Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...d6

Steinitz defence Spanish game C62 3...d6 · Steinitz defence 3...d6 is the Steinitz defence or Old Steinitz. This is a passive move, a very minor sideline in tournament play but common in amateur games.3...d6 is the 8th move, the continuation in <1% of games in the Lichess Masters database, and the 2nd move with 21% of games in the Lichess database. 3...d6 appears to defend the e5 pawn, but the pawn was not at risk (Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 is met by Qd4!, forking the knight and pawn). Black actually reduces their control of the centre as 3...d6 created a pin on their own knight. Black allows his light square Bishop to become active, but at the same time his dark square bishop is getting blocked, so there isn't much of any gain in development. 4. d4 is the most critical reply. White adds an attacker to e5 and threatens to win it. Black must either take the pawn first in trade, 4...exd4 5. Nxd4, or break the pin with 4...Bd7, so defending e5. In the latter continuation, Black may find themselves choosing between keeping the pawn protected and their development. 4. O-O, 4. Nc3, or 4. c3 are also playable, and usually White will follow with d4 anyway. History Wilhelm Steinitz (1836―1900) suggested this move equalised in his 1889 book of analysis.The Modern Chess Instructor Steinitz Wilhelm G. P. Putnam's Sons 1889 New York https://archive.org/details/modernchessinstr00steirich Nevertheless, we have come to the conclusion, after careful analysis, that this form of opening [the Spanish game] is no exception to the general rule, inasmuch as the pinning of the Knight by the Bishop in the early part of the game cannot be of any advantage; and we find now that at the utmost the game can be made even by White against the best defence, which we think is 3. . . . P—Q3 [3...d6]. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. c3 f5 5. d4 fxe4 6. Nxe5 dxe5 7. Qh5+ Ke7 8. Bg5+ Nf6 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. dxe5 Qd5 11. Bh4 Ba6 Steinitz's example line 4. c3 f5 5. d4 fxe4 6. Nxe5 dxe5 7. Qh5+ Ke7 8. Bg5+ Nf6 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. dxe5 Qd5 11. Bh4 Ba6--.ibid, "The Ruy Lopez" column 1. 1 right Steinitz's objected to 3...a6, Morphy's defence, generally, saying "On principle this ought to be disadvantageous, as it drives the B[ishop] where he wants to go." His specific objection to 3...a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 and 3. Nf6 (the Berlin defence) was that the knight on f6 prevented the pawn break ...f5. 3...d6 is therefore something of a waiting move to avoid playing ...Nf6. Steinitz chiefly analysed the continuation 4. c3 f5 5. d4 and found it preferable for Black (5. exf5 is an improvement). Steinitz did not fully appreciate 4. d4, today understood to be the most critical continuation. Steinitz mainly analysed 4...exd4 5. Qxd4 (which transposes into a Philidor sideline he examined, 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5) and thought it was better for Black. However, he only gives 4...exd4 5. Nxd4 as far as 5...Bd7 before saying it is even, whereas Stockfish evaluates the position at around +0.6. If Steinitz had not objected to 3...a6 in principle he might have found 3...a6 4. Ba4 d6 to be more robust, where the option of ...b5 defeats the threat of d4. This is known as the Modern Steinitz and is much more popular than 3...d6 today. The ...f5 pawn break is still played today but now more usually on move three, where it is called the Schliemann defence or Jaenisch gambit. Theory table . 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4 5 6 7 Steinitz Defence d4Bd7 Nc3exd4 Nxd4g6 Be3Bg7 += Steinitz Defence Bxc6+... Old Steinitz Defence d4Bd7 d5Nce7 Bxd7+Qxd7 0-00-0-0 a4+= References See also Ruy Lopez