Nowadays, the vast majority of tournament level amateur players answer 1.e4 with the Sicilian, while a few others (who like combative chess) go for the French Defense. Then comes the Caro-Kann, which has been given the stamp of approval by players like Karpov, Anand, and (more recently) Topalov. The rest go for super sharp (but riskier) openings like the Pirc, Alekhine’s Defense, and the Center Counter. Did you notice the absence of 1…e5? While grandmasters still show their respect for 1…e5, most amateur’s avoid it because other openings (excepting the Sicilian) are, quite simply, easier to learn.
Those that toy with playing the Ruy Lopez for Black often get scared away when they realize that they also need to be ready for the Giuoco Piano, the Vienna Game, the King’s Gambit, the Bishop’s Opening, the Four Knights, etc. It does sound daunting! However, those openings can often be tamed by just a little study (Mihail Marin’s wonderful BEATING THE OPEN GAMES gives convincing answers to all the non-Lopez lines that can be thrown at you. You can see my review of that book HERE.), which then leaves them with the real job of learning how to play the black side of the Ruy.
But, why play the Ruy in the first place? It doesn’t shock and awe like Alekhine’s Defense or the Center Counter. However, unlike these popular amateur choices, the Lopez is 100% sound while the others are … I’ll be kind and use the word “problematic”. The Pirc? It’s actually quite hard to master, and takes a lot of skill to avoid being smashed by white’s advantage in space. The Caro-Kann wins by force for Black (John Watson, the famous French Defense guru, is well aware of this, but he’ll never admit it), but nobody is listening. And the Sicilian and French are very sharp openings that require a lot of theoretical knowledge – even then, you will always be walking on a razor’s edge.
The Ruy Lopez, in comparison with all of these other openings, offers a solid position, tremendous flexibility, and many lines are more conducive to understanding than to brute force memorization. In fact, the Ruy Lopez for Black can easily turn into a lifelong romance offering an opening partner that will rarely let you down (you may let it down, but the Lopez will still be waiting when your guilt fades and you once again return to it).
The last couple years have seen some excellent books come out that recommend the Ruy Lopez for Black:
A SPANISH REPERTOIRE FOR BLACK by Mihail Marin is fantastic, and teaches you the ins and outs of a few very solid positional systems. You can see my review of that book HERE.
PLAY THE RUY LOPEZ by Andrew Greet is a 376-page tome on the whole Ruy Lopez, and is thus an excellent reference source if you play either side of this opening. You can see my review of that book HERE.
THE RUY LOPEZ: A GUIDE FOR BLACK by Sverre Johnsen and Leif Johannessen recommends the hyper-aggressive Zaitsev Variation. My review of that book is HERE.
And this leads us into the subject of this review, Grandmaster Pavlovic’s FIGHTING THE RUY LOPEZ. One would think that it’s facing some serious competition with the books I’ve just listed, but this new Lopez effort gives us something the others didn’t: it’s a repertoire book from black’s perspective that recommends the reader take up the Marshall Gambit! And this is what I meant by my earlier comment about flexibility – the black side of the Lopez offers hyper-solid lines, systems that blend solidity with a tad more aggression, monster theory systems like the Zaitsev which skate on the abyss but offer many rewards for those willing to embrace the risks, and now the Marshall Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6), which mixes a brutal kingside attack (that’s right, you will be going after his King with the black pieces!) with a sound positional foundation.
Pavlovic has successfully played the Marshall for decades, so he knows what he’s talking about (this personal experience allows him to share various move order nuances with the reader). Since he’s trying to make you a believer (and it’s hard not to believe in a system that has given Black quick knockouts of Anand and Kramnik!), he discusses the nature of black’s compensation for the sacrificed pawn, showing you how the attack often sweeps White away, but also how pawn down endgames have proven surprisingly safe for Black. Up to the moment theory follows, which supplies you with everything you need to be a master of this exciting line.
White, of course, can avoid the Marshall. Not wanting to leave you high and dry, Pavlovic also tells you what to do against every attempt to avoid the Marshall. He gives chapters on:
Declining the Marshall
The 8.h3 Anti-Marshall
The 8.a4 Anti-Marshall
The 8.d4 Anti-Marshall
The Steinitz Variation: 8.d3
The Worral Attack
The Delayed Exchange Variation
Early d4 and Nc3 Variations
The Exchange Variation
Pavlovic writes well, offers detailed analysis in all lines, and also gives a lot of explanations concerning basic plans and ideas.
The Ruy Lopez for Black is an old, time-tested system, and it’s a great choice for beginners looking for a solid opening to get them through their early years, and that can hold its own as they progress up the rating ladder. However, players under 1800 should go with the more positional lines, which are easy to learn and both safe and instructive. Lines like the Zaitsev and the Marshall demand serious tactical acumen and a thorough knowledge of recent theory – they should be avoided by players that haven’t reached the “A” level yet. But, if you have reached “A” level and above, then the Marshall Attack (and this excellent book) will serve you well against players of virtually any strength.
FIGHTING THE RUY LOPEZ is a must buy for 1800+ players that play the Ruy Lopez as White (you don’t want guys that read this book to wipe you out, do you?), and it’s a “no-brainer must” if you want to take up the Marshall Attack.
