Classical Defense, Bird Variation and Cozio Defense
3...Bc5, 3...Nd4, 3...Nge7
5 lines
Ruy Lopez for White
For White1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
29 lines
Ruy Lopez for White: the bishop on b5 puts pressure on the knight on c6, the defender of the pawn on e5. The Morphy Defense and the Berlin Defense, master lines, and the mistakes where the opponent loses material.
Variations
Each card holds all the lines of one variation.
Morphy Defense
4.Ba4
9 lines
Steinitz Defense
3...d6
3 lines
Berlin Defense
3...Nf6
8 lines
Exchange Variation
4.Bxc6
4 lines
The idea of the opening
The Ruy Lopez starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. The bishop on b5 attacks the knight on c6 — the piece that defends the pawn on e5. The opening (also called the Spanish Game) is named after Ruy López — a Spanish priest who analyzed it in his book on chess back in the 16th century.
The pressure builds gradually. White castles, puts the rook on e1 and the pawn on c3, and then strikes in the center with d4. Along the way the bishop retreats from a4 to b3 and c2: it steps away from Black's pawns and covers the pawn on e4.
Black most often replies 3...a6 — the Morphy Defense; in games of strong amateurs and masters, this is the most common move. The bishop retreats to a4 or takes the knight right away — that's the Exchange Variation. The other main reply is the Berlin Defense 3...Nf6: the knight attacks the pawn on e4 at once. The course also covers the Steinitz Defense 3...d6, the Classical Defense 3...Bc5, the Bird Variation 3...Nd4 and the Cozio Defense 3...Nge7.
White's plans
- Put pressure on the knight on c6 — the defender of the pawn on e5
- Castle, rook to e1, pawn to c3 and the d4 break
- Play the pawn to h3 to keep the bishop off g4
- Reroute the knight via d2 and f1 to g3
- Start queenside play with the pawn to a4
Black's plans
- Chase the bishop away with the pawns a6 and b5
- Hold e5: pawn on d6, rook on e8, bishop on f8
- Give up a pawn for an attack on the king — the Marshall Attack
- In the Berlin Defense, take the pawn on e4 with the knight
Main systems
The branches where the game starts. Each one is a separate variation in the trainer.
Morphy Defense 4.Ba4
The bishop retreats to a4 and keeps up the pressure on c6. After 4...Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 White prepares 8.c3 and d4, and meets 7...d6 with the pawn to h3. This includes the Marshall Attack 8...d5, the Chigorin 9...Na5, Breyer 9...Nb8 and Zaitsev 9...Bb7 lines, the Neo-Arkhangelsk Variation 6...Bc5, the Open Variation 5...Nxe4 and the Norwegian Variation 5...Na5.
In the trainer · 9 lines
Exchange Variation 4.Bxc6
The bishop takes the knight right away: Black gets doubled pawns on the c-file, but also the bishop pair. World champions Lasker and Fischer played this line. White castles or plays the pawn to h3, then strikes in the center with d4 — and this is where the opponent often goes wrong.
In the trainer · 4 lines
Berlin Defense 3...Nf6
The knight attacks the pawn on e4 at once. The main reply is castling, 4.O-O: if the knight takes the pawn, the rook on e1 helps win the material back. The course also covers 4...Bc5 and White's other options: the Spanish Four Knights 4.Nc3 and the trade 4.Bxc6.
In the trainer · 8 lines
Steinitz Defense 3...d6
Black defends e5 with a pawn but shuts in the bishop on f8. White strikes at once with 4.d4: the knight on c6 is pinned, the king is behind it. The course covers recapturing with the knight 5.Nxd4 and with the queen 5.Qxd4, and against 4...Bd7 the pawn advances to d5 and chases the knight.
In the trainer · 3 lines
Classical Defense, Bird Variation and Cozio Defense 3...Bc5, 3...Nd4, 3...Nge7
Against the Classical Defense 3...Bc5, White castles or plays 4.c3 with the d4 break. In the Bird Variation 3...Nd4 the knights are traded, and a Black pawn lands on d4. In the Cozio Defense 3...Nge7 White castles, puts the pawn on c3 and strikes in the center.
In the trainer · 5 lines
Typical mistakes and traps
Traps from these positions — why the natural move is a mistake and how to defend.
The pawn to d6 in the Classical Defense
Ruy Lopez
Black supports e5 with the pawn on d6 — and the knight on c6 ends up pinned. The d4 break and the queen on a4 win a piece.
In the trainer
More opponent mistakes in the lines
- The pinned knight in the Berlin Defense
- Rook to e8 in the Exchange Variation
- Pawn fork on e5
- Playing d6 with the king in the center
- Bishop sacrifice on h7
- Capture on d5 in the Steinitz Defense
- Undefended bishop in the Bird Variation
- Queen to d5 after the trade on c6
How the lines were chosen
The lines are chosen from statistics of real games between amateur players of all levels. The set covers the opponent's most common replies and typical mistakes — moves after which, according to a chess engine, their position gets noticeably worse. A mistake is included only if a noticeable share of games reaches it. Traps are lines where your move provokes the mistake.
FAQ
How do you play the Ruy Lopez as White?
With 3.Bb5 the bishop puts pressure on the knight on c6, the defender of the pawn on e5. Against 3...a6, retreat with 4.Ba4 or trade right away with 4.Bxc6 — the Exchange Variation. Then castle, bring the rook to e1 and strike in the center with d4. Against the Berlin Defense 3...Nf6, castle at once: 4.O-O.
What are the moves of the Ruy Lopez?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. After that, it all depends on Black. Most often Black plays 3...a6, and after 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 the Closed Ruy Lopez begins. Against the Berlin Defense 3...Nf6, White castles: 4.O-O.
What is the Exchange Variation?
White takes the knight right away: 3...a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6. Black gets doubled pawns on the c-file, but also the bishop pair. White can't take the pawn on e5 at once: the queen sortie to d4 attacks the knight and the pawn on e4. So White castles or plays 5.h3, and then strikes in the center with d4.
What is the Open Variation?
Black takes the pawn on e4 with the knight: 5...Nxe4. White opens the center while Black's king hasn't castled yet: 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 — the pawn on e5 is taken back, and material is level. The line covers the Bernstein Variation 9.Nbd2 — a favorite of Anatoly Karpov.
How do you play against the Berlin Defense?
Castle: 4.O-O. If the knight takes the pawn, 4...Nxe4, the rook comes to e1, and after 5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 material is level again. Defending the knight with the pawn, 5...d5, is a common mistake: the knight on c6 ends up pinned to the king. Against 4...Bc5 White plays 5.c3 and strikes in the center with d4.
What is the Marshall Attack?
Black gives up a pawn for an attack on the king: 7...O-O 8.c3 d5. White takes 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5, and after 13...Qh4 builds a defense: pawn to g3, rook to e4, queen to f1. White is a pawn up, but Black has an attack for it — the position is equal.
Can I train for free?
Yes: five lines are free — the Classical Defense 3...Bc5 4.c3 with the check 6...Bb4+, the Chigorin Defense, two Steinitz Defense 3...d6 lines and the Berlin Defense 3...Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4. The other lines are in PRO.