Kc8 12. Rad1 b6 13. Ne2 c5 14. c4 Bc6 15. Nf4 Kb7 16. Nd5 Ne7
17. Rfe1 Rg8 18. Nf4 g5 19. Nh5 Rg6 20. Nf6 Bg7 21. Rd3 Bxf3
22. Rxf3 Bxf6 23. exf6 Nc6 24. Rd3 Rf8 25. Re4 Kc8 26. f4 gxf4
27. Rxf4 Re8 28. Bc3 Re2 29. Rf2 Re4 30. Rh3 a5 31. Rh5 a4
32. bxa4 Rxc4 33. Bd2 Rxa4 34. Rxh6 Rg8 35. Rh7 Rxa2 36. Rxf7
Ne5 37. Rg7 Rf8 38. h3 c4 39. Re7 Nd3 40. f7 Nxf2 41. Re8+ Kd7
42. Rxf8 Ke7 43. Rc8 Kxf7 44. Rxc7+ Ke6 45. Be3 Nd1 46. Bxb6
c3 47. h4 Ra6 48. Bd4 Ra4 49. Bxc3 Nxc3 50. Rxc3 Rxh4 51. Rf3
Rh5 52. Kf2 Rg5 53. Rf8 Ke5 1/2-1/2
By this point Kramnik had won one game with white, and used the Berlin Defense to draw his two games with the black pieces. In the 13 remaining games, the only decisive result was another victory by Vladimir, and Kasparov hadn’t won a single game! The Berlin destroyed him!