page 1 of 45; games 1-25 of 1,101  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Von Der Lasa vs Hanstein   0-1 33 1840 Berlin C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 2. Wallenrath vs Jaenisch ½-½ 54 1850 St Petersburg C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 3. E Williams vs Staunton 0-1 61 1851 08, London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 4. Szen vs Horwitz   1-0 38 1851 4, London3 m3 C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 5. H Kennedy vs Szen   0-1 30 1851 3, London4 m3 C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 6. Bird vs Anderssen 1-0 44 1851 London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 7. Mayet vs Anderssen 1-0 53 1851 Berlin C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 8. Lowenthal vs Anderssen 0-1 30 1851 London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 9. Bird vs Horwitz 1-0 29 1851 Londen m C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 10. Bird vs Horwitz 1-0 59 1851 London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 11. Jaenisch vs Staunton   0-1 42 1851 London m4 C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 12. Lowenthal vs Harrwitz 1-0 59 1853 London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 13. Staunton vs Von Der Lasa 0-1 27 1853 Match C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 14. Staunton vs Von Der Lasa   ½-½ 69 1853 Match C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 15. Zytogorski vs R Brien   0-1 27 1855 Kling's Coffee House C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 16. Bird vs Anderssen 1-0 38 1857 London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 17. A Meek vs Morphy 0-1 29 1857 New York C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 18. Morphy vs Anderssen 1-0 21 1858 Paris C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 19. T W Barnes vs Morphy 0-1 40 1858 London m1 C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 20. G Medley vs Morphy 0-1 25 1858 London C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 21. Carstanjen vs Anderssen   0-1 36 1859 Cologne C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 22. A Carstanjen vs Anderssen   1-0 30 1859 Cologne C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 23. Max Lange vs Anderssen   0-1 45 1859 Breslau C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 24. B Suhle vs Anderssen   0-1 27 1859 Breslau C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense 25. Anderssen vs Max Lange   ½-½ 48 1859 Breslau C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense  page 1 of 45; games 1-25 of 1,101    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)

