1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 h6 opens the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defense, ECO C93. With 75,318 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Ruy Lopez: Closed (9.h3). On the White side, Bruno Parma (20 games), Vlastimil Jansa (15 games), Mikhail Tal (13 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Svetozar Gligoric (56 games), Efim Geller (30 games), Aleksandar Matanovic (25 games).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. At 1200 Elo (1,608 games), the top reply is d4, played 89.3% of the time. No other move reaches 5% of games, and the top three moves account for 97% of games. Entropy: 0.71. By 2500 (782 games), d4 dominates at 94.2% of replies; no other move reaches 5% and the top three moves account for 99.7% of games. Entropy drops to 0.39.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Playing without a plan — Each Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defense middlegame demands a specific approach. Decide whether the position calls for attack, manoeuvre, or simplification before reaching for a move.
Practice on Chessiverse
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