Crazy Tactics in the Spanish Torture (aka Ruy Lopez)

Hola!  Today we are going to learn some seriously sneaky tactics in the Ruy Lopez opening.  The Ruy Lopez is sometimes called the Spanish Torture because there are so many different variations (hundreds!) and so many tactics!  The opening itself is 500 years old!  Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl) will show you one possible way your game could go.  Beware the Spanish Torture!

The Ruy Lopez always starts with the King's pawns and then Nf3 and Bb5.  After that, it's anyone's game!  (Here is a list of possible variations:  do you recognize anybody's name?)  

• • 3.1 Black defences other than 3...a6
    • Smyslov Defence
    • Cozio Defence
    • Bird's Defence
    • Steinitz Defence
    • Schliemann Defence
    • Classical Defence
    • Berlin Defence
  • 3.2 Morphy Defence 3...a6: alternatives to Closed Defence
    • Exchange Variation
    • Norwegian Defence
    • Variations combining 3...a6 and ...Bc5
    • Steinitz Defence Deferred
    • Schliemann Defence Deferred
    • Arkhangelsk Defence
    • Russian Defence
    • Open Defence
  • 3.3 Closed Defence 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7: alternatives to Main Line
    • Delayed Exchange Variation Deferred
    • Centre Attack
    • Worrall Attack
    • Averbakh Variation
    • Trajkovi? Variation
    • Marshall Attack
  • 3.4 Main Line: 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0
    • Pilnik Variation
    • Bogoljubow Variation
    • Chigorin Variation
    • Breyer Variation
    • Zaitsev Variation
    • Karpov Variation
    • Kholmov Variation
    •  Smyslov Variation
• 4 Uncommon Black third moves

So, as you can see, the variations are endless!  Let's get started with our Crazy Tactics.

Here is the opening where black plays Nxe4.  Black has just won a pawn.  But notice you are pinning the knight on c6.  What are you supposed to do to a pinned piece?

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's right!  You put pressure on the pinned piece with d5.  Black has only one way to try to trade pieces.  He plays a6, attacking your bishop on b5.  If you take the knight, he takes the bishop.  But you have better!  Play the moves below...where should your bishop go?

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's right!  When you retreat, you are now attacking the knight on e4!  Two attacks.  Black retreats the knight on e4 to f6, but of course you can take the knight on c6 with your pawn.  But wait:  BLACK HAS A TRICK ON YOU!    Do you see it?  (Hint:  look for a fork.)

 

 

 

 

What is the only way to stop this fork?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great!  Playing Re1 pins the pawn to the king so it can't take either piece!  Black plays d5 to guard the pawn.  White plays this weird looking move:  Be2.  Is she just giving up the knight on f3?  No!  It's a trick!  What happens next?  There are two possible ending to this torturous saga. 

 

 

 

Do you see a mate?

 

 

 

 

Possibility two is that white promotes!  Either option looks pretty good for white, wouldn't you say?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice work finding all those crazy tactics!  Hooray for the Spanish Game!