ecocodes
Volume C · Open games and the French Defense‹ C95C97 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · Black to move

C96 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense

C96 holds six named lines, all under the name Ruy Lopez. It leaves C97, a position of the same name, with 10.Bc2. At 19 plies, its reference line is the third-longest of the 40 Ruy Lopez codes. Both kings have castled by the end of the reference line, White on move 5 and Black on move 8. None of its six lines contains a capture.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4e5
2Nf3Nc6
3Bb5a6
4Ba4Nf6
5O-OBe7
6Re1b5
7Bb3d6
8c3O-O
9h3Na5
10Bc2

The move that completes C96

The reference line of C98 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C96 is the position reached at 10.Bc2.

  1. 10.Bc2 The bishop goes from b3 to c2.

Lines filed under C96

All six share their first 19 plies, the whole reference line and then split three ways at Black’s move 10.

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense(the shared start itself)19both castled
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense10...c520both castled
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Gajewski Gambit10...d520both castled
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Borisenko Variation10...c5 11.d4 Nc622both castled
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Keres Defense10...c5 11.d4 Nd722both castled
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Rossolimo Defense10...c6 11.d4 Qc722both castled

The road to C96

  1. 1.e4 … 8...O-Oten earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44, C60, C70, C78, C84, C88, C90
  2. 9.h3C92 Closed
  3. 9...Na5C97 Chigorin Defense
  4. 10.Bc2C96

The position after 10.Bc2

White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on c2; Black the knight on a5, knight on f6 and bishop on e7. Black could capture with Bxh3, Nxe4. Black is to move and has 30 legal moves.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3939Minor pieces developed23Moves spent on pawns34Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e511Squares attacked in the other half48castled kingside, move 5castled kingside, move 8

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
C92Ruy Lopez: Closedfour squares: c2, b3, a5, c6
C94Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defensefour squares: c2, b3, a5, b8
C90Ruy Lopez: Closedsix squares: c2, h2, b3, h3, a5, c6
C93Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defensesix squares: c2, b3, a5, c6, h6, h7
C95Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyersix squares: c2, d2, b3, d4, a5, b8
C99Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Panov Systemsix squares: b1, d2, c3, d4, c7, d8
C89Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attackeight squares: c2, h2, b3, h3, a5, d5, c6, d6

Where lines continue from here

Five named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 10.Bc2. They belong to C97, C98, C99.

Volume C

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
  9. 08
  10. 09
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. 93
  95. 94
  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99

Open this line in the finderAll Ruy Lopez codes