Spanish Game / Ruy Lopez (Berlin Defence)

3...Nf6 is the main sideline to 3...a6. The Berlin defence is known for being solid and is used at the top level of chess as a reliable drawing weapon. The mainline continuation leads to an equal endgame known as the Berlin Wall, where it is difficult for White to achieve better than a draw. Another common variation leads to a quick draw by repetition by turn 14.

3...Nf6 is developing move that controls the centre, attacks e4, and gets Black closer to castling.

The main line 4. O-O allows Black to take the e4 pawn 4...Nxe4. This is a trade because White can recover the material by applying pressure on the e-file (e.g. 5. Re1 skewers e5 through the knight). The main line continues 5. d4 Nd6 and either 6. Bxc6 or 6. dxe5.

• 6. Bxc6 leads to a queen trade on turn eight and the Berlin Wall endgame;
• 6. dxe5 often leads to the famous Berlin draw by repetition, employed when it is advantageous for the players to agree a quick draw in tournaments where draws by agreement are otherwise restricted.

4. d3 avoids these main Berlin defence continuations. It defends e4 so defuses the threat of 4...Nxe4, but also reinforces White's threat on e5, as after Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5, the ...Qd4 tactic no longer forks the pawn. Black may defend it directly (4...d6) or tactically (4...Bc5! sets up the threat of ...Qd4 and ...Qxf2#).

4. Qe2 is a tricky sideline. It, too, defends e4 so avoids the trade of e-pawns, but also defends f2, defusing the ...Bc5 ...Qd4 ...Qxf2# threat (4. Qe2 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6? 6. Nxe5 wins the pawn, as 6...Qd4 7. Nd3 [gains time on the bishop] Bb6 8. f3 [defends pawn]±). Compared to 4. d3, White keeps the option of c3 then d4 in one move, but after ...Bc4 Black has too much control of d4 to manage this anyway.

An early analysis of 3...Nf6 was published by Berliner Baron von der Lasa in Handbuch des Schachspiels (1843). The name "Berlin" came into use by at least 1848, appearing in Deutsche Schachzeitung which attributed the coining to Carl Jaenisch.^[1]

The Berlin defence was revived by Vladimir Kramnik who used it to stall out Garry Kasparov's 1. e4 repertoire in their 2000 World Championship match. Try as he might, Kasparov couldn't manage better than a draw in Kramnik's Berlin Wall endgame.

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6

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Wikipedia has related information at Ruy Lopez

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.