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Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense (C63)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 f5

Number of games in database: 2696
Years covered: 1850 to 2023
Overall record:
   White wins 43.0%
   Black wins 28.0%
   Draws 29.0%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Heikki Westerinen  10 games
Michael Adams  10 games
Viswanathan Anand  8 games
Frank Marshall  37 games
Jozef Martin Boey  36 games
Harmen Jonkman  28 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Fischer vs Matulovic, 1970
A Brinckmann vs G Kieninger, 1932
V Liberzon vs A Geller, 1960
G Zeissl vs W Walthoffen, 1898
Bagirov vs Kholmov, 1961
Pillsbury vs Tarrasch, 1903
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 page 1 of 108; games 1-25 of 2,696  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Mohishunder vs Cochrane 0-1201850CalcuttaC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
2. Szen vs Falkbeer  1-0381852Vienna mC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
3. Staunton vs Loewenthal 1-0751853Casual seriesC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
4. Harrwitz vs Loewenthal 1-0291853Harrwitz - Loewenthal mC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
5. T Barnes vs Falkbeer 0-1261856Casual gameC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
6. Josef Kling / Francis Healey vs Ernst Falkbeer / James Hannah  0-1161858Consultation gameC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
7. Loewenthal vs Falkbeer  ½-½421858BirminghamC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
8. F Healey vs J Kling 1-0361859LondonC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
9. J Hannah vs Falkbeer 1-0291862B.C.A. Handicap tC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
10. P Duffy vs Steinitz 0-1331865Casual gameC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
11. De Vere vs Bird 1-0431869BCA-02.Challenge CupC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
12. C T Goering vs J Minckwitz 0-1191871LeipzigC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
13. Anderssen vs J Minckwitz 1-0501871WSB-09.KongressC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
14. Anderssen vs C T Goering 1-0261871WSB-09.KongressC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
15. A Stern vs J Minckwitz 1-0301871WiesbadenC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
16. Mephisto vs Burn 1-0111878Royal Aquarium ExhibitionC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
17. H Davidson vs Mackenzie 1-0331880PhiladelphiaC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
18. M Judd vs Mackenzie 1-0351881Judd - MackenzieC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
19. H Von Schuetz vs F Riemann 0-12818812nd DSB Congress, BerlinC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
20. J N Berger vs F Riemann 1-03518812nd DSB Congress, BerlinC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
21. M Judd vs Zukertort  ½-½581884Casual Game, St. LouisC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
22. H Voigt vs M Weiss 1-0251889PhiladelphiaC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
23. D G Baird vs E Delmar 1-04518896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
24. A Priester vs Blackburne 1-0321889Casual gameC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
25. Gossip vs Blackburne 0-1221890ManchesterC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
 page 1 of 108; games 1-25 of 2,696  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 6 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-30-07  e4Newman: nice research <simsim>

this opening's tricky for white. in my limited experience i once played 9.f4 Qxp 10.d4. pretty wild - double dizzle.

May-04-07  WarmasterKron: Opening of the day for this fine variation. My love affair with early f4/f5 pushes probably started with the Schliemann (though I've played the King's Gambit longer), but I've struggled with it recently.
May-22-07  Silverstrike: Here is a recent game I played with the Schliemann.

White: Robin Taylor
Black: Julius Schwartz
Event: Nairn vs Aberdeen Teachers (North East League Division 1) Date: 22/4/'07
Board: 4/4
White ELO: 1462
Black ELO: 1647

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.exf5 e4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.Bxc6 bxc6 7.Nd4 Qe5 8.Nb3 d5 9.d4 Qxf5 10.Be3 Qg6 11.f3 a5 12.fxe4 Ba6 13.Qf3 0-0-0 14.Qf5+ Qxf5 15.exf5 Re8 16.Kf2 Nf6 17.Kf3 g6 18.Nxa5 gxf5 19.Nxc6 Ng4 20.Ne5 Bd6 21.Bf4 Bxe5 22.Bxe5 Nxe5+ 23.dxe5 Rxe5 24.Na3 Rhe8 25.Rhc1 Re3+ 26.Kf2 Re2+ 27.Kg1 Rg8 28.g3 f4 29.c4 fxg3 30.hxg3 Rxg3+ 31.Kf1 Rxb2 32.Rc2 Bxc4+ 33.Nxc4 Rxc2 34.Ne5 h5 35.Resigns


click for larger view

My bishop on a6 was the main piece in the game, it didn't move for 20 moves but it effectively divided the board in half and forced white's king to remain on the kingside, where it could be attacked. 24...Rhe8 Was another key move, cementing my control of the e-file and enabling me to launch the final assault on white's king.

All comment and criticism is welcome.

