Ruy Lopez
The Ruy Lopez (pronounced "ROO-EE" Lopez) is a popular chess opening, also known as Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, which consists of the player with the white pieces moving the king's pawn forward two spaces. It is a very old opening, but still favored in our times by many world-class players and at all levels of chess today. There are so many effective variations on this opening that 40 codes in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (C60 to C99) are assigned to them.
It is named after the 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del Ajedrez, written in 1561. However, the opening predates the book to as early as 1490.
Bobby Fischer often used the Ruy Lopez opening, as in game 10 of the Match of the Century.
This is the favorite opening of Magnus Carlsen with the white pieces.
The moves
The trademark of the Ruy Lopez is White's third move of his King's Bishop:
- 1. e4 (King's Pawn Opening) e5
- 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 3. Bb5
In the older alternative notation this opening is: (1) P-K4, P-K4 (2) Nt-KB3, Nt-QB3 (3) B-N5[1]