Jump on Board the Ruy Lopez

Lapoc Chess Board, Issue #110 -- GOTM #80

The most popular reply by far to the Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5) is 3...a6. This is known as the Morphy Defense. White can approach the Morphy Defense in many ways.

The Morphy Defense wasn't always the most common answer to the Ruy Lopez. You could also develop a piece with 3...Nf6 or 3...Bc5. These were the most common continuations up until the middle of the 19th Century.

Paul Morphy the great American player of that era popularized 3...a6 which had been a sideline before then. The move puts an ultimatum to White's light square Bishop immediately.

He can exchange by taking the Knight or go into the vast expanse of theory in the 4.Ba4 lines. These are his only realistic options. The majority of Ruy Lopez theory comes into play after 4.Ba4 but the exchange is perfectly playable.

Here we have a very interesting Ruy Lopez game which goes into the Morphy lines. It was played between Paul Keres of Estonia and (the originally Russian) Alexander Alekhine of France. The game was played in England in 1937.

Jump on Board the Ruy Lopez

Keres, Paul - Alekhine, Alexander [C71]

GotM #80 Margate, 1937
[Connaughton, Ken]

1.e4

King's Pawn Game

1...e5

Open Game

2.Nf3

King's Knight Game

2...Nc6 3.Bb5

Ruy Lopez Opening

3...a6

Game position after 3...a6

Morphy Defense

4.Ba4 d6 5.c4 Bd7 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 Bg7 8.Be3 Nf6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Bc5

Game position after 10.Bc5

Trapping the King in the center.

10...Nh5 11.Nd5 Nf4 12.Nxf4

This will free the e-pawn to advance in the center.

12...exf4 13.e5 g5 14.Qd5 Bf8 15.Bxf8 Rxf8

Game position after 15...Rxf8

Now the Black King is officially stranded in the center, his adjacent squares are occupied, so he's in big trouble.

16.0-0-0

White's pieces swiftly move into position.

16...Qe7 17.Bxc6 Bxc6 18.Qd3 Bd7 19.Nxg5 0-0-0

Game position after 19...0-0-0

This seems to solve Black's problems.

20.Nf3 f6 21.exf6 Rxf6 22.Rhe1 Qb4??

(22...Be6; 22...Re6)

23.Qxd7+!!

Game position after 23.Qxd7+!!

The Queen sacrifice forces an immediate resignation. There's no fix.

(23.Qxd7+ # quickly follows no matter what: 23...Rxd7 24.Re8+ Rd8 25.Rdxd8#)

1-0

Keres, Paul - Alekhine, Alexander [C71]

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See you next month.

Ken

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