Ruy Lopez (Spanish)

Play as WhiteClassical

Pressure the knight defending e5 and fight for the center from the flank.

The main line, move by move

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7

  1. 1. e4 — Claim the center and open lines for the queen and bishop.
  2. 1... e5 — Black claims the center too.
  3. 2. Nf3 — Develop a knight and attack the e5 pawn.
  4. 2... Nc6 — Black defends the e5 pawn while developing a knight.
  5. 3. Bb5 — Put pressure on the knight that defends e5 - this is the Spanish (Ruy Lopez) bishop.
  6. 3... a6 — Ask the bishop what it wants to do.
  7. 4. Ba4 — Keep the pin on the knight: retreat but keep the bishop on the diagonal.
  8. 4... Nf6 — Develop the knight and attack the e4 pawn.
  9. 5. O-O — Castle: your king gets safe and a rook joins the game.
  10. 5... Be7 — Develop the bishop and get ready to castle.
  11. 6. Re1 — Defend the e4 pawn with the rook.
  12. 6... b5 — Chase the bishop back.
  13. 7. Bb3 — Keep the bishop on the a2-g8 diagonal.
  14. 7... d6 — Support e5 and free the c8 bishop.
  15. 8. c3 — Prepare d4 and give the bishop a retreat square on c2.
  16. 8... O-O — Castle: your king gets safe and a rook joins the game.
  17. 9. h3 — Stop ...Bg4 pins on the knight.
  18. 9... Nb8 — Reroute the knight to d7, a famous idea called the Breyer.
  19. 10. d4 — Strike in the center.
  20. 10... Nbd7 — Develop the knight and support e5.

Other sound lines

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