Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...f5/4. Nc3/4...fxe4/5. Nxe4

From Wikibooks, open books for an open world
< Chess Opening Theory‎ | 1. e4‎ | 1...e5‎ | 2. Nf3‎ | 2...Nc6‎ | 3. Bb5‎ | 3...f5‎ | 4. Nc3‎ | 4...fxe4
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defence
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black kingc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black kingf7 black kingg7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black knightd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 white bishopc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black pawnf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 black kingd4 black kinge4 white knightf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 white knightg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 black kingc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 black kingg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h

Black may now accept the invitation to build a classical pawn centre with 5...d5. If White were forced to retreat the e4-knight, this would be enough to put 4.Nc3 out of business. Alas, Black players at GM level have been scoring very badly out of the well-analysed complications that follow White's critical reply 6.Nxe5!


So Schliemann Defence champion Teimour Radjabov prefers the more sedate 5...Nf6, with the character of the resulting positions depending on whether White now exchanges on f6 voluntarily or has to be forced into it with 6.Qe2 d5.