Ruy Lopez Opening: Berlin lHermet Variation
Ruy Lopez Opening
Definition
The Ruy Lopez (also called the Spanish Opening) arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. Named for the 16th-century Spanish priest and chess writer Ruy López de Segura, it is one of the oldest recorded chess openings and remains a staple of high-level play.
How It Is Used in Chess
- Classical “open-game” weapon. White immediately attacks the e5-pawn and increases kingside space, aiming for long-term pressure rather than quick tactics.
- Rich theory. Countless sub-variations—Berlin, Marshall, Chigorin, Zaitsev, etc.—allow players to steer the game toward sharp gambits or slow maneuvering endgames.
- Model of strategic play. Concepts such as the minority attack, the outpost on d5, and the “Spanish bishop” on b5 are repeatedly illustrated in Ruy Lopez middlegames.
Strategic & Historical Significance
Because it has been analyzed for centuries, the Ruy Lopez is considered a laboratory for positional chess. World champions from Steinitz to Carlsen have used it as their main 1. e4 weapon, and a majority of World Championship games beginning with 1. e4 e5 have transposed into a Ruy Lopez.
Example Game
Kasparov – Karpov, World Championship (Seville) 1987, Game 16 showed an archetypal Ruy Lopez struggle featuring the Chigorin Variation. Kasparov’s exchange sacrifice on c3 and eventual kingside attack are still cited in opening manuals.
Interesting Facts
- The move 3.Bb5 was once considered “unfashionable” in the 19th century because it does not threaten an immediate tactic. Steinitz and later Tarrasch rehabilitated it by demonstrating its positional power.
- Some of the first printed opening analyses in history (1561) already recommended 3.Bb5.
- Because of its deep theory, the Ruy Lopez has its own dedicated ECO codes: C60–C99.
Berlin Defense (Ruy Lopez)
Definition
The Berlin Defense begins after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. Black declines to protect the e5-pawn with 3…a6 or 3…d6 and instead counter-attacks the e4-pawn, offering an early queen exchange in many lines.
Usage & Typical Plans
- Solid structure. In the “Open” Berlin (4.O-O Nxe4), mass exchanges lead to an endgame where Black’s king walks to e8 or e7 and the bishop pair compensates for a damaged pawn structure.
- Flexible development. In quieter Anti-Berlin lines (4.d3, 4.Qe2, etc.) Black often plays …Bc5, …d6, and castles short, waiting to counter in the center.
- Minimal risk. The defense is prized for its resilience—dubbed the “Berlin Wall” since Vladimir Kramnik used it to neutralize Garry Kasparov in their 2000 World Championship match.
Historical Significance
Although analysed in the 19th century (hence the name, after Berlin masters such as Anderssen and von der Lasa), the line was considered inferior until Kramnik’s revival. Since 2000 it has been one of the most fashionable elite-level answers to 1.e4.
Example Position (Berlin Endgame)
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 the queens are gone, Black’s structure is shattered, but the bishop pair and safe king give full equality.
Interesting Facts
- Because both sides castle late or not at all, the Berlin often reaches endgames by move 10—very unusual for open games.
- In rapid chess, Magnus Carlsen has joked that choosing the Berlin is “an early invitation to the endgame we both know is coming.”
l’Hermet Variation (Berlin Defense)
Definition
The l’Hermet Variation is an Anti-Berlin line characterized by the quiet move 4.d3 in the Ruy Lopez Berlin: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4.d3. The name honors French amateur Pierre l’Hermet, who analyzed the idea in the early 20th century.
Main Line Move-Order
Typical continuation:
Strategic Ideas
- Avoiding the “Berlin Wall.” By not castling immediately, White sidesteps 4.O-O Nxe4 and keeps queens on the board.
- Slow, maneuvering battle. White reinforces the e4-point, prepares c3–d4, and often reroutes the b1-knight to g3 or c4.
- Flexible for both sides. Black can choose setups with …Bc5, …Be7, or …d5. The resulting positions resemble classical Italian Game structures.
Historical & Modern Relevance
Though long thought harmless, 4.d3 exploded in popularity in the 2010s as top grandmasters searched for playable alternatives to the well-mapped Berlin Endgame. Players like Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Hikaru Nakamura have adopted it repeatedly in elite events.
Illustrative Game
Carlsen vs. Nakamura, London Chess Classic 2015 featured 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 and evolved into a complex middlegame where Carlsen eventually converted a knight-versus-bishop endgame.
Interesting Tidbits
- Because of its “quiet” reputation, some grandmasters call 4.d3 the “Berlin Retreat,” yet statistics show White scoring slightly above average compared to the main Open Berlin.
- The ECO codes C65–C67 lump many Anti-Berlin systems together; databases often tag 4.d3 specifically as the “l’Hermet Variation.”
- Early manuals mis-spelled the name as “l’Hermitt” or “l’Hermite,” leading to confusion in older literature.