The Berlin Defence is the reply 3...Nf6 in the Ruy Lopez that turned modern theory upside down in 2000: Vladimir Kramnik used it in his match against Garry Kasparov and did not lose a single game. The main line leads to a queenless endgame in which Black cannot castle but gets a sturdy, near-impregnable position. That is exactly why it was nicknamed the Berlin Wall.
The dimmed moves are the rest of the main line, and the dots mark branching points. Click any move to jump to that position.
The thin arrow on the board shows the next move.
You can also play the move on the board: pick the piece up and put it on the square.
The starting position. Play the opening out move by move - at a branching point several continuations are available.
After 3...Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 a position arises in which the queens are already off and the black king sits on d8 without the right to castle.
It looks unpleasant, but the absence of queens is exactly the point: there is nothing left to attack the king in the centre with. In return Black has two bishops, and White has doubled kingside pawns that can become a weakness in the endgame.
The verdict on the position is roughly level, with minimal pressure from White. For Black that is an excellent deal: against a strong opponent, guaranteed solidity is worth more than abstract activity.
Today most players steer clear of the Berlin Wall and play 4.d3, the Anti-Berlin. White defends the e4 pawn, keeps the queens on and plays for slow positional pressure.
If you do go into the endgame, the plan is this: use the space advantage on the kingside, where Black has no pawn majority, and stop the opponent's bishops from opening up.
The main thing not to do is hurry. There are no forced routes to an advantage in the Berlin endgame, and any attempt to smash the wall down usually backfires.
In the endgame the first job is the king: it cannot castle and has to walk - usually to c7 or e8, from where it supports its own pieces.
The bishop pair is Black's main asset. The position has to be opened gradually so that they come alive, but only once the pieces are ready.
Against the Anti-Berlin 4.d3, play in Spanish style: develop, ...Bc5 or ...Be7, ...d6 and fight for the centre. There are no mass exchanges here and the game turns long and positional.
This is an opening for those who value reliability and are not put off by dry positions. If you like attacking from move one, the Berlin Wall will feel dull.
On the other hand it works splendidly against a stronger opponent: steering the game into an endgame where there is little left to spoil is a sensible strategy when the result matters more than the show.
There is one requirement: you have to understand endgames. The position after the queen trade does not win itself.
The typical set-ups this opening leads to - learn them, and the plan follows by itself.
The queens are off, and the black king sits on d8 without the right to castle. In return Black has two bishops, and White's kingside structure is damaged.
The most popular continuation today: White defends the e4 pawn, keeps the queens on, and avoids the endgame in which Black is too solid.
These are the main named variations. Click any one of them and it loads straight onto the board above, where you can play it out move by move. The trainer itself holds more lines than this: it also covers main-line continuations and transpositions that have no name of their own.
Black does not take the e4 pawn but develops quickly. The choice for those who dislike the endgame.
What to avoid, and what catches an unprepared opponent.
In the Berlin endgame the recapture 6...dxc6 is all but obligatory: it opens the way for the c8 bishop and the queen. Taking with the b-pawn leaves the bishop shut in and spoils the structure for nothing.
A mistake of understanding rather than of moves: Black takes fright at losing the right to castle and avoids the main line. But with the queens off, a king in the centre is no weakness - sometimes it is a useful piece.
Traps in other openings - the 12 most common opening traps.
The reply 3...Nf6 in the Ruy Lopez: instead of 3...a6, Black attacks the e4 pawn at once. The main line leads to a queenless endgame known as the Berlin Wall.
Because of how solid the position is after 8...Kxd8: the queens are off, there is nothing to attack with, and Black has no weaknesses either. The name stuck after the 2000 Kramnik-Kasparov match, in which Kasparov never managed to break through.
In a normal position it would be a serious concession, but here the queens are already off and there is nobody to organise an attack. The king simply walks to c7 or e8 by hand and in the endgame turns out to be a useful piece.
The 4.d3 system instead of 4.0-0. White defends the e4 pawn, avoids the queen trade and plays for slow positional pressure. Today it is the most popular way to meet the Berlin Defence.
Want the tactics that decide these positions? Start with the 12 most common opening traps and tactics for beginners. If you are just starting out, read the rules of chess and how to set up the board.
Приложение подсказывает порядок шагов и не даст запутаться: оно само знает, когда объявлять следующий тур и кто с кем играет. Создание турнира бесплатное.
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