Ruy Lopez
The most important of the open games, and the most deeply analyzed. Nearly every master has played the Spanish at some point, often with both colors.
| First moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 |
|---|---|
| ECO codes | C60-C99 |
| Also known as | The Spanish Opening / Spanish Game |
| Character | Strategic, slow-building, deeply mapped |
| Best for | Players who want a lifetime opening with 1.e4 |
Open any line on the analysis board, or play it out against a bot from where it ends.
Related openings
Italian Game
The classical way to open a chess game: develop, aim at f7, castle. The best first opening for most players.
Sicilian Defense
The most analyzed answer to 1.e4, and the most popular one at master level. Black declines a symmetrical fight and plays for a win from move one.
French Defense
A solid answer to 1.e4. Black's plans revolve around one pawn break, ...c5, aimed at White's pawn on d4.
What 3.Bb5 actually threatens
The bishop attacks the knight that defends e5, but the immediate 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nxe5 does not win a pawn, because 5...Qd4 forks the knight and e4. So the first thing to know about the Spanish is that the threat is positional: White is building long-term pressure on e5 and gaining time.
After 3...a6 4.Ba4, Black can play ...b5 whenever the bishop's pressure on the c6 knight becomes a nuisance. That push loosens Black's queenside, and the trade-off runs through the whole opening.
The main branches
- Closed Spanish: after 5...Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3, White's signature plan is the knight tour Nb1-d2-f1-g3 (or e3), which regroups behind the pawn chain before White plays on the kingside. Black expands on the queenside with ...Na5 and ...c5.
- Berlin Defense (3...Nf6): 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 reaches the famous Berlin endgame. The queens are off by move eight, Black's king sits on d8, and Black's doubled c-pawns face White's kingside majority. Kramnik used it to take the world title from Kasparov in 2000.
- Exchange Variation (4.Bxc6): White gives up the bishop pair to double Black's c-pawns. That leaves White a 4-3 kingside majority, while Black's queenside majority is crippled. White then plays for the endgame. It is a practical choice that needs little theory.
- Marshall Attack: Black sacrifices a pawn with 8...d5 for a long-lasting attack. It is sound but takes a lot of memorizing, so White often sidesteps it with an Anti-Marshall such as 8.a4 or 8.h3.
Learning the Spanish without drowning
The Ruy Lopez has more theory than any other 1.e4 e5 opening, but you do not need it to start. Learn the first six moves, the reason for 3.Bb5, and one plan for the middlegame (the Nd2-f1-g3 regrouping for White; ...Na5 and ...c5 for Black). You can pick up the rest game by game.
Replay a classic Spanish on the analysis board (Karpov's games are a good place to start) and stop at each branch to check the explorer for what is played today.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Ruy Lopez?
After Ruy Lopez de Segura, a 16th-century Spanish priest who analyzed 3.Bb5 in a 1561 book on chess. It is also simply called the Spanish Opening.
Is the Ruy Lopez good for beginners?
The first moves are natural and instructive (develop, attack a defender, castle), so it teaches good habits. The deep theory only matters once your opponents know it too. The Italian Game is a slightly gentler start with the same open-game principles.
What is the Berlin Wall?
The endgame after 3...Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8. Black has the bishop pair and a very solid position but a displaced king and damaged pawns; it is extremely hard for White to break down, hence the nickname.