42. Steinitz: the e5 Push against the Weak Pawns
By giving up the centre with 4...exd4, Black gets free play but concedes space. After 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Qf3 White pushes 10.e5: it attacks the f6-knight and opens the queen's diagonal against the weak c6 pawn.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.O-O Be7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Qf3 O-O 10.e5
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...d6 – The Steinitz Defence: Black supports e5 with a pawn. It is solid, but it shuts in the f8-bishop and frees the a4-e8 diagonal: now the c6-knight is pinned to the king.
- 4.d4 – Attacks e5 exploiting the pin: the c6-knight cannot freely defend e5 and the d5 push becomes a threat.
- 4...exd4 – Black gives up the centre at once: it frees its pieces but leaves White more space and control of d4.
- 5.Nxd4 – The knight recaptures and centralises. The c6-knight is still pinned by the b5-bishop.
- 5...Bd7 – After 5.Nxd4 the bishop goes to d7: it releases the pin on the c6-knight, so White cannot win it with Nxc6.
- 6.Nc3 – With one knight already on d4, the other knight develops to c3 and protects e4 before Black attacks it with ...Nf6.
- 6...Nf6 – Black develops the knight and attacks e4, protected by the c3-knight: it prepares ...Be7 and castling.
- 7.O-O – White castles: e4 is defended by the c3-knight.
- 7...Be7 – Black develops the bishop and prepares castling.
- 8.Bxc6 – White exchanges on c6 to leave Black with weak pawns on the queenside.
- 8...bxc6 – Recaptures with the b-pawn: Black now has the a7, c7 and c6 pawns isolated or doubled.
- 9.Qf3 – The queen defends e4 and gets ready for the e5 push: after e5 the f3-c6 diagonal will open against the c6 pawn.
- 9...O-O – Black castles without noticing the danger: now the e5 push will attack the f6-knight and open the diagonal of the f3-queen towards c6.
- 10.e5 – The push attacks the f6-knight and opens the queen's diagonal towards c6, also attacked by the d4-knight. Black must solve two problems at once.
How to exploit the position
The e5 push creates two threats: on the f6-knight and on the c6 pawn. The trap works if Black saves only the knight; as Black you avoid it by not giving up the centre so early or by answering e5 precisely.
- If Black retreats the knight, take on c6 with the knight or the queen.
- After 10...dxe5 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Qxc6 material is level, but Black's a7, c7 and e5 pawns are isolated.
- In the endgame attack those pawns with Rd1, Be3 and the knight heading for c5 or d5.
Master tips
The e5 push
After 9.Qf3 O-O the push 10.e5 attacks the f6-knight and opens the f3-c6 diagonal.