Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...a6/4. Ba4/4...Nf6/5. O-O/5...Nxe4/6. d4/6...exd4

Riga variation C80 Morphy defence → Open Spanish → 6. d4 6...exd4 · Riga variation Black takes on d4 and is temporarily two pawns up, but there is a loose knight sitting on an open file leading straight to their king. This leads to a wellspring of tactics and sharp play for both sides. 7. Re1 pins the knight and threatens to win it. Black must defend it with 7...d5 or 7...f5, and though White is winning the position is very precarious and many natural continuations are blunders. The line to navigate through the pitfalls is 7...d5 8. Nxd4 (recovers a pawn) Bd6 9. Nxc6 (the natural 9. f3?? Qh4! is a massacre) Bxh2+ 10. Kh1only (10. Kxh2?? Qh4+ 11. Kg1 and Black has a perpetual check between ...Qf2+ and ...Qh4+) Qh4only 11. Rxe4+only (an exchange sacrifice. The tempting 11. Nd4+ leads nowhere, and defending f2 with 11. Be3 is insufficient.) dxe4 12. Qd8+only Qxd8 13. Nxd8+ Kxd8 14. Kxh2. 7. Nxd4?, recapturing immediately, lets Black off the hook, allowing them to trade the knights and simply be a pawn up. 7...Nxd4 8. Qxd4- and Black's knight on e4 has time to get to safety. 7. c3, the Göring-style move, is just getting silly. This is a mistake as it allows Black's knight to escape while only recovering, at best, one pawn. 7...Nc5! 8. cxd4 Nxa4 9. Qxa4, Black gave back one pawn and ran off with the other and the bishop pair. Even if 7...dxc3? 8. Nxc3? (again Re1 was better) Nxc3!-- White has traded off a pair of knights and is still two pawns down. Theory table References See also Ruy Lopez