Aug-19-07  Bob726: I think 4.d3 gives white a solid advangtage.
Nov-06-07  pawnofdoom: My favorite line of the Ruy Lopez other than the Marshall. The open lines have so much tactics and make the games really interesting and fun to watch
Aug-01-08  Silverstrike: A nice loss of mine in this opening

White: Andrew McClement (1283)
Black: Julius Schwartz (1647)

May the 27th 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d4 fxe4 5.Nxe5 Nxe5 6.dxe5 c6 7.Be2 Qa5+ 8.Nc3 Qxe5 9.0-0 d5 10.Re1 Bd6 11.g3 Qe7 12.Bf3 Bf5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qxd5 Qe6 15.Rxe4 Qxe4 16.Bxe4 Bxe4 17.Qxe4+ Kd7 18.Qxb7+ Resigns

Andrew was only around 11-12 at the time this game was played, at the moment he is around 13 and rated 1939.

Apr-30-09  FHBradley: Who's Schliemann and when did he play 3... f5?
Apr-30-09  nescio: <FHBradley: Who's Schliemann and when did he play 3... f5?>

He didn't. The move 3...f5 was analyzed by Jänisch and was also named after him (and still is in Europe as far as I know). Later the move was also mistakenly attributed to Schliemann, probably because of the game Max Lange vs A Schliemann, 1868 (3...Bc5 and 4...f5). Unfortunately the name Schliemann Defence seems to be popular in the English-speaking world.

Apr-30-09  FHBradley: <Nescio> Thanks. You confirmed my vague impression that we have here yet another instance of a wrong attribution.
Apr-30-09  Fanacas: In the netherlands its stil the Janisch gambit. But as far as i now it was already now schliemann defence even in laskers time becous in lasker's manual of chess its called the schlieman defence.
Aug-20-09  jamesjddong: So after 3.f5 what is the best move for white? Nc3 or d3?
Aug-21-09  Where is my mind: 4.Nc3 if your familiar with the Schliemann Defense,otherwise 4.d3 is the safe option.
Aug-01-10  parmetd: How did the Schliemann defense get its name? Does it have any relation to Heinrich Schliemann?
Aug-27-10  rapidcitychess: <parmetd>

<<necio:>He didn't. The move 3...f5 was analyzed by Jänisch and was also named after him (and still is in Europe as far as I know). Later the move was also mistakenly attributed to Schliemann, probably because of the game Max Lange vs A Schliemann, 1868 (3...Bc5 and 4...f5). Unfortunately the name Schliemann Defence seems to be popular in the English-speaking world.>

That should do in case you didn't already read that.

Aug-27-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: Not exactly. It was analyzed by Jaenisch, who didn't think it was any good. Schliemann was the one who promoted it. Thus Schliemann deserves naming rights, IMHO.

I wrote several books om it BTW.

Aug-27-10  rapidcitychess: <Eric> Oh, I would say it's good for white too, but analysis shows different.

Could you show me a notable Schliemann game in this variation, white or black win?

Aug-27-10  Lil Swine: i've read eric schillers books before
Nov-17-10  Marmot PFL: There is a 5 volume work by Shamkovich and Schiller on this opening. I have the 1st two which are priced $9.95 ea and together total 225 pp. Why not just it into one book for $16-18, or all five into two books for $40-44 instead of $50 for five separate books? They don't need to be so thin. I will admit that many Batsford books of only 175-195 pp. cost twice as much, and they say they have to leave things out to meet publishers requests.
Nov-17-10  Everett: Radjabov is the newest champion. Here's an oldie but goodie;

Smyslov vs Bronstein, 1962

Dec-11-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 f5


click for larger view

Dec-11-11  karnak64: Yeah, opening of the day, and I'm surprised to see one of my game collections wrapped up in the Opening Explorer (Gert Jan Timmerman playing the Schliemann).

I wish I had the moxie to play this opening regularly. But I don't, so I don't in games that count. But it is fun in skittles.

Dec-28-12  Kikoman: <Opening of the Day>

Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense (c63)

1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 f5


click for larger view

Dec-10-13  MarkFinan: The old Dickyhoff variation, a favourite of Mrs Bobitt! 😄
Sep-06-22  VerySeriousExpert: I recommend the old article by Yury V. Bukayev ( https://chessproblem.my-free-games.... - Chess Articles page) which shows that after 3...f5 4.Bxc6! dxc6 5.exf5! White has an advantage. This his article on Yanish gambit (Jaenisch/ Schliemann gambit) was used and linked by fi.wikipedia.org ("Espanjalainen peli") in 2008.
Sep-06-22  VerySeriousExpert: Here is a direct link to this article: https://chessproblem.my-free-games.... . ("Bruno's Chess Articles")
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