13. Chigorin Variation (9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5)
The Chigorin is one of the most battle-tested defences in history. Black moves the knight to a5 to chase the bishop and push ...c5, conquering space on the queenside.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4
Move by move
- 1.e4 – White takes the centre and opens the diagonals for the queen and the f1-bishop. In the Ruy Lopez this pawn will often be at the heart of the fight: Black will attack it with ...Nf6 and, in the Open Variation, will even capture it with ...Nxe4.
- 1...e5 – Black answers symmetrically: it contests d4 and f4, prevents e4-e5 and frees the f8-bishop. From here White will build the whole Ruy Lopez on pressure against this pawn.
- 2.Nf3 – Develops the knight with a direct attack on the e5 pawn, which now has to be defended. The knight also prepares kingside castling and supports a future d2-d4 push.
- 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing a piece and controlling d4. This very knight, the only defender of e5, will be the target of White's next move.
- 3.Bb5 – The Ruy Lopez: the bishop attacks the c6-knight, the defender of e5. There is no immediate threat yet (Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 Qd4 regains the pawn), but the pressure on c6 will last throughout the opening.
- 3...a6 – Morphy's move: it asks the bishop to decide right away. After 4.Ba4 Black can break the pin with ...b5 whenever it likes; after 4.Bxc6 it gets the bishop pair.
- 4.Ba4 – The bishop retreats but keeps the pressure on c6: the threat of Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 will come back once White has castled. Black can break the diagonal with ...b5 whenever it wants.
- 4...Nf6 – Develops the knight attacking e4. This is the main move: it leads to the Closed Ruy Lopez with ...Be7 or to the Open Variation with ...Nxe4.
- 5.O-O – Castles without defending e4: if Black takes it with ...Nxe4, White regains it with Re1 or d4, exploiting the black king still in the centre.
- 5...Be7 – The Closed Ruy Lopez: Black does not take e4 and develops the bishop to castle. From e7 it protects the king and leaves the f6 square free for the knight.
- 6.Re1 – The rook defends e4. Now White really threatens Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5, because the recovery ...Qd4 no longer works with e4 protected.
- 6...b5 – Black drives the bishop away from a4 and solves the threat on c6. It gains space on the queenside, but the b5 pawn will become a target for a2-a4.
- 7.Bb3 – The bishop retreats to the a2-g8 diagonal, from where it aims at f7 and supports a future d4 push. It is the natural square in the Closed Ruy Lopez.
- 7...d6 – Supports e5 and opens the diagonal of the c8-bishop. Black chooses the classical Closed line and avoids the Marshall Attack, which arises from ...O-O followed by ...d5.
- 8.c3 – Prepares d4 with the support of a pawn, so that after ...exd4 White can recapture with cxd4. It also gives the bishop the retreat to c2 against ...Na5.
- 8...O-O – Black castles and completes the easy part of development. Now it has to choose a plan: Breyer, Zaitsev, Chigorin or other defences.
- 9.h3 – A typical prophylactic move of the Ruy Lopez: it prevents ...Bg4, which would pin the f3-knight and increase the pressure on d4. Now White can push d4 calmly.
- 9...Na5 – The Chigorin Variation: the knight attacks the b3-bishop and frees the c-pawn for ...c5. Black gains space on the queenside, but the knight on a5 moves away from the centre.
- 10.Bc2 – The bishop retreats to c2, the square prepared by c3. From here it defends e4 and aims along the b1-h7 diagonal towards the black king.
- 10...c5 – Black gains space on the queenside and presses on d4 before White pushes it. The a5-knight can return to c6 to increase the pressure.
- 11.d4 – White occupies the centre with d4, supported by c3 and the f3-knight. Now the tension between c5, d4 and e5 is the theme of the variation.
- 11...Qc7 – The queen defends c5, prepares ...Nc6 against d4 and goes to the c-file, which will open after ...cxd4. It does, however, face the c2-bishop.
- 12.Nbd2 – Develops the knight towards f1 and g3 and defends e4. White keeps the tension in the centre.
- 12...cxd4 – Black exchanges on d4 to open the c-file, where the c7-queen opposes the c2-bishop.
How to exploit the position
After 13.cxd4 White has a fine d4-e4 centre, Black the open c-file and an active queen. The a5-knight is far from the kingside.
- Recapture 13.cxd4: the pawn centre stays solid and d4 is defended by the f3-knight.
- Bring the d2-knight to b3: it attacks the a5-knight, controls c5 and supports d4.
- Move the bishop off the c-file with Bd3 or Bb1 and oppose a rook to the black queen with Rc1.
- With the black knight far away, prepare Nf1-g3 and an attack on the kingside.
Master tips
The black knight on a5 is far from the king
After 9...Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 the a5-knight is far from the kingside: White can use the time to improve its pieces.