Closed, Breyer Defense
- 1.e4e5
- 2.Nf3Nc6
- 3.Bb5a6
- 4.Ba4Nf6
- 5.O-OBe7
- 6.Re1b5
- 7.Bb3d6
- 8.c3O-O
- 9.h3Nb8
787 games
Closed Ruy Lopez line in which Black retreats 9...Nb8 to reroute the knight to d7, a solid strategic defense popularized by Boris Spassky.
Train it in TheoriaAbout the Breyer Defense
The Breyer Defense, or Breyer Variation, answers 9. h3 by returning the knight to b8. Black spends two tempi to reroute it to d7, where it supports e5, frees the c-pawn and leaves b7 for the bishop. Gyula Breyer recommended it in 1911, and Boris Spassky made it popular in the 1960s. White almost always replies 10. d4, while 10. d3 is the Quiet Variation. Engines give White a slight edge.