12. Zaitsev Variation (9...Bb7 10.d4 Re8)
The Zaitsev Variation immediately places the bishop on b7 to create burning pressure on e4, followed by ...Re8 and ...Bf8. White manoeuvres with a4 and Nbd2 to keep control.
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 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 h6
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...Bb7 – The Zaitsev Variation: the bishop goes straight to b7 and prepares ...Re8 and ...Bf8, with strong pressure on e4. Black exploits the fact that White cannot easily bring the knight to f1.
- 10.d4 – White occupies the centre with d4. Now e4 is under the eye of the b7-bishop and White will have to protect it carefully.
- 10...Re8 – The rook supports e5 and prepares ...Bf8. After a possible ...exd4 the e-file would increase the pressure on e4.
- 11.Nbd2 – Develops the knight and defends e4. In the Zaitsev this knight cannot easily go to f1, because e4 would stay weak.
- 11...Bf8 – The bishop returns to f8: it protects the king and leaves the e-file to the rook, which now presses on e4 together with the b7-bishop.
- 12.a4 – White seeks play on the queenside: a4 attacks b5 and threatens to open the a-file. It is the typical plan when the d2-knight must stay to defend e4.
- 12...h6 – Prophylaxis: it takes the g5 square away from the f3-knight and the c1-bishop. Without ...h6 White could play Ng5, which hits f7 together with the b3-bishop.
How to exploit the position
Tense fight in the centre: Black presses on e4 with the b7-bishop, the e8-rook and the f6-knight; White has space and the a4 lever against b5.
- Play Bc2 to reinforce e4 and keep the bishop safe from the ...Na5 threat.
- If Black exchanges ...exd4, recapture with cxd4 and consider d5 to close the diagonal of the b7-bishop and chase the c6-knight.
- After d5 the a1-rook can come into play along the third rank with Ra3.
- Use the a-file: axb5 axb5 and a rook exchange, then the queen or the knight arrive on the queenside.
Master tips
Controlling the tension on e4
In the Zaitsev the e4 point is constantly under attack. Defend it with Bc2 and Nbd2, and answer the pressure with a4, putting Black's b5 pawn in crisis.