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Learn the Ruy Lopez (Spanish) a popular Chess Opening Strategy

The Ruy Lopez chess opening (also called: the Spanish) is a well known chess opening strategy and very popular. It starts with 1 e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 and has a lot of variations.

This opening was first developed by Ruy Lopez (1540 – 1580), a Spanish priest and a bishop in segura, who wrote articles about chess. Black has various defenses now.

See chess position below:
chess opening strategy

The most popular chess move is 3…a6

There are other defences like:

3…Nge7 (Cozio)
3…Nd4 (Bird)
3…d6 (Steinitz)
3…f5!? (Schliemann)
3…g6 (Smyslov)
3…Nf6 (Berlin)
3…Bc5 (Classical or Cordel variation)

Study variations played with the most occurring 3…a6.

I personally like the Classical or Cordel Variation very much as the black bishop moves to the strong square c5 and puts pressure on f2.

Most popular setup is 3…a6 4. Ba4 – see video

Ruy Lopez – Chess Games

Flip Board: Press F-Key (or click e7 or d2 on top) Select a game: Click on grey bar

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