In the Ruy Lopez, how do you handle the Berlin Defense as White?

What do you do if you play the Ruy Lopez as white and your opponent plays the Berlin defense?

if you want to avoid the rio gambit you can play d3

1. Go straight into the Berlin endgame and grind out a win. It is not to be feared and plenty of games are won by white.
2. Play d3 and the resulting middlegame. If you want a sharp position, castle queenside.
3. Give up and play the Italian. Or the King's Gambit.

@lizani said ^

1. Go straight into the Berlin endgame and grind out a win. It is not to be feared and plenty of games are won by white.
2. Play d3 and the resulting middlegame. If you want a sharp position, castle queenside.
3. Give up and play the Italian. Or the King's Gambit.

• Never let your opponent dictate the game as black if you can avoid it.

#1: Is good, but 'grinding out a win' means you need to have some skill in the endgame phase. at 2K, you should have enough gas in the tank, but this is opponent-dependent - they could be baiting a trap for you to enter the endgame themselves, especially if higher-rated by more than a few points.
#2: Is nowadays in fashion. Lots of possibilities. As for 0-0-0, I'd like to see a line that contains. Only ref i found was Pavlovic - Belov, Hastings, 2005. Very curious.
#3: No Comment. See *.

You can also play Re1

@tpr said ^

You can also play Re1

https://lichess.org/emJfmbkC#8

are the re1 or the d4 variations of the berlin defense usually more difficult ?

"are the re1 or the d4 variations of the berlin defense usually more difficult ?"

• Both are difficult.
  The d4 variation is sharper: white gets a won pawn endgame, but black gets the bishop's pair.
  The Re1 variation is quieter but still complicated.

@tpr said ^

"are the re1 or the d4 variations of the berlin defense usually more difficult ?"

• Both are difficult.
  The d4 variation is sharper: white gets a won pawn endgame, but black gets the bishop's pair.
  The Re1 variation is quieter but still complicated.

is it also the case with the adition of a6 ba4 ? ( i would assume it is , but wanted to ask )

"is it also the case with the adition of a6 ba4 ?"
3...a6 is a whole different story. If white does not play 4 Bxc6 but 4 Ba4, then black can prevent Bxc6 with ...b5.

@tpr said ^

"is it also the case with the adition of a6 ba4 ?"
3...a6 is a whole different story. If white does not play 4 Bxc6 but 4 Ba4, then black can prevent Bxc6 with ...b5.

no i mean are they similar dificult ?