Secrets of Opening Surprises

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing > Apr-05-05    athyn: Well, I play this one a lot. I would usually take the knight at this point. May-29-05    Ron: Here's a good part of a game I played against the Mephisto program, not at its highest level, but not at it lowest either. I set the board at the Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6; I then played 4. d3 and then it went 4 ... Bc5 5. Bg5 0-0 6. 0-0 d6 7.h3 h6 8. Bh4 Be6 9. c3 10. a6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. Nbd2 Ba7 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 g5 15. Bg3 c5 16. d5 Bd7 17. Re1 Re8 18. Qc2 Qb8 19. Nc4 Qb4 20. Rad1 Nh5 21. Bh2 Ng7 22. e5 g4 23. Nfd2 gxh3 24. Ne4 Bf5 25. Nf6+ Kf8 26. Qc1 hxg2 27. Qxh6 Qxc4 28. Qh8+ Ke7 29. Qxg7 Kd8 30. Nxe8 Kc8 ..... May-29-05    nightsend: What do people think about playing 4. d4 and treating the opening as a cross between Petroff and Two Knights? For example, 4. d4 Nxe4 5. dxe5 d5 6. Nd4 Bd7 <is> Two Knights, cf. 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7. An alternative is 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Ne4 6. O-O Be7. It looks like these lines keep pieces on the board and give White a dynamic and open game. If White is having a hard time finding an advantage after 4. O-O and 8. Qxd8+, shouldn't he be trying other variations? May-29-05    Ron: <nightsend> Seems that 4. d4 is perfectly playable for White. It seems to me that if White is intent on winning, he should avoid an early exchange of queens; it somewhat puzzles me why players, which include 2600+ ELO, go into such queenless games. Death to the Berlin Defense (and also death to the Petroff.) May-29-05    Sydro: What If 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Ne4 6. O-O a6 What should white do then? Seems like either pieces will be traded or the position will be closed. May-29-05    acirce: People should get rid of the primitive prejudice that a queen exchange automatically makes the position less likely to win. The position after <4. d4 Nxe4 5. dxe5 d5 6. Nd4 Bd7> is considered unproblematic for Black while the main line Berlin does give White an edge although not easy to exploit. 4.d4 *is* an interesting way to avoid the usual kind of games after 3..Nf6 though. Jul-26-05    Eric6312: There's a move in the Classical variation of this that is driving me nuts! After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nc6 4. 0-0 Bc5 5. c3 Nxe4 What is white's best move? Much to my frustration, the opening explorer ends one move too soon. Jul-26-05    e4Newman: <1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nc6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.c3 Nxe4> 6.d4 is the only move I know of. Look at white's f-pawn...double attacked! And, d4 is a strategic objective in KP games. Here it forks black's bishop and e-pawn. Although, white is left with an isolated QP after 6...exd4 7.cxd4, and black still has the extra pawn. Jul-26-05    e4Newman: <Eric6312:> After looking through my database, and that of chessgames.com, it appears you may need to try this one out. John Emms claims 5...Nxe4!? "...but no convincing refutation has been found." He claims the initiative gained by 6.d4 is strong, but continues by suggesting the untested 6.Qe2!? Bxf2+! 7.Kh1! (7.Rxf2 Nxf2 8.Kxf2 f6) d5 8.c4!? 0-0 9.cxd5 Nd4 10.Qxe4 (not 10.Nxd4 Qh4!) Bf5 11.Qxe5 f6 12.Qf4 g5 13.Nxd4 gxf4 14.Nxf5 Bb6 15.d4 I think he may have been drunk. Jul-27-05    Eric6312: Thanks Newman! I don't know if I trust Qe2. Isn't it interesting that no convincing refutation has been found to what seems to be such a natural move? I usually go with d4 here, but after the exchange, your right, White has an IQP, is one pawn down, and doesn't really have any compensation. Maybe instead of 5. c3 White should play either 5. Nc3 and go into the 4Knights or play 5. Nxe5 with the d4 fork to follow. Since 5. c3 seems to be the advice most give, I really wish I had an answer to 5...Nxe4! Jul-29-05    Holden: <1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nc6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.c3 Nxe4> 6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 and black can save the knight but there are plenty of ways for black to lose. White's still down a pawn though. Jul-29-05    Eric6312: Yes Holden! I think 7. Re1 is the key I missed. Thanks! Jul-31-05    who: <Eric6312> see Alekhine vs Desai RE, 1933 Jul-31-05    who: <e4Newman> Fritz gives 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.c3 Nxe4 6.Qe2 Bxf2+ 7.Kh1 d5 8.d3 Ng3+ 9.hxg3 Bxg3 as better for white. After 6.Qe2!? Bxf2+! 7.Kh1! (7.Rxf2 Nxf2 8.Kxf2 f6) d5 8.c4!? it suggests 8...Bb6 as about equal. After 8...0-0 9.cxd5 it suggest 9...Ng3. After that Fritz is o.k. with all the moves played and gives the final position an evaluation of 2.32 Nov-14-05    Kriegspiel: <acirce> I went looking for the C65 game(s) your Kramnik quote refers to, and couldn't find any in the database. Turns out they are misclassified C67. For example, see: Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000 Kriegspiel Feb-04-06    hamworld: here's a game of mine is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Rd1+ Ke8 equal? Feb-04-06    tpstar: <hamworld> Yes, that line seems very even for both sides, although White has a slim edge statistically = Opening Explorer Note the Kasparov-Kramnik games in London, 2000 went 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. b3 h6 for Game 1 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000 & Game 3 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000, then 9. Nc3 h6 10. Rd1+ Ke8 for Game 9 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000, then 9. Nc3 h6 10. h3 Ke8 for Game 13 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000 Apr-03-06    Gypsy: <hamworld> Here is what Bronstein thinks about the position: Pilnik vs Bronstein, 1956 Apr-03-06    refutor: i'm surprised kasparov didn't try 9.Rd1+ v. kramnik...j.polgar has played 9.Rd1+ over the years Jul-29-06    Ness: Lets say 4. O-O Bc5 how should white continue? Sep-28-06    ongyj: After years of my previous post on this page I'm back again! I'd like to seek opinion of everyone on this continuation of the Berlin Wall defence. 4.d3 Bc5(Pretending Black's e pawn falls but in reality it doesn't. If I don't remember wrongly I think Topalov used it against Anand in the tournament he was crowned? Or was it the other way round?) 5.c3 d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ and Now White can "play safe with 8.Bd2" or try the interesting looking 8.Kf1!? All criticisms greatly appreciated. Oct-03-06    keypusher: Is cg.com trying to give Topalov and Kramnik a hint by picking this for OOTD? Jan-11-07    Bobak Zahmat: <keypusher> Like expected Topalov didn't test Kramnik's Berlin Wall, because that would be just a waste of time. Feb-13-07    druby: Maybe kasparov should have tried the nimzo larsen attack. Jul-27-07    melianis: Looking at the statistics of the opening (closed berlin (Bc5)), it seems like <10.Nbd2 is a very good move. Jump directly to page #    (enter number from 1 to 3) < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing >

NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community! If you already have an account, you should login now.

Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts. No personal attacks against other users. Nothing in violation of United States law. See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator. NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific opening and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.