Ruy Lopez for Tournament Players

Berlin Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 Omitting a6 initiates the Berlin Defence, also known as the Berlin Wall. This is how the classic Berlin endgame arises.

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1.1 Introduction

2 Main Line: Chigorin Variation 9.h3 Na5

2.1 Game 1: Karpov - Unzicker, 1974 - 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Nc6 14.d5 Nd8 14.a4 Rb8

2.2 Game 2: Karpov - Unzicker, 1975 - 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.Nf1 Rfe8 14.d5 Nb7

2.3 Game 3: Fischer - Keres, 1962 - 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7 12.dxc5 dxc5 13.Nbd2

2.4 Theory 1: 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Nd7/cxd4

2.5 Theory 2: 11...Qc7 12.d5 Bd7/Nc4/c4

2.6 Theory 3: 12...Bd7 13.b3 Nb7 14.Nbd2 g6 15.Nf1 Nh5 16.Bh6 Rfe8

2.7 Practice Positions

2.8 Repertoire Training

3 Main Line: Breyer Variation 9.h3 Nb8

3.1 Game 1: Fischer - Spassky, 1992 - 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6

3.2 Game 2: Schneider - Koepke, 2022 - 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 c5 12.Nf1 Re8 13.Ng3 Bf8 14.Bg5 h6

3.3 Theory 1: 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6

3.4 Theory 2: 15.Bg5 h6/c5/Bg7

3.5 Theory 3: 15...h6 16.Bd2 Bg7 17.a4

3.6 Practice Positions

3.7 Repertoire Training

4 Main Line: Zaitsev Variation 9.h3 Bb7

4.1 Game: Schneider - Rusche, 2023 - 10.d4 Re8 11.Ng5 Rf8 12.Nf3 Re8 13.Nbd2 Bf8 14.d5 Nb8

4.2 Theory: 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 13.d5

4.3 Practice Positions

4.4 Repertoire Training

5 Late Deviations

5.1 Repertoire Training

6 Marshall Attack

6.1 Game: Reimann - Schneider, 2024 - 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4

6.2 Theory Anti-Marshall 1: 8.a4

6.3 Theory Anti-Marshall 2: 8.h3

6.4 Repertoire Training

7 Variations with Lc5

7.1 Theory 1: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 O-O 6.Bb3 Bc5

7.2 Theory 2: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5

7.3 Theory 3: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Bc5/4....Nf6 5.O-O Bc5

7.4 Practice Positions

7.5 Repertoire Training

8 Steinitz Defence 3...d6 or 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6

8.1 Game: Tarrasch - Marco, 1892 - 3...d6 4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1

8.2 Theory 1: Steinitz Defence Classical 3...d6

8.3 Theory 2: Steinitz Defence Deferred 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6

8.4 Practice Positions

8.5 Repertoire Training

9 Schliemann/Jaenisch Gambit

9.1 Practice Positions

9.2 Repertoire Training

10 Berlin Defence

10.1 Game: Caruana - Carlsen, 2015 - 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3 h6

10.2 Theory 1: 4.d3

10.3 Theory 2: 4.d4/O-O

10.4 Theory 3: Exchange Sacrifice Bd3!? - 4.O-O Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Bd3

10.5 Practice Positions

10.6 Repertoire Training

11 Open Defence

11.1 Game: Schneider - Staudinger, 2024 - 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Qe2 Nc5

11.2 Theory 1: 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Qe2 Bc5/Nc5

11.3 Theory 2: 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Qe2 Be7

11.4 Practice Positions

11.5 Repertoire Training

12 Early Deviations

12.1 Repertoire Training

14.2 50 Model Games