Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Normal Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code C69, part of the Ruy Lopez family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 9 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
3... a6 – Black plays the pawn to a6
4. Bxc6 – White takes on c6 with the bishop
4... dxc6 – Black captures on c6 with the d-pawn
5. O-O – White castles kingside
In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 5... f6.
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