Named after the Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, this opening pressures Black's knight defending e5. It leads to rich strategic play and has been a favorite of world champions throughout history.
Move Sequence
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O
Famous Game
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White aims to build a powerful central bind with d4, often preparing it with Nbd2 and Nf1-g3 to increase pressure on e5. The ideal setup involves posting the knight on g3 to attack f5 or h5, while the bishop on b3 eyes the f7 square and the rook on e1 supports the e4 pawn and future central operations.
Black seeks to maintain the e5 stronghold and counterattack with ...Na5 to trade off the dangerous b3 bishop, then regroup with ...c5 to gain space and challenge White's center. Alternatively, Black can pursue the Chigorin maneuver ...Na5-c4 to dominate the queenside while keeping the position solid.
White: d4 (central break to undermine e5), f4 (kingside attack after Nf1-g3); Black: ...d5 (direct central counter if e4 is undermined), ...c5 (queenside expansion after ...Na5), ...b4 (to challenge White's c3-d4 pawn chain)
The middlegame is a rich strategic battle with tension in the center — White presses with a long-term space advantage and potential kingside attack, while Black fights for equality through piece activity and queenside counterplay. Play can become sharp if both sides commit to their respective pawn breaks, but it often remains positional with maneuvering on both wings.
Topalov,V vs. Ding Liren
4th Sinquefield Cup 2016, 2016
Carlsen,M vs. Ragger,M
38th Olympiad, 2008
Leko,P vs. Korchnoi,V
38th Olympiad, 2008
Topalov, Veselin vs. Frolov, Artur
Biel Interzonal, 1993
Ivanchuk, Vassily vs. Piket, Jeroen
Biel Interzonal, 1993
Anand, Viswanathan vs. Beliavsky, Alexander G
Linares, 1992