Ruy López (Ruy) - Spanish Opening

Ruy

Definition

"Ruy" is common shorthand for the Ruy López, also known as the Spanish Opening, which begins with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. The name honors Ruy López de Segura, a 16th-century Spanish priest and early chess author whose 1561 treatise helped popularize this bishop pin on c6. In casual conversation, players often say "the Ruy" to mean this opening, or even to refer to Ruy López himself.

Usage in Chess Language

As White: "I play the Ruy" means choosing 3. Bb5 against 1...e5.
As Black: "Against the Ruy I play the Berlin/Open/Marshall" identifies a preferred defensive system.
In commentary and databases, "Ruy" abbreviates "Ruy López" or "Spanish," with ECO codes C60–C99 covering its theory.

Starting Moves and Main Branches

The Ruy López starts 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5, aiming to pressure e5 and provoke structural concessions. Key replies by Black define major branches:

Morphy Defense: 3...a6 (most common), leading to:
- Closed Ruy: 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3, rich maneuvering.
- Open Defense: 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4, immediate central tension and open lines.
- Marshall Attack: 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5!?, dynamic gambit play.
- Modern Steinitz: 3...a6 4. Ba4 d6, solid but slightly passive.
Berlin Defense: 3...Nf6, famed for sturdy endgames ("Berlin Wall").
Classical (Cordel) Defense: 3...Bc5, active bishop development.
Steinitz Defense: 3...d6 (Old Steinitz), compact structure.
Schliemann (Jaenisch) Gambit: 3...f5, sharp counterattack.
Smyslov Defense: 3...g6, fianchetto approach.
Cozio Defense: 3...Nge7, flexible piece placement.
Bird Defense: 3...Nd4, early challenge to the bishop.

Strategic Themes

White ideas:
- Build a classical center with c3 and d4; maintain e4-e5 tension.
- Typical maneuvers: Nb1–d2–f1–g3, Re1–e3–g3, Bc1–e3–g5; pawn thrust a4 to chip at ...b5.
- In Closed lines, aim for kingside pressure and d4–d5 breakthroughs after preparation.
Black ideas:
- Challenge White’s center with ...c5 and/or ...d5; queenside space with ...a6–...b5.
- Key maneuvers: ...Nb8–d7–f8–g6, ...Na5 to harass Bb3/Bc2, ...Re8 and ...Bf8 regrouping.
- Berlin: trade to a durable endgame with bishop pair and sound structure.
- Marshall: dynamic compensation for a pawn via rapid piece activity and pressure on the kingside.

Illustrative Lines

Closed Ruy structure (Zaitsev setup) example:

Berlin endgame skeleton:

Marshall Attack main idea:

Historical Notes and Significance

Named after Ruy López de Segura (c. 1530–c. 1580), whose early analysis cemented the opening’s place in chess.
Capablanca vs. Marshall, New York 1918: Capablanca famously defused Marshall’s prepared gambit and won, yet the Marshall Attack remains theoretically sound and popular today.
Kramnik vs. Kasparov, World Championship 2000: Kramnik’s Berlin Defense neutralized Kasparov’s 1. e4 in multiple games, transforming top-level Ruy theory for decades.
World Champions from Steinitz to Carlsen have relied on the Ruy, illustrating its timeless strategic depth.

Typical Plans and Ideas (by Variation)

Closed Ruy: slow maneuvering, tension maintenance, and timely central breaks; both sides redeploy knights and bishops behind pawn shields.
Open Defense: immediate piece activity and open files; Black seeks counterplay against e4 and on the queenside.
Berlin: early queen trade and king walk to e8–d8 or e8–c8 in some lines; endgame technique often decides.
Marshall: initiative-driven play, Black targets g2 and the light squares; accurate defense can yield White an extra pawn in the endgame.

Common Pitfalls and Traps

Noah’s Ark Trap: after careless queen excursions in lines with ...a6, ...b5, ...c5–c4, White’s bishop on b3 can be trapped.
“Fishing Pole” motif: in certain Berlin sidelines, ...Ng4 and ...h5 tempt hxg4, opening the h-file toward White’s king.

Example Games to Study

Capablanca vs. Marshall, New York 1918 — Anti-Marshall technique and endgame conversion.
Vladimir Kramnik vs. Garry Kasparov, WCC 2000 — Model Berlin Defense handling across several games.
Garry Kasparov vs. Anatoly Karpov, World Championship matches 1985–1990 — Deep Closed Ruy maneuvering (Zaitsev, Chigorin, Breyer).
Magnus Carlsen vs. Viswanathan Anand, Chennai 2013 — Practical Berlin structures at the highest level.

Interesting Facts

The Ruy is one of the oldest recorded openings, yet engine-era novelties still appear regularly at elite level.
Paul Morphy’s advocacy of 3...a6 to question the bishop helped shape modern Ruy praxis; hence 3...a6 is called the Morphy Defense.
ECO codes C60–C99 span the Ruy López family, from offbeat sidelines to the depths of Closed main lines.