It’s very active, forces white to play precisely immediately, avoids the long, maneuvering, positional battles of the Closed Variation. On the minus side black's King can be temporarily exposed in the center, and if he is not careful, black can be overwhelmed by white's faster development and tactical tricks in the center.
A couple of recent posts featured Bobby Fischer playing the Ruy Lopez, so maybe it’s time to take a look at the Open Variation, a favorite of Max Euwe. In this game, after a not very good opening innovation, Euwe found himself defending a lost position, but managed to dodge a bullet when his opponent misplayed it.
His opponent was English maser Francis Edward Kitto (1915-1964). Chess metrics estimates his highest rating to have been 2357 on 1940.
He was born in London, attended King's College in Cambridge and around 1937-38 he was considered a very promising player. His play was described by words like hair raising, brutal and savage.
Kitto was something of an oddball...he was a stocky figure with a ruddy complexion and dark curly hair, seemed unaffected by cold weather, rarely wore socks and never an overcoat.
After the war he became a psychologist who took in and looked after disturbed children. One writer described visiting Kitto's ramshackle home to find a hobo sitting in the hallway. Kitto was famous for arriving late for club team matches so he had to rush his play and almost always had to borrow a pencil to record his games which he never kept.
The game was played at Bournemouth on 1939. Because it was close to WWII the British Championship wasn’t held and many players were competing in the Buenos Aires Olympiad amd as a result Bournemouth was played instead.
[Event "Bournemouth"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1939.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Francis Kitto"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C83"]
[Annotator "Stockfoah 16"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[EventDate "1939.??.??"]
{C83: Open Ruy Lopez} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 {
The Open Defense gives black active piece play and prepares to activate pieces
quickly. It often leads to rapid development and, if white is not well
prepared, significant pressure. Black often ends up with a 3-2 Q-side Pawn
majority which can be an advantage in the ending. Statistically the results
are almost identical to the more common 5...Be7.} 6. d4 {This is white’s
main reply immediately challenging the center.} b5 {Black has two main
alternatives: 6... exd4 which often leads to a quick simplification or
tactical skirmish and 6...Be7 which leads to tension in the cemter. Statistics
don't show that there os much difference in the game's outcome.} 7. Bb3 d5 8.
dxe5 Be6 {This is rhe main line; black establishes a solid, active center. Any
other move is inferior.} 9. c3 Be7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Nbd2 Nxd2 {The more popular
11...Qd7 is a bit more drawish.} 12. Qxd2 Na5 13. Nd4 Qd7 {An innovation at
the time, but not a very good one. Today black has played 13...Nc4 and 13...Nc4
} 14. Bc2 $16 c5 15. Qd3 g6 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Bh6 Rf7 18. Rae1 Nc6 19. f4 Bf8
20. Bg5 Be7 21. Bh6 Bf8 22. Bg5 {Hoping Euwe will be satisfied with the draw.}
Ne7 {If Euwe wanted to avoid the draw he should have done so with 22...c4 with
equal chances. The text allows Kitto to build up a K-side attack.} (22... Be7 {
Drawn by threefoled repitition.} 23. Bh6 {Drawn by threefold repetition.}) 23.
g4 Re8 24. h4 d4 25. cxd4 c4 (25... cxd4 26. Bb3 {and the B is on a very
strong diagonal and after he plays h5 he would have a winning attack.}) 26. Qe4
h5 {This move fatally weakens his K-side and is an amazing lapse of judgment
on the part of the former world champion. His best defense was 26...Nc6, but
white would still have excellent attacking possibilities.} 27. gxh5 gxh5 28.
Bxe7 Qxe7 29. f5 {This looks better than it is. A much stronger plan would
have been to take action on the g-file.} (29. Re2 Rg7+ 30. Rg2 Qxh4 31. Rff2
Rd8 (31... Kh8 32. Rxg7 {mates on h7}) 32. Qh7+ Kf7 33. Rxg7+ Bxg7 34. Qg6+ Kf8
35. Bd1 {with a winning attack. For ezample...} Kg8 36. Qxe6+ Kh8 37. Qg6 Bf8
38. Bxh5) 29... Rg7+ {Suddenly black has fully equal chances.} 30. Kf2 {
Black has to tend to the threat of f6,} exf5 31. Qd5+ Kh8 {Now it is Kitto's
turn to misjudge the position. Apparently he believe he was still on the
attack and plays what is a losing move. He had to go on the defensive with 32.
Ke2 when the chances would remain equal. There is also a fancier way to
maintain equality, but it's too risky for practical play!} 32. Qf3 {[%mdl 8192]
} (32. Ke2 Qxh4 33. Rxf5 (33. Bxf5 Qg5 $11)) (32. Bxf5 Qxh4+ 33. Ke2 Rd8 34.
Rh1 (34. Qc6 Rg3 35. Be4 Qg5 {with complications that theoretically should
even out.}) 34... Qxe1+ 35. Kxe1 Bb4+ 36. Ke2 Rxd5 37. Rxh5+ Kg8 38. Be6+ Kf8
39. Bxd5 Rg4 {The ending with Bs of opposite color is likely to bre drawn.})
32... Qxh4+ {White's K is now subjecy to a winning attack.} 33. Ke2 Qxd4 34.
Rg1 (34. Qxh5+ Rh7 35. Qxe8 Rh2+ 36. Kf3 Rh3+ 37. Ke2 Re3+ {and mate follows.})
34... Rxe5+ {White resigned, It;s mate in 7 at the most. Kitto's sudden and
complete collapse was unfortunate.} (34... Rxe5+ 35. Be4 Rxe4+ 36. Qxe4 Qxe4+
37. Kd1 Rd7+ 38. Kc1 Bh6+ 39. Rg5 Bxg5+ 40. Re3 Bxe3#) 0-1
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