Opening for White · ECO C60–C99
Ruy Lopez in chess
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
The bishop attacks the knight that defends e5. Slow but lasting pressure: the world champions’ favorite opening for more than a century.
The ideas
White
- Put pressure on e5 through the c6 knight.
- Prepare d4 with c3.
- In closed lines, Nbd2-f1-g3.
Black
- Chase the bishop with …a6 and …b5.
- Hold e5 firmly.
- Choose between solidity (Berlin) and counterattack (Marshall).
Main variations
Closed variation
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3
The main line: White prepares d4 with c3 and h3, Black holds e5 and looks for play on the queenside.
Berlin Defense
3…Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8
The “Berlin Wall”: queens come off early and Black gets a position that is hard to crack.
Exchange variation
3…a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O f6 6.d4
A simple choice: White trades the bishop and plays on the better pawn structure.
Marshall Gambit
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6
Black’s counterattack in the Closed variation: a pawn for a direct attack on the king.
By the numbers
White’s choice after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 is the second most played move, behind the Italian. Out of 229.2 million Lichess games.
Traps to know
The Noah’s Ark Trap
With …a6, …b5, …c5 then …c4, Black’s pawns trap the b3 bishop.
With White, watch out for …c5-c4 when the bishop is on b3.
The Mortimer Trap
The e5 pawn is poisoned: …c6 then …Qa5+ wins the knight.
With White, don’t take e5 if …Qa5+ is possible.
Other openings
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ruy Lopez good for beginners?
Yes, to understand positional pressure, but it needs more theory than the Italian. Many players start with the Italian and move on to the Ruy Lopez.
What is the Berlin Defense?
It’s 3…Nf6. After 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4, queens come off quickly and Black gets a very solid endgame, made famous by Kramnik against Kasparov in 2000.
How do I remember the Ruy Lopez lines?
By replaying them on the board instead of rereading them. ChessFlux makes you replay your repertoire move by move and comes back to the moves you forget.