Ruy Lopez: Closed Main Line

ECO C84-C99advanced

The Closed Spanish — reached after 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 — is the deepest maneuvering complex in chess, 'the chess of the future' according to generations of world champions who all played both sides. White builds the d4 center and begins the legendary knight tour Nb1-d2-f1-g3; Black chooses a regrouping philosophy: the Chigorin's ...Na5 and ...c5, the Breyer's paradoxical ...Nb8-d7, or the Zaitsev's sharp ...Bb7 and ...Re8. Every plan, every square matters for thirty moves.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

Here we go! The pawn steps out to e4, a light square right in the middle. This is a friendly, popular way to start a game, opening lines so your bishop and queen can join the fun later.
Black answers with a pawn to e5, a dark square. Now both sides have planted a pawn in the center, mirroring each other. It's a fair, balanced start where everyone fights for the middle squares.
White moves their knight from g1 to f3. This is a good developing move that helps get your pieces into the game!
Black moves their knight from b8 to c6. This is a good developing move, bringing a piece into the game.
White moves their bishop out from the starting spot and into play. This is called development, and it's a strong way to get your army ready for the game!
The pawn nudges forward to a6 on a light square. This little poke asks the white bishop on b5 a question: stay or go? It's a calm, clever move that keeps Black's options open.
The bishop moves back one square, from b5 to a4. It's still on a safe square.
Black moves their knight from g8 to f6. This is a good developing move, bringing a piece out to help control the middle of the board.
White moves their king from e1 to g1. This is a special move called kingside castling. It's a good move because it gets your king safe and brings a rook into the game.
Black develops their bishop from f8 to e7. This is a developing move, though it places the bishop on a relatively passive square.
White moves their rook from f1 to e1. This is a good developing move, putting the rook on a more open file.
Black advances the pawn to b5, moving it two squares from its starting position. This gains space on the queenside and prepares to support an attack by controlling the c4 square.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	70	58.6%	5.7%	35.7%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4
600-800	46	47.8%	2.2%	50%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7
800-1000	128	54.7%	3.1%	42.2%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
1000-1200	64	54.7%	4.7%	40.6%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
1200-1400	2,286	48.3%	3.4%	48.3%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
1400-1600	6,836	47.1%	3.8%	49.1%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
1600-1800	1,878	47.8%	4.2%	48%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
1800-2000	4,266	46.2%	4.3%	49.5%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
2000-2200	6,038	47.8%	5.4%	46.7%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5
2200-2400	4,291	46.2%	7.3%	46.5%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5:

Bb3 — played 99.5% of the time (White wins 47.2%, draws 3.8%, Black wins 48.9%)
c3 — played 0.4% of the time (White wins 32%, draws 0%, Black wins 68%)
b3 — played 0.1% of the time (White wins 0%, draws 0%, Black wins 100%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

What is the point of the famous Nb1-d2-f1-g3 maneuver?

The knight is heading to its dream squares — f5 or g3-h5 hitting the kingside — without blocking the c3/d4 pawn center or the e1 rook. This three-move tour, executed while the center stays in tension, is the Closed Spanish's signature: slow in tempo, maximal in purpose.

Which Black system should I learn first in the Closed Spanish?

The Chigorin (...Na5 hitting the b3 bishop, then ...c5) teaches the structure's logic most directly: queenside space against central tension. The Breyer rewards deeper positional patience and is today's elite favorite; the Zaitsev demands the most concrete theory. All three are sound — the choice is temperament.