Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation
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In chess, C68-C69 is the ECO code for the Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation chess opening. The game begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6. Black can take the bishop with either pawn. However, 4...dxc6 is almost always played on master level. Black has the bishop pair but a worse pawn structure, due to his doubled pawns on c6 and c7. In the Exchange Variation, arguably white aims to reach an endgame since he has the better pawn structure and pawn structure is arguably one of the most important factors in an endgame. White can attempt to reach an endgame by trading off pieces.
There are two ECO classifications for the Exchange Variation. C68 looks at 4...dxc6 and White's response of 5.d4 or 5.Nc3 to either of the captures. Note that black cannot capture the e5 pawn with 5.Nxe5 because of 5...Qd4, forking the knight and the pawn, thus regaining the material. Black has many responses to the popular 4...dxc6 5.0-0 (The Barengdt Variation, which Fischer played with great success with the white pieces). Now white is threatening to play 6. Nxe5 because when 6...Qd4, 7.Nf3, and if black tries to grab the pawn back with 7...Qxe4, 8.Re1 pins and wins the queen. C68 examines these responses to 5.0-0: 5...Qf6, 5...Qe7, 5...Bd6, 5...Bg4 or 5...Qd6 (all directly defending the e5 pawn, expect 5...Bg4, which indirectly directs the pawn by pinning the knight which was attacking the pawn). 5...Be6, 5...Be7, and 5...Ne7 are rare moves and are yet to become popular. The idea of these move are that if white tries to snatch the pawn now with 6.Nxe5, 6...Qxd4 7.Nf3 Qxe4 is playable, since the black's minor piece on e6 or e7 blocks the pin. C69 is concerned only with the continuation, 4...dxc6 5.0-0 f6 6.d4, with Black responding 6...exd4 or 6.Bg4.
Arguably, the most agressive move against the Barengdt Variation is 5...Bg4. After 6.h3, black has a few possibilities such as 6...Bh5 or 6...Bxf3, but the most modern and active variation is 6...h5. White cannot take the bishop with 7.hxg4 because black plays 7...hxg4, attacking the knight. When the knight moves, 8...Qh4 is a decisive move, threatening checkmate with 8...Qh2# or 8...Qh1#. After 8...Qh4, if white tries 9.h3, trying to run to f2 after a queen check, black simply replies 9...g3, and white has no way to defend checkmate on the next move.
After 6...h5, white should not take the bishop. The most common continuation is 7.d3 Qf6 8.Nbd2 Ne7 9.Re1 Ng6 and now an interesting line: 10.hxg4?!. This move looks terrible at first sight, as explained earlier, but here this move is playable indeed. After 10...hxg4, 11.g3! offering back the piece (white should not try to hold onto the knight, as it would be similar to the position after 7.hxg4?? hxg4). After 11.g3 gxf3 12.Qxf3, white is safe from danger and has a better pawn structure in the middle game/end game. Pawn structure is arguably one of the most important factors in an endgame.
A move that was popular amongst masters during Fischer's reign and is still popular today is 5...f6. White's most active and modern approach to this defense is 6.d4, after which black had two options, 6...Bg4 and 6...exd4. 6...Bg4 can be met also by two options: 7.dxe5 and 7.c3. On 7.dxe5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 fxe5, white cannot take the e5 pawn with the knight because the knight is pinned by the bishop. However, multiple trades have happened, making the position closer to an endgame, which white wants because black has a worse pawn structure.
The second move against 5...f6 6.d4 is 6...exd4. White should play 7.Qxd4, offering a trade of queens which black arguably should trade or else he is clearly worse. After 7...Qxd4 8.Nd4 c5 9.Nb3 (9.Ne2 is another line; however Fischer often preferred 9.Nb3) and white will develop freely by developing their bishop to e3, their b1 knight to c3 or d2 depending on the position and bringing one of their rooks to d1, usually the rook on f1.
5...Qd6 is very similar to 5...f6. White will play 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nb3 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 reaching a position basically with white achieving an extra tempo of the rook on d1. Also, blacks pawn is now on f7, not f6.
The other main move in the Barengdt Variation is 5...Bd6. White again goes 6.d4, where black can play either 6...exd4 or 6...Bg4.
6...exd4 is arguably not the best move. White captures the pawn back with 7.Qxd4 and stands clearly better. An example of arguably, a massacre where black is on the losing side is as follows: 7... f6 8.Nc3 Bg4? 9.e5! attacking the g4 bishop with the queen and the d6 bishop with the pawn. Black fought back with 9...Bxf3, but white played 9.exd6 and black cannot capture the pawn because their bishop on f3 is hanging. Black played 9...Bh5 10.Re1+ Kf8 11.Qc5, attacking the bishop on h5 while threatening dxc7 discovered check, winning the queen. Black played a few more moves until resignation.
6...Bg4 is arguably the better move in this line. White has a couple of possible moves, but arguably the best line is 7.dxe5 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Bxe5. Numerous trades have occured, so white is arguably satisfied.
