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Berlin Defence

The "Berlin Wall": Black trades queens early and reaches a solid endgame with the bishop pair. Kramnik used it to beat Kasparov in their 2000 World Championship match.

Advanced · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 18 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Berlin Defence (C67). You play Black. The "Berlin Wall": Black trades queens early and reaches a solid endgame with the bishop pair. Kramnik used it to beat Kasparov in their 2000 World Championship match.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bb5

White plays bishop to b5. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 58% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 16% of 166k games.

Step 8

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 56% of 27k games.

Step 9

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nxe4

Black plays knight takes e4. It captures the pawn on e4. It takes a centre square (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 87% of 15k games.

Step 10

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 65% of 13k games.

Step 11

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nd6

Black plays knight to d6. It controls the centre (e4). It attacks the bishop on b5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 91% of 8624 games.

Step 12

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Bxc6

White plays bishop takes c6. It captures the knight on c6. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It pins the pawn on d7. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 74% of 7810 games.

Step 13

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...dxc6

Black plays pawn takes c6. It captures the bishop on c6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 5814 games.

Step 14

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.dxe5

White plays pawn takes e5. It captures the pawn on e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It gains space. It attacks the knight on d6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 5717 games.

Step 15

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...Nf5

Black plays knight to f5. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 5741 games.

Step 16

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.Qxd8+

White plays queen takes d8. It captures the queen on d8. It controls the centre (d4, d5). It pins the pawn on c7. It gives check. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 5499 games.

Step 17

♚︎♜︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...Kxd8

Black plays king takes d8. It captures the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 5426 games.

Step 18

♚︎♜︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Berlin Defence. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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