Common Lines in the Ruy Lopez

By Edward Scimia, About.com Guide

The Berlin Defense is reached if Black plays Nf6 on his third move. It gained a great deal of popularity after Vladimir Kramnik used it in his victory over Garry Kasparov in their match for the World Championship. Known for being very solid, the Berlin Defense is often used as a weapon for drawing as Black by strong players who are familiar with the key lines.