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Re: P.S.
I suspect you may dislike the Exchange Lopez as Black if you agree with Nigel Davies' opinion in his book 'play 1.e4 e5!':
"From Black's perspective the main problem has been generating counterplay; all too often he finds himself in a miserable and rather passive endgame with few winning chances".
If you decide to take the bull by the horns after all, but are stuck for what to do as Black against the Exchange Lopez, Davies' recommendation for Black after the standard 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 is 5...Qf6, which he says Beliavsky and Adams have used to obtain the kind of active counterplay unheard of in most of the standard lines.
The standard lines Davies refers to would probably be 5...Qd6, and above all those starting with 5...f6, the latter move being the most reliable way for Black to formally equalize. Looking at these two moves myself, I wouldn't rule out playing for a win with them as Black.
Other moves that catch my eye, looking at just the results of some of my database games, are 5...Bg4 (and if 6.h3 Bh5!?, which if memory serves I think Carlsen beat someone with), and 5...Bd6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 f6 (and if 8.Be3 Be6 9.Nbd2 Qe7!? [or even first 8...Qe7!?]).
After 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 moves other than 5.0-0 are considered fairly insipid in theory. For example, 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 (which is a tempo up for Black in a theoretically also harmless line [5.0-0 Qf6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4]), though Lasker did famously beat Capa with it. However nowadays a book on the Lopez will tell you how Black should have played more actively later.
Perhaps you are reluctant to play the Berlin Lopez instead (rather than 3.Bb5 a6), if you finally reject allowing an Exchange Lopez (or not), because play may seem similar to an Exchange Lopez in the mainline of the Berlin. However in the mainline, 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8, Black has not spent a move on ...a6, and White's dark-squared B is unhappy with the White pawn stuck on e5 indefinitely. Not only that, but the advancement of the e-pawn makes it harder for White to break through with his kingside pawn majority, since the f5 square is more under Black's control. It's true Black has lost castling rights, but that is not necessarily much of a drawback, although any time spent later relocating the Black K might matter somewhat.
Originally posted by Craig Sadler
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"From Black's perspective the main problem has been generating counterplay; all too often he finds himself in a miserable and rather passive endgame with few winning chances".
If you decide to take the bull by the horns after all, but are stuck for what to do as Black against the Exchange Lopez, Davies' recommendation for Black after the standard 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 is 5...Qf6, which he says Beliavsky and Adams have used to obtain the kind of active counterplay unheard of in most of the standard lines.
The standard lines Davies refers to would probably be 5...Qd6, and above all those starting with 5...f6, the latter move being the most reliable way for Black to formally equalize. Looking at these two moves myself, I wouldn't rule out playing for a win with them as Black.
Other moves that catch my eye, looking at just the results of some of my database games, are 5...Bg4 (and if 6.h3 Bh5!?, which if memory serves I think Carlsen beat someone with), and 5...Bd6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 f6 (and if 8.Be3 Be6 9.Nbd2 Qe7!? [or even first 8...Qe7!?]).
After 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 moves other than 5.0-0 are considered fairly insipid in theory. For example, 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 (which is a tempo up for Black in a theoretically also harmless line [5.0-0 Qf6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4]), though Lasker did famously beat Capa with it. However nowadays a book on the Lopez will tell you how Black should have played more actively later.
Perhaps you are reluctant to play the Berlin Lopez instead (rather than 3.Bb5 a6), if you finally reject allowing an Exchange Lopez (or not), because play may seem similar to an Exchange Lopez in the mainline of the Berlin. However in the mainline, 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8, Black has not spent a move on ...a6, and White's dark-squared B is unhappy with the White pawn stuck on e5 indefinitely. Not only that, but the advancement of the e-pawn makes it harder for White to break through with his kingside pawn majority, since the f5 square is more under Black's control. It's true Black has lost castling rights, but that is not necessarily much of a drawback, although any time spent later relocating the Black K might matter somewhat.
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