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The Ruy Lopez Opening is a sharp and aggressive opening for White and I used to dislike playing against it with the Black pieces. However, a tactical idea is that aggressive attacking openings that seemingly run contrary to opening principles (e.g., Scotch Game, Fried Liver Attack) can be vulnerable to an aggressive counterattack. This isn’t to say that these openings are bad or refuted. Far from it. The Ruy Lopez is a very good opening. Simply that a move order choice that prioritises attacking chances must have some trade-off, and that usually is in the robustness, or at least, the ease of defence.

For the Ruy Lopez Opening, the potential counterattack is one of my favourite lines, the Jaenisch Gambit. At the beginner-intermediate level few Ruy Lopez players will be familiar with the Jaenisch and gives Black a significant tactical advantage. In this game, my opponent accepted the gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. exf5) which is arguably a mistake as it gives Black the initiative and an evaluation advantage [-0.4].

Consider the position at the end of move 6 after the opening salvos and trades had completed. All of White’s remaining pieces are on their starting squares other than their knight, which is unsupported, undefended, and offside on e5. The knight was forced to move a couple of times in the opening. White’s other developed pieces – a pawn and their bishop – have evaporated. There is material balance, Black’s position is better, and Stockfish gives an evaluation at [-1.1]. This is very good! And on move 7, White has only two good moves, neither of which are especially obvious – d5 and Qe2!

White lashes out with (7. g4) to attack my bishop, but this was a mistake [-2.2]. I don’t see the machine line though, but instead, use a tactical idea that is not uncommon in the Jaenisch lines. I dropped by bishop back to g6 and trade my bishop for the opponent’s knight. Although this creates doubled pawns on the g-file, it creates a semi-open h-file commanded by my rook. The goal is usually to castle long anyway, so this becomes a long-term tactical resource.

On move 11 as planned, I castle queenside. There’s some middlegame manoeuvring where my advantage in development allows me to win some material. White is forced to castle kingside, despite their damaged defences on that side. And then, on move 19, it became apparent that White had a lapse in continuity that the h-file was semi-open! It isn’t expected! White defended their h3 pawn with their queen, I capture with the knight, and they recapture with their queen – a blunder! After my rook captures their hanging queen, White resigns having suffered emotional damage. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/79678794295

