Opening Ruy Lopez

The Ruy Lopez, generally called the Spanish Game outside of English speaking countries, is a chess opening characterised by the moves (in algebraic notation):

1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 Nc6

3.Bb5

The Ruy Lopez is one of the most popular openings. It has such a vast number of variations that in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings all codes from C60 to C99 are assigned to them.

Basics

At the most basic level, White's third move attacks the knight which defends the e5 pawn from the attack by the f3 knight. It should be noted that White's apparent threat to win Black's e-pawn with 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nxe5 is illusory — Black can respond with 5...Qd4, forking the knight and e4-pawn, and winning back the material with a good position. 3.Bb5 is still a good move, however: it develops a piece, prepares castling, and sets up a potential pin against Black's king. However, since White's third move carries no immediate threat, Black can respond in a wide variety of ways.

Main variations

The theory of the Ruy Lopez is the most extensively developed of all the double king pawn openings. At nearly every move there are many reasonable alternatives, and most have been explored deeply. It is convenient to split the possibilities into two groups based on whether or not Black responds with the Morphy Defence (3...a6). The variations with Black moves other than 3...a6 are older and generally simpler, but the Morphy Defence lines are more commonly played.

Black defences other than 3...a6

Of the variations in this section, the Berlin and Schliemann Defences are the most popular today, followed by the Classical Defence. The Steinitz Defence was important at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

• 3...Bc5 (Classical or Cordel Defence)
• 3...Nge7 (Cozio Defence)
• 3...Nf6 (Berlin Defence)
• 3...Nd4 (Bird's Defence)
• 3...d6 (Steinitz Defence)
• 3...f5!? (Schliemann Defence)
• 3...g6 (Smyslov Defence)

Classical Defence

The Classical Defence or Cordel Defence (ECO C64), 3...Bc5, is possibly the oldest defence to the Ruy Lopez, and is still played occasionally. White's most common reply is 4.c3 when Black may choose to play 4...f5, the Cordel Gambit. This often leads to quite messy positions and a sharp drop in the number of draws in comparison to other reasonable 4th moves for Black. More solid is 4.c3 Nf6, when 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 Bb6 leads to the Benelux Variation. White's principal alternative to 4.c3 is 4.0-0.

Classical Defence 3...Bc5

Bird's Defence

Bird's Defence (ECO C61), 3...Nd4, is an uncommon variation sometimes played in the hope of surprising White into making a mistake in unfamiliar positions. With careful play White is thought to be able to gain a small advantage. This defence was published in 1843 in Paul Rudolf von Bilguer's Handbuch des Schachspiels and explored by Henry Bird in the 1850s. Bird's Defence was later used a few times in tournament play by Siegbert Tarrasch, Boris Spassky, and Alexander Khalifman. Although it is still played occasionally as a surprise, no strong master since Bird has adopted it regularly.

Bird's Defence 3...Nd4

Smyslov Defence

The Smyslov Defence, 3...g6, is a quiet positional system played occasionally by Vassily Smyslov and Boris Spassky. It became popular in the 1980s when it was shown that 4.c3 a6! gives Black a good game. Later it was found that after 4.d4 exd4 5.Bg5 White has the advantage, and the variation is rarely played today. An interesting gambit line 4.d4 exd4 5.c3 has also been recommended by Alexander Khalifman, although some of the resulting positions are yet to be tested extensively.

Smyslov Defence 3...g6

Morphy Defence 3...a6: Alternatives to the Closed Defence

By far the most commonly played Black third move is the Morphy Defence, 3...a6, which "puts the question" to the white bishop. White has only two good options, 4.Bxc6 or 4.Ba4. The main point to 3...a6 is that after the common retreat 4.Ba4, Black will have the possibility of breaking the pin on his queen knight by playing ...b5. In fact, White must take some care to not fall into the Noah's Ark Trap in which Black traps White's king bishop on the b3-square with a ...a6, ...b5, and ...c4 pawn advance on the queenside.

Although 3...a6 was known earlier, it became popular after it was played by Paul Morphy. Steinitz did not approve of this move. In 1889 he wrote "on principle this ought to be disadvantageous as it drives the bishop where it wants to go", but this is not the prevailing opinion, and today 3...a6 is played in over 75% of all games beginning with the Ruy Lopez.

After 3...a6, the most commonly played line is the Closed Defence, which goes 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7, discussed in the two following sections. Alternatives to the closed defence described in this section are:

• 4.Bxc6 (Exchange Variation)
• 4.Ba4
  • 4...b5 5.Bb3 Na5 (Norwegian Defence)
  • 4...b5 5.Bb3 Bc5 (Graz Defence)
  • 4...Bc5 (Classical Defence Deferred)
  • 4...d6 (Steinitz Defence Deferred)
  • 4...f5 (Schliemann Defence Deferred)
  • 4...Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 (Arkhangelsk Defence)
  • 4...Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
  • 4...Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 (Møller Defence)
  • 4...Nf6 5.0-0 d6 (Russian Defence)
  • 4...Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 (Open Defence)

Morphy Defence 3...a6