Ruy Lopez
The richest opening in chess. Long-term pressure on Black's center.
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Game, is a White opening defined by 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. The bishop attacks the c6 knight, the defender of the e5 pawn, to build lasting pressure on Black's center. Its main line, the Closed Ruy Lopez, leads to long maneuvering battles.
- ECO code
- C60–C99
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
- Style
- Positional
- Recommended level
- Intermediate
- Played by
- Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov, Vladimir Kramnik, Frank Marshall
The idea: attack the defender of e5
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3, the f3 knight attacks e5 and 2...Nc6 defends it. With 3.Bb5, White goes after that defender: if the c6 knight disappears, the e5 pawn is no longer protected.
The threat is not immediate, but it hangs over the whole opening. Black must keep checking whether Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 wins a pawn, while White castles, plays c3 and prepares d4.
It is slow pressure. The Ruy Lopez suits players who like to build up their position and play rich middlegames rather than hunt for a quick mate.
The bishop puts pressure on the c6 knight
Why 4.Bxc6 does not win e5 yet
After 3...a6, the capture 4.Bxc6 dxc6 does remove the defender of e5, but 5.Nxe5 wins nothing: 5...Qd4 attacks both the e5 knight and the e4 pawn. After 6.Nf3 Qxe4+, Black wins the pawn back and keeps the bishop pair.
As long as the e4 pawn is unprotected, the threat is only an illusion. It becomes real after castling and Re1: the rook defends e4, and Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 then really wins a pawn.
This is the key to the main line. After 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1, Black plays 6...b5 7.Bb3 to drive the bishop away before it can take on c6. These quiet-looking moves all answer the same question: who defends e5?
Three replies for Black
On move three, Black chases the bishop, counterattacks the e4 pawn, or develops the f8 bishop.
3...a6, the Morphy Defense
The most common reply: the bishop has to decide. 4.Ba4 keeps the pressure on c6, while 4.Bxc6 leads to the Exchange Variation. After 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O, Black chooses between 5...Be7, heading for the Closed Ruy Lopez, and 5...Nxe4, the Open Ruy Lopez.
3...Nf6, the Berlin Defense
Black counterattacks e4 instead of chasing the bishop. The main line, 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8, leads to a queenless endgame that is very solid for Black, made famous by Kramnik against Kasparov.
3...Bc5, the Classical Variation
The bishop comes out to its best diagonal and eyes f2. White often answers 4.c3, to play d4 with gain of time on that bishop, or 4.O-O.
The structure of the Closed Ruy Lopez
The main line of the Morphy Defense is the Closed Ruy Lopez: 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3. Black holds e5 with ...d6 and has gained space on the queenside; White's bishop, pushed back to b3, still aims at f7.
Every white move prepares d4. c3 supports the coming push and gives the bishop the c2 square; h3 stops ...Bg4, which would pin the f3 knight and weaken White's grip on d4. The center stays tense for a long time, and the game is about maneuvering.
On move seven, Black can also castle, 7...O-O, and meet 8.c3 with 8...d5: this is the Marshall Attack, a pawn sacrifice for an attack on the white king, deeply studied at the highest level. Many White players sidestep it with 8.a4, the Anti-Marshall, or with 8.h3.
Plans for both sides
In the Closed Ruy Lopez after 9.h3, each side has two main ideas.
White
- Pushing d4 Prepared by c3 and h3, d4 strikes at e5. If Black captures, White recaptures with the c3 pawn and keeps two pawns in the center.
- The Nbd2-f1-g3 maneuver The b1 knight cannot go to c3, where a pawn stands, so it travels via d2 and f1 to g3, where it eyes f5 and bolsters the kingside.
Black
- ...Na5 and ...c5 on the queenside The knight chases the b3 bishop, which retreats to c2, then ...c5 gains space and attacks d4. This is the plan of the Chigorin Defense.
- The ...Nb8-d7 regrouping In the Breyer Defense, the knight goes back to b8 to come out again on d7, where it supports e5 and frees the c-pawn for ...c5.
The trap to know: Noah's Ark
In the Closed Ruy Lopez, if White plays 8.d4 before c3, Black can answer 8...Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4. The recapture 10.Qxd4?? looks natural, but it walks into the Noah's Ark Trap, a classic of the Ruy Lopez.
Your turn, with Black: find the move that wins a piece.
Hint Does the b3 bishop have any retreat squares? Look at a4, a2 and c2.
Explanation
10...c5! chases the queen, and ...c4 will follow. 11.Qd5 loses the queen to 11...Nxd5. After a retreat such as 11.Qd1 or 11.Qd3, 11...c4 traps the b3 bishop: a4 is covered by the b5 pawn, and a2 and c2 are occupied by White's own pawns. White loses the bishop for one or two pawns. The right habit: play c3 before d4, as in the main line, so the bishop has the c2 square.
