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Ruy Lopez (Closed)

The Spanish Game: the bishop attacks the knight that defends e5, building long-term pressure. White castles, plays c3 and h3, and prepares d4. One of the richest openings in chess.

Intermediate · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 19 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Ruy Lopez (Closed) (C84). You play White. The Spanish Game: the bishop attacks the knight that defends e5, building long-term pressure. White castles, plays c3 and h3, and prepares d4. One of the richest openings in chess.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bb5

White plays bishop to b5. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 58% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...a6

Black plays pawn to a6. It attacks the bishop on b5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 72% of 166k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Ba4

White plays bishop to a4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 122k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 107k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 82% of 94k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 69% of 75k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Re1

White plays rook to e1. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 80% of 52k games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...b5

Black plays pawn to b5. It attacks the bishop on a4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 42k games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Bb3

White plays bishop to b3. It controls the centre (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 41k games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 64% of 44k games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.c3

White plays pawn to c3. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 28k games.

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 26k games.

Step 18

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 9.h3

White plays pawn to h3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 84% of 29k games.

Step 19

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position

This is the main position of the Ruy Lopez (Closed). Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Open games (1.e4 e5)

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