Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defense

Ruy Lopez: Closed

Definition

The “Closed” Ruy Lopez is the family of positions that arise after the moves

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1, followed, almost invariably, by …b5, …d6 and …O-O. Black postpones the early …d7–d5 pawn break that characterizes the “Open” Ruy Lopez, instead building a solid, flexible structure behind a strong e5–pawn. The Closed variation is catalogued in ECO as C84–C99.

Typical Move Order

One of the most common sequences is:

7. b5 8. Bb3 d6 9. c3 O-O 10. h3. The resulting tabiya can branch into several heavyweight systems.

Main Branches

• Chigorin (9…Na5), favoured by Steinitz and later Karpov.
• Breyer (9…Nb8), modernised by Breyer and a staple of Kramnik’s repertoire.
• Zaitsev (9…Bb7 10.d4 Re8), used by Karpov as a deadly counter-punching line.
• Karpov (9…Nd7), sometimes called the “Smyslov–Karpov” system.
• Neo-Arkhangelsk (8…Bb7), a sharp branch incorporating an early bishop fianchetto.

Strategic Themes

• Long-term tension. White pressures e5 and the queenside; Black relies on a solid centre and latent piece activity.
• Minor-piece manoeuvring. Knights re-route (Nb1–d2–f1–g3, Nb8–d7–f8–g6) while bishops probe diagonally for many moves before tangible contact is made.
• Pawn structure. The locked centre (pawns on e4/e5, d3/d6) leads to slow plans: c3–d4 breaks, queenside expansion with a4 by White; …c5 or …d5 breaks by Black.
• End-game prospects. Many lines liquidate into bishop-vs-knight or rook-and-minor-piece endings where a single tempo can be decisive.

Historical Significance

The Closed Ruy Lopez has been at the heart of world-championship chess for more than a century:

• Lasker–Tarrasch, 1908: an early, classical treatment.
• Fischer–Spassky, Reykjavik 1972, Game 6: Fischer uncorked a pristine positional masterpiece, shifting public opinion toward White’s chances.
• Kasparov–Karpov, 1984-1990: the Zaitsev and Chigorin systems dominated their titanic matches.
• Carlsen–Caruana, London 2018: several games revisited the 21^st-century, engine-honed Breyer.

Illustrative Mini-Game

The opening phase of Fischer–Spassky 1972 (Game 6) is a textbook example:

From the seemingly quiet position after 17…Nbd7, White slowly maneuvered, seized the centre with d4–d5, and won in 41 moves.

Interesting Facts

• Because so many grandmasters employ the Closed Ruy Lopez as their main Black weapon, elite players customarily keep novelties secret for years before unveiling them in world-title matches.
• The “Breyer knight” (Nb8-d7-b8) was initially ridiculed in the 1920s as wasting time; modern engines now praise its flexibility.
• Some databases contain more than 60,000 grandmaster games with the Closed Ruy Lopez—second only to the Sicilian Najdorf in theoretical volume.

Smyslov Defense (Ruy Lopez)

Definition

The Smyslov Defense is a sideline of the Ruy Lopez that appears after

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6.

Black immediately fianchettos the king-side bishop, aiming for rapid piece development and control of the dark squares, rather than the customary …a6 or …Nf6. ECO codes it as C60.

Strategic Ideas

• Dark-square grip. …Bg7 and …Nge7 target the d4-square; if White plays d2-d4 too early, Black can exchange in the centre and equalise.
• Flexible pawn structure. Because …a6 is deferred, Black retains the option of developing the queen’s knight to e7 or f6 depending on White’s setup.
• Transpositional opportunities. The line can transpose to King’s Indian–style structures, or even some Modern Defence themes.

Typical Continuations

1. 4. O-O Bg7 5. c3 Nge7 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 — White grabs space; Black counters in the centre.
2. 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Bg7 6. Re1 Nge7 — an open game where Black relies on piece activity.
3. 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 Nd5 — resembles an Anti-Marshall with colors reversed.

Historical Context

Named after the 7^th World Champion Vasily Smyslov, who experimented with the idea in the early 1950s. Although it never became his mainstay, his willingness to depart from the theoretical main lines inspired later generations to rejuvenate off-beat systems.

Sample Game

Smyslov demonstrated the line’s dynamic potential in the 1953 Candidates Tournament:

V. Smyslov – L. Szabó, Zurich 1953

Black liquidated the centre and steered the game into an equal, yet unbalanced middlegame—exactly the type of position Smyslov excelled in.

Modern Practice

Though rare at the very top, it appears as a surprise weapon:

• Anand – Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2013: Radjabov equalised comfortably and held the former World Champion to a draw.
• Dubov – Giri, Russian Championship 2020: Dubov’s sharp 4.d4 led to fireworks and ultimately a decisive attack for White, showing the line’s double-edged nature.

Interesting Facts

• The Smyslov Defense can also arise from the Sicilian move order 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6, confusing opening labels in many databases.
• Because the Spanish bishop is left unchallenged on b5, White retains the option of doubling Black’s f-pawns with Bxc6, a factor that often steers Black toward dynamic rather than purely positional solutions.
• Grandmaster Gata Kamsky used the line as a surprise in the 2014 U.S. Championship, scoring 1½/2 with Black.