I agree with Phobetor. This is a good defense, and I will try to start using it immediately.

Well game to analise

Phobetor,
Thanks for the detailed response!

Adam, the reason the elite plays d4 is because that's where they get the best results. It doesn't mean d4 is better for white, and it doesn't even mean that d4 is better than Re1. It just means that currently, the elite thinks d4 is better.

"atomic chicken: well if D4 leads into the berlin wall I do not see why experts would say it leads into a better position for white?"

Well they do. Since I haven't studied the Ruy Lopez too much I can't really comment on why they say that.

atomic chicken: well if D4 leads into the berlin wall I do not see why experts would say it leads into a better position for white?

@ HeavyE: That's a very sensible comment you make. White is far with his development, while black has moved his king, and moved his knight 5 times and will most his knight a 6th time soon! GM Nigel Short said about 9... Ne7 "A move which conforms to no recognized chess principle".

However, there is quite alot to balance the slow development and the worse pawn structure:

• Black has the bishop pair in an open position
• White would much rather have his e-pawn at e4, from where it would control f5 and d5. On e5 it's more lilely to be a weakness than a strength, and black can use the f5 and d5 squares for his pieces.
• The doubled c-pawns often help black. Together they cover most of the d- and b-files. After 10. Rd1+ Ke8 for example, white cannot play 11. Nb5, because the c6-pawn covers it, nor can white play Ne4-d6, because the c7-pawn covers it.
• White has no light-squared bishop. This is important, because after a (plausible) black setup with a7-a5, b7-b6, c6-c5, Kd8-c8-b7, white cannot exploit the holes in black's queenside. If white had a light-squared bishop, he could put it on the h1-a8 diagonal, disrupting black's development.
• The black king is stuck in the center, but this can also be helpful. When pieces (rooks) are exchanged, the black king can quickly go to e7 and e6, helping attacking the e5-pawn.

Let me give the game from the introduction of the Berlin Wall book, highlighting most of these things. In the position below, we see that black has an active king rather than a stuck-in-the-center-king, white has a passive bishop on b2 defending the e-pawn, white has a strong light-squared bishop, and because white does not have a king on the queenside, the simple Bf5-c2 is a real threat. Also because white has no doubled c-pawns, 21. Rc1 does not work because black can just play Rd3 (unlike white, who can never play Rd6).

I don't follow the logic in this opening. By 9... Ne7 it seems to me like black has made almost no progress (and has lost the ability to castle) whereas white has a pawn at e5, both Knights in play and a Rook that can easily lay claim to the open d file.
It may just be that this opening is way to complex for my level of experience, but any input would be greatly appreciated.

@ rduncalfe: In reflection to the match, Kasparov said that going into the Berlin Wall variation so often was a bad move. Obviously Kramnik was well prepared in that variation, and Kasparov couldn't make progress. The reason he did play the same opening in 5 games however was just because he thought the Berlin Wall was not sound. He thought that it should be winnable for white, and he kept trying to show this, but without success.

I have to agree with Scarblac's warning; for any opening that only "begins" at move 10 or so (Berlin Wall, Marshall Attack, Najdorf Poisoned Pawn, Scotch Mieses variation etc.) it's not advisable for players of a lower level to start playing the opening. It has nothing to do with your strength or that the opening is hard to play, but given your opponents are also weaker, the chances you'll get to play the Berlin Wall are really small. You'll reach a sideline in 90% of your games.

if i play white i would rather play Nc3 first before castling,, simple avoiding that Berlin Wall... and white has a lot of chances... (ow really?)

Thanks for the info. Good work.

I think amateurs (say, below 1800 or so) who read this and buy the book planning to play this opening will be disappointed. White players of that level will avoid the Berlin Wall main line almost every time. 4.d3, 4.Nc3, 5.Re1, all the other Open Games... Those lines are fine for Black of course, but the book won't help you with them.

I would try out the opening a few times first to see what people actually play before I'd buy the book.

okay

If Kasparov wasn't able to "crack" the Berlin wall for 5 games when he was white, it really begs the question -- why didn't he try another opening other than Ruy Lopez?!!!

good game though!

you should have fliped the board. since black wins.

Well played game and a great opening. I'll have to learn it.

Anyone want to try playing it ?

http://www.chess.com/tournament/my-1st-theme-tournament---the-berlin-wall

:)

A very nice game!