Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening)

ECO C60-C99intermediate

The Ruy Lopez arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 and has been the main battleground of 1.e4 e5 chess for over 150 years. White's third move puts long-term pressure on the knight that defends e5, preparing to fight for the center with c3 and d4. The Spanish rewards understanding over memorization: the slow maneuvering of the Closed mainlines, the famous Berlin endgame, and the Exchange structure each teach a different facet of positional chess.

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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.

Your king's pawn strides out to e4, planting a flag right in the middle of the board. Grabbing the center early is a wonderful way to start. It opens lines for your pieces and gives them room to come out and play.
Black answers boldly, pushing the pawn to e5 to stake a claim in the center too. Now both sides have a pawn standing tall in the middle, and the game is balanced and ready for an exciting fight.
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!
Black nudges the pawn forward to a6, gently asking your bishop on b5 a question: will it stay or step back? This little pawn poke is a calm, well-known way for Black to start sorting out the queenside.
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 moves their pawn from its home on b7 two squares forward to b5. That's a strong push!
White moves their bishop from a4 to b3. It's a simple retreat to a safer spot.
Black moves their bishop from its starting home to a new square. This is a great developing move, bringing a strong piece into the game and closer to the middle of the board.

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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	447	52.1%	1.8%	46.1%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
800-1000	3,243	54.5%	2.3%	43.2%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
1000-1200	788	51.5%	4.1%	44.4%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
1200-1400	16,453	54.8%	2.8%	42.4%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
1400-1600	24,368	54.3%	3.2%	42.6%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
1600-1800	3,143	54.6%	4%	41.4%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
1800-2000	3,541	53.2%	3.9%	42.9%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
2000-2200	2,696	50.7%	4.7%	44.6%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5
2200-2400	1,547	45.5%	6.3%	48.2%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5:

c3 — played 40.8% of the time (White wins 55.6%, draws 3%, Black wins 41.4%)
Re1 — played 22.5% of the time (White wins 52.9%, draws 3.2%, Black wins 43.9%)
d3 — played 16.9% of the time (White wins 52.3%, draws 3.3%, Black wins 44.4%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Ruy Lopez considered the best 1.e4 e5 opening for White?

Because 3.Bb5 creates a lasting strategic threat — undermining the defender of e5 — rather than a one-shot tactic. White keeps a small, stable pull in nearly every main line, which is why it has remained the choice of world champions from Capablanca to Carlsen.

What is the Morphy Defense?

3...a6 is the Morphy Defense, Black's most popular reply. It poses the question to the bishop immediately: after 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Black gains space, while 4.Bxc6 leads to the Exchange Variation where White plays against Black's doubled c-pawns in the endgame.

Is the Ruy Lopez too advanced for club players?

No, but it is more theory-heavy than the Italian Game. A practical approach is to start with a simple system (d3 instead of the main-line c3+d4 setups) and add depth gradually. The positional themes you absorb are some of the most valuable in all of chess.