Theoria
8765432abcdefgh1

Ruy Lopez

Open, Riga Variation

C80tacticaloffbeat

  1. 1.e4e5
  2. 2.Nf3Nc6
  3. 3.Bb5a6
  4. 4.Ba4Nf6
  5. 5.O-ONxe4
  6. 6.d4exd4
500 games56%12%32%

A dubious Open Ruy Lopez line in which Black captures on d4 and is briefly two pawns up, inviting sharp tactics along the open e-file.

Train it in Theoria

About the Riga Variation

The Riga Variation replaces the usual 6...b5 with 6...exd4. Black is two pawns up for the moment, but the e4-knight stands exposed on the open e-file. The overwhelmingly common 7. Re1 pins it. The main line 7...d5 8. Nxd4 Bd6 9. Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10. Kh1 Qh4 11. Rxe4+ dxe4 12. Qd8+ Qxd8 13. Nxd8+ Kxd8 14. Kxh2 reaches an endgame regarded as better for White, as in Capablanca–Lasker, New York 1915. The natural 10. Kxh2 instead allows a perpetual check.

Popular continuations