Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense
ECO C65 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6
The Berlin Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6, counterattacks e4 instead of putting the question to the bishop. Vladimir Kramnik used it to neutralize Garry Kasparov in their 2000 world championship match, and it has been a top-level fortress ever since.
Plans for White
In the main line 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8, White enters the 'Berlin endgame', with a healthy kingside pawn majority and the hope of exploiting Black's uncastled king. Anti-Berlin systems with 4.d3 keep the queens on.
Plans for Black
In the endgame Black has the bishop pair and a solid structure; the king goes to e8 or c8, the bishops become active, and Black aims to hold or later use the queenside majority.
Typical pawn structures
After the queen trade, White has a 4-vs-3 kingside majority and Black has doubled c-pawns but the two bishops.
Who it suits
Solid players who are comfortable in queenless middlegames and endgames.
Common traps
White must not grab on e5 too early in some lines; Black must be careful about e5-e6 or f4-f5 pushes that cramp the bishops.
Variations
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Beverwijk Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Fishing Pole Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Ng4
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Improved Steinitz Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O d6
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio de Janeiro Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rosenthal Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 a6
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Minckwitz Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. dxe5
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Closed Wolf Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. Nc3 exd4
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Hedgehog Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. Nc3 Be7
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Trifunovic Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 d5
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Closed Bernstein Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Bg5
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Closed Showalter Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Bxc6
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Tarrasch Trap — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4 Bd7 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 O-O
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Cordel Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nf5
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Pillsbury Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. b3
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Winawer Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. Nd4
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Zukertort Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. c4
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall — 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
Related variations
- Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Closed
- Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack
- Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Bird Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Fianchetto Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit
- Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Open
- Ruy Lopez: Brentano Gambit
- Ruy Lopez: Bulgarian Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Lucena Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Nürnberg Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Pollock Defense
- Ruy Lopez: Retreat Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Rotary-Albany Gambit
- Ruy Lopez: Vinogradov Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack
- Ruy Lopez: Bird's Defense Deferred
- Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Zaitsev Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Central Countergambit
- Ruy Lopez: Closed Berlin Defense, Chigorin Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation
- Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation