Rough Up the Ruy Lopez Deferred Steinitz Defense by NM Spencer Finegold

No More Spanish Torture: Take the Fight to White

1…e5 players know all about the dangers of Spanish torture. NM Spencer Finegold’s Deferred Steinitz aims to avoid that altogether, with an off-beat and active repertoire that’ll take your opponent way out of their comfort zone.

The main repertoire starts with this position – avoiding the very sharpest lines and taking the game your own way.

You’ll avoid the reams of theory behind the Marshall Attack or the Open Spanish with a compact repertoire that won’t take a lifetime to learn. But this opening is by no means inferior – it’s packed with fun and fresh ideas from the latest engine games, giving you a cutting-edge weapon that’s viable even at the highest levels.

Fans of TCEC (the Top Chess Engine Championship) will know that if you’re looking for opening theory at the very highest level, this is the place to go. NM Finegold has combed through these games to build a repertoire that can compete with anyone – or anything!

The thematic f5 push creates a position where Black is already fighting for the initiative

And if you’re looking for new attacking ideas to add to your arsenal, the Fishing Pole attack, a staple of the Deferred Steinitz, is a great tool to have. This leads to fun and sharp complications that any unprepared opponent would be foolish to enter.

Capturing the bishop on g4 is always going to be risky for White

With just 187 trainable variations, this concise repertoire cuts down on the amount of sidelines you need to deal with. The only major sideline is the Exchange Ruy Lopez (4. Bxc6) and NM Finegold offers a consistent solution, giving you another attempt to deploy the Fishing Pole Attack, via the Alapin Gambit.