Learn the Ruy Lopez (Spanish)
King's Pawn (1.e4 e5) · C60–C99
Your goal: play the Ruy Lopez (Spanish) from memory as White — keep every move right for two weeks and it's mastered.
Choose a line — start with the main line
Watch the moves · play them from memory · spar: play the opening out against the computer.
You'll play White — watch each move, I'll explain.
Intro
1. e41… e52. Nf32… Nc63. Bb53… a64. Ba44… Nf65. O-O5… Be76. Re16… b57. Bb37… d68. c38… O-O
What you're training
Pin and pressure the c6 knight, develop, castle, and then build the ideal centre with c3 and d4. The Ruy Lopez rewards patience: small, lasting pressure rather than a quick knockout.
Strengths
- Bishop to b5 attacks the knight that defends e5. The whole opening orbits around the tension on that knight.
- After ...a6, the retreat Ba4 keeps the bishop on the pin; later Bb3 re-points it at f7 and the centre.
- White's dream set-up is pawns on e4 and d4 with c3 supporting — a big, mobile centre.
- Don't rush. The Ruy Lopez is a slow, manoeuvring game: the queen's knight often travels d2–f1–g3 to join a kingside build-up.
Watch out for
- Beware the Noah's Ark trap: if White grabs the e5 pawn carelessly, ...b5, ...Nxe5 and ...c4 can trap the b3-bishop in a box of black pawns.
- Black should not delay ...a6/...b5 too long, or White comfortably builds the big centre with no counterplay.
- The Exchange (3...a6 4.Bxc6) gives Black the bishop pair — handle the resulting structure with care rather than auto-recapturing plans.