Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez is a chess opening with the ECO code C60. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 5 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
• 1... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
• 2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
• 2... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
• 3. Bb5 – White plays the bishop to b5

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3... Nf6, 3... a6, 3... d6.

About the Ruy Lopez

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, White plays 3.Bb5 to attack the knight that defends e5. It is one of the oldest and richest openings.

• White builds slow pressure: O-O, Re1, c3 and then d4 to win the centre.
• Black usually kicks the bishop with ...a6 and ...b5; it retreats to a4 and then b3.
• Bxc6 does not win e5 at once, because Black wins the pawn back with ...Qd4 or ...Qg5.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Ruy Lopez course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6)
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense – adds 3... Bb4
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Brentano Gambit – adds 3... g5
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Bulgarian Variation – adds 3... a5
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense – adds 3... Nge7
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Fianchetto Defense – adds 3... g6
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Lucena Variation – adds 3... Be7
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Nürnberg Variation – adds 3... f6
• Continues with: Ruy Lopez: Pollock Defense – adds 3... Na5
• Related line: Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bb4)
• Related line: Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense, Alapin Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bb4 4. c3 Ba5 5. Bxc6 dxc6)
• Related line: Ruy Lopez: Brentano Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g5)
• Related line: Ruy Lopez: Bulgarian Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a5)
• Related line: Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7)
• Related line: Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. Nc3 g6)

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