RUY LOPEZ

Ruy lopez also known as the spanish opening is one of the oldest and most popular chess opening in the world.The opening is named after a spanish priest from the 16th century Ruy Lopez De Segura.It is an opening which every beginner chess player is taught but is played by every level of player whether it is beginner,intermediate or advance.Here I will show you the first 10 most basic moves of this opening but there are many many variations possible in this opening.You don’t need to need to mug up all the variations of this opening or any other opening,just get an core idea of what that opening is about and also if you look at the top players they never follow any single opening they break the opening in between and play the most relevant move which they think is correct.Ruy Lopez or any other opening is about developing your pieces and then after that you can attack or play a defensive game is your choice and thats the beauty of chess,there can be hundreds of variations in a single game.

Now I will show you some most popular and played variations of Ruy Lopez,I cannot show all the variations of this opening as there are many many  variations of this opening and you don’t have to mug up all the variations just start playing and gradually you will be familiar with all of them.

1)CLASSICAL VARIATION

The first 3 moves is same in almost every variation of Ruy lopez,the classical variation begins when black plays Bc5 trying to put pressure on f2 pawn and then white plays c3 to capture the centre by playing d4 in the next move.In the fourth move when white plays c3 then black plays Nf6 trying to put pressure on e4 pawn and then white plays d4 to capture the centre,then black plays Bb6 to protect its bishop.Now white castles according to the opening but you might also think that why white is not capturing the e5 pawn because if it does then this will happen(d4*e5  Ng4,o-o  Ng4*e5) and there will be no advantage for white so according to opening in the 6th move white castles then black also castles then white plays Re1 to protect the e4 pawn and black plays d6 to protect its e5 pawn.

You will notice here that the main idea of this variation was to capture the centre,pressurize each other’s pawn and to develop their pieces to be in a better position to play the rest of the game.

2)MORPHY DEFENCE

This is a very simple variation of Ruy lopez,first 3 moves are same but from the 3rd move black plays a6 to put pressure on the white bishop and then white plays Ba4 to protect it.Black plays Nf6 to put pressure on the e4 pawn and then white castles instead of protecting the e4 pawn because if black captures the e4 pawn then white will play(d4  b5,Bb3  d5,d4*e5  Be6).There are also many other moves possible after black captures the e4 pawn think that moves on your own and try to figure out the best possible move as it is not possible practically for me to show each and every move here.

3)CLOSED VARIATION

The first 4 moves of closed variation is similar to the morphy defence but then in the 5th move black plays Be7 then white plays Re1 to protect its e4 pawn then black plays b5 to put pressure on white bishop then white protects its bishop by playing Bb3.Black plays d6 to protect e5 pawn and also black has an option of moving Na5 to capture the white bishop so white plays c3 in order to protect its bishop and can also play d4 to capture the centre.Black castles according to the opening(8th move),then white plays h3 to avoid the black bishop coming on g4 square and pressurizing the knight.Black plays Na5,white plays Bc2,black plays c5 making a good attacking structure of pawns,white plays d4 to capture the centre and to counter-attack the pawns of black,black moves Qc7 to continue its attack,white moves Nd2 for defence,then black plays c5*d4,white plays c3*d4,then black moves Nc6 to attack the d4 pawn,white moves Nb3 to defend its d4 pawn,black moves a5 pawn to continue its attack of pawns then white plays Be3 to protect its d4 pawn,black plays a4 to attack the knight,white replies by moving Nd2,Black plays Bd7 to support its knight and to develop its bishop. 

4)EXCHANGE VARIATION

In the exchange variation the first 3 moves are same but from the fourth move white captures the knight instead of protecting its bishop then in return black captures the bishop,then white castles,now one move can be that white should capture the e5 pawn instead of castling but that is not a good move because if white captures e5 then black will play Qe7 which will put white in a very bad position after that so white castles and then black plays f6 to protect its e5 pawn then white plays d4 black exchanges the pawn white captures the d4 pawn,then black plays c5 pawn,white defends its knight by placing it on b3 square,black captures the white queen,white captures the black queen through rook,black plays Be6 to put white knight under pressure and to develop its bishop and to make space on queen side to castle later in the game.

5)OPEN VARIATION

The first 5 moves are similar to the closed variation but in the fifth move black captures the e4 pawn,white responds to it by playing d4 then black captures the d4 pawn,white plays Re1 to pin the knight,black plays d5 to protect its knight,white captures the d4 pawn,black plays Be5 to put pressure on the knight white plays f3 to threaten the black knight.

The open variation leads to a very complex position so if you are an absolute beginner then I will not recommend this variation because it requires more calculation at each move and as a beginner you will not be able to perform so much calculation.

6)BERLIN DEFENCE

The first 3 moves are same but in the 3rd move black plays Nf6 instead of playing a6,white responds to it by doing castling and then black captures the e4 pawn,white plays Re1,black plays Nd6 to protect its knight,white captures the e5 pawn giving black a check ,black plays Be7 to protect its king,white plays Bf1,black captures the white knight on e5 through its knight,white captures black knight through its rook,black castles its king to bring it to a safer position,white plays d4 to support its rook and open space for its another bishop to play,black moves Bf6 to put pressure on white rook,white protects its rook by placing it on e1 square.

TRAPS IN RUY LOPEZ

To learn more about Ruy lopez check out these videos-

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1)What is the Ruy Lopez chess opening?

The Ruy Lopez is a classic chess opening that starts with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. It is named after Spanish bishop Ruy López de Segura, who wrote one of the earliest books on chess.

2)What are the key ideas of the Ruy Lopez?

The key ideas of the Ruy Lopez include developing the pieces quickly, creating a strong pawn structure in the center of the board, and controlling the center.

3)Who has played the Ruy Lopez?

The Ruy Lopez has been played by many of the strongest chess players in history, including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Magnus Carlsen.

4)What are some common responses to the Ruy Lopez?

Some common responses to the Ruy Lopez include the Berlin Defense and the Open Defense.

5)Has the Ruy Lopez changed over time?

The Ruy Lopez has been the subject of much theoretical study and innovation, and new ideas and defenses continue to emerge.

6)Why is the Ruy Lopez a good opening for white?

The Ruy Lopez offers white a strong and flexible platform for controlling the center of the board and creating pressure on black’s position. It is a versatile and dangerous opening that is suitable for players of all levels.

7)What is the significance of the move Bb5 in the Ruy Lopez?

The move Bb5 is significant because it aims to hit black’s knight and create a potential pawn weakness on d7, giving white control over the center and putting pressure on black’s kingside. It also prepares to castle kingside, putting the king in a safer position and freeing the rook for future play.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the Ruy Lopez chess opening is a popular and well respected opening that has been used by many great chess players throughout history. The Ruy Lopez is a solid and versatile opening that aims to control the center of the board, develop the pieces, and create threats against the enemy king.

Whether You are a beginner or an experienced player studying and mastering the Ruy Lopez can greatly improve your chess skills and help you achieve success on the chessboard.