Common mistakes
These come up often in club games, with White and with Black.
- Taking on c6 and then on e5 too early: while e4 is unprotected, 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nxe5 is met by 5...Qd4, and Black wins the pawn back.
- Pushing d4 before c3: the b3 bishop has no retreat to c2, and Black's a6, b5 and c5 pawns can trap it, as in Noah's Ark.
- Forgetting h3: without it, ...Bg4 pins the f3 knight and the pressure on d4 becomes awkward.
- For Black, delaying ...b5 after Re1: the rook now defends e4, so Bxc6 followed by Nxe5 really wins a pawn.
- In the Exchange Variation, trading pieces without a plan: once the central pawns are gone, White's kingside majority makes a passed pawn in the endgame, while Black's majority, with its doubled c-pawns, cannot.
What the games say
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000–1399 | 33,663,274 | 52% | 4% | 44% |
| 1400–1799 | 55,195,196 | 51% | 4% | 44% |
| 1800–2199 | 29,073,491 | 51% | 5% | 44% |
| 2200+ | 4,242,683 | 48% | 8% | 44% |
| Moves | Games | Share of games, in % |
|---|---|---|
| 3...Nf6 | 8,217,840 | 24 |
| 3...a6 | 7,148,137 | 21 |
| 3...d6 | 6,123,983 | 18 |
| 3...Bc5 | 3,466,630 | 10 |
| Other moves | 8,706,684 | 26 |
| Moves | Games | Share of games, in % |
|---|---|---|
| 3...d6 | 14,551,016 | 26 |
| 3...a6 | 12,341,675 | 22 |
| 3...Nf6 | 9,525,277 | 17 |
| 3...Bc5 | 6,460,748 | 12 |
| Other moves | 12,316,480 | 22 |
| Moves | Games | Share of games, in % |
|---|---|---|
| 3...a6 | 10,157,255 | 35 |
| 3...d6 | 5,490,887 | 19 |
| 3...Nf6 | 4,722,890 | 16 |
| 3...Bc5 | 3,998,719 | 14 |
| Other moves | 4,703,740 | 16 |
| Moves | Games | Share of games, in % |
|---|---|---|
| 3...a6 | 2,405,001 | 57 |
| 3...Nf6 | 745,430 | 18 |
| 3...Bc5 | 306,132 | 7 |
| 3...f5 | 286,232 | 7 |
| Other moves | 499,888 | 12 |
122,174,644 blitz, rapid and classical games played on Lichess (Lichess opening explorer, October 4, 2026). Lichess ratings, not FIDE Elo.
Practice
This page explains the opening. The lesson makes you play it: you play the moves, the coach comments on each one and offers three levels of hints.
Interactive lesson
Ruy Lopez
About 10 min · 4 variations · You play White
Welcome to the Ruy Lopez! Named after a 16th-century Spanish priest, this legendary opening puts pressure on Black's e5 pawn through Bb5. You'll learn deep strategic ideas that have been refined over centuries!
The lesson's route
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · common moves, then the opponent chooses
- Main line 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 · 3 moves to play
- Berlin Defense 3...Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 · 2 moves to play
- Morphy Defense 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 · 3 moves to play
- Exchange Variation 3...a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O · 2 moves to play
- Open Ruy Lopez 5...Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 · 3 moves to play
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the Ruy Lopez or the Spanish Game?
It is named after Ruy López de Segura, a 16th-century Spanish priest who studied it in his chess treatise. In English it is usually called the Ruy Lopez; many other languages call it the Spanish Game.
Is the Ruy Lopez too hard for a beginner?
It takes more theory than the Italian Game, but its ideas are simple: pressure on e5, castling, then c3 and d4. To start, the Exchange Variation and the plans of the Closed Ruy Lopez are enough; there is no need to memorize everything.
What should I play against the Berlin Defense?
The main line, 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4, often leads to a very technical queenless endgame. To keep the queens on, many players choose 4.d3, the Anti-Berlin Variation: the play then resembles a slow Italian Game.
Is the Exchange Variation good for White?
Yes, it is a solid weapon. After 4.Bxc6 dxc6, Black has the bishop pair but doubled c-pawns; White aims for the endgame, where the kingside pawn majority counts. Bobby Fischer played it often with 5.O-O.
What is the Marshall Attack?
It is a Black gambit in the Closed Ruy Lopez: 7...O-O 8.c3 d5. After 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5, Black is a pawn down but has a lasting attack against the white king. Frank Marshall played it against Capablanca, and it remains a top-level weapon.