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.06.05"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Stadnitskii"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C60"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Ruy-Lopez-Opening-Jaenisch-Gambit-Accepted"]
[UTCDate "2023.06.05"]
[UTCTime "04:35:59"]
[WhiteElo "1335"]
[BlackElo "1411"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "04:35:59"]
[EndDate "2023.06.05"]
[EndTime "04:51:56"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/79678794295"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/180121335.2082d0ac.50x50o.6916730cccb0.jpeg"]
[WhiteCountry "116"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.82046355.50x50o.c8c8e6b7296c.jpg"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:09.2]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:15:05.9]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:15:17]} 2...
Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:14]} 3. Bb5 {[%clk 0:15:20.9]} 3... f5 {[%clk 0:15:22.3]} 4.
exf5 $6 {[%clk 0:15:05.4][%c_effect f5;square;f5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]
Ruy Lopez Opening: Jaenisch Gambit, Accepted $1 Most Ruy Lopez players at the
beginner-intermediate level will be unfamiliar with the Jaenisch Gambit lines,
which gives Black a significant tactical advantage $1 Accepting the gambit is
arguably a mistake that gives Black the initiative [-0.4]} 4... e4 $1 {[%clk
0:15:30.2][%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The gambit
accepted line narrows down to a single pathway - this is the only good move for
Black which makes the opening quite forcing.} 5. Bxc6 {[%clk 0:14:21.9]} 5...
dxc6 {[%clk 0:15:37.7]} 6. Ne5 {[%clk 0:14:08.6]} 6... Bxf5 {[%clk 0:14:02.1]
Let's reflect what's happened - we've forced White to move their knight twice.
White's only other developed piece, the bishop, and their e-pawn has evaporated.
We've got a better position and equal material and Stockfish evaluates the
position at [-1.1].} 7. g4 $2 {[%clk 0:13:43.1][%c_effect
g4;square;g4;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d2d4;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false,d1e2;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;e2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false,e2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e2;persistent;false]
White lashes out with g4, but this is a mistake [-2.2]} 7... Bg6 $2 {[%clk
0:12:48.7][%c_effect g6;square;g6;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d8d5;keyPressed;none;from;d8;opacity;0.8;to;d5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d5;persistent;false] Stockfish calls this
move a mistake [-0.3] although I'm still ahead. My thinking was to lure the
knight to capture the bishop on g6, allowing me to open up the h-file for my
rook - often a powerful tactic resource in the Jaenisch Gambit lines. 
Stockfish, however, thought that Qd5, allowing the capture of the bishop by the
pawn and then capturing the knight with queen was best.} 8. Nxg6 {[%clk
0:13:43.3]} 8... hxg6 {[%clk 0:12:57.7][%c_arrow
h8h1;keyPressed;shift;from;h8;opacity;0.8;to;h1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h8;keyPressed;shift;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false] Keep and eye on this
rook and the h-file} 9. Nc3 {[%clk 0:13:17.6]} 9... Nf6 {[%clk 0:13:04.8]} 10.
h3 $6 {[%clk 0:13:20.5][%c_effect
h3;square;h3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d1e2;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;e2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e2;persistent;false] This is an inaccuracy
[-0.7]. Challenging the centre immediately with Qe2 is best.} 10... Qd4 {[%clk
0:12:24.8]} 11. d3 $2 {[%clk 0:12:18.7][%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d1e2;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;e2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e2;persistent;false] A difficult position
to navigate for White. This sensible looking move which challenges the pawn on
e4, and opens the diagonal for the bishop to develop is actually a mistake $1
[-2.3]} 11... O-O-O $2 {[%clk 0:12:30.6][%c_effect
c8;square;c8;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f8b4;keyPressed;none;from;f8;opacity;0.8;to;b4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
b4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;b4;persistent;false] Stockfish thinks that
immediately pressuring with Bb4 was best and that this was a mistake [-0.4]. The
lines, however, are fairly complicated.} 12. Be3 $2 {[%clk 0:12:19.7][%c_arrow
g4g5;keyPressed;none;from;g4;opacity;0.8;to;g5;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g5;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g5;persistent;false][%c_effect
e3;square;e3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] However, this doens't work for White
as the queen can safely sidestep the bishop's attack and there is now a new
vulnerable b2 pawn [-2.5]} 12... Qb4 {[%clk 0:12:09.6]} 13. g5 $6 {[%clk
0:11:18.6][%c_arrow
d1d2;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] An understandable move, but an
inaccuracy [-3.2]} 13... Nd5 {[%clk 0:12:06.9]} 14. Qg4+ {[%clk 0:11:06.6]}
14... Kb8 {[%clk 0:11:58.2]} 15. Qxe4 $6 {[%clk 0:10:41.8][%c_arrow
e1g1;keyPressed;none;from;e1;opacity;0.8;to;g1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g1;persistent;false][%c_effect
e4;square;e4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Another understandable move -
capturing material and offering a queen trade. But I don't have to trade -
Stockfish didn't like this move [-5.6]} 15... Qxb2 {[%clk 0:11:34.4]} 16. O-O
{[%clk 0:09:53.6]} 16... Qxc3 {[%clk 0:11:25.2]} 17. Bd4 {[%clk 0:09:44.7]}
17... Qxc2 {[%clk 0:11:16.4]} 18. Qxg6 {[%clk 0:09:52.9]} 18... Nf4 {[%clk
0:11:03.7][%c_highlight
g6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g6;persistent;false,h3;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h3;persistent;false][%c_arrow
f4g6;keyPressed;none;from;f4;opacity;0.8;to;g6;persistent;false,f4h3;keyPressed;none;from;f4;opacity;0.8;to;h3;persistent;false]
Fork of the queen and pawn} 19. Qf5 {[%clk 0:09:45.6] White attempts to defend
the pawn on g3, having lost sight of the fact that the h-file is semi-open and
controlled by my rook since move 8...} 19... Nxh3+ {[%clk 0:10:59.7]} 20. Qxh3 $4
{[%clk 0:09:51.3][%c_effect h3;square;h3;type;Blunder;persistent;true] A
catastrophic blunder, hanging the queen. Stockfish can see a forced checkmate
line [-M9].} 20... Rxh3 {[%clk 0:11:07.7][%c_effect
b8;square;b8;type;Winner,g1;square;g1;type;ResignWhite] However, that doesn't
matter as once their realise the queen is lost, they suffer emotional damage and
resign the game. GG $1} 0-1