Ruy Lopez Opening Morphy Defense Keres Smyslov
Ruy Lopez Opening
Definition
The Ruy Lopez (also called the Spanish Opening) arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. White’s third-move bishop hits the knight on c6, an indirect attacker of the e5-pawn. First analysed by 16th-century priest Ruy López de Segura, it is one of the oldest and most deeply studied openings in chess.
How the Opening Is Used
- Primary aim for White: Build long-term pressure on the centre, gain space on the kingside, and often create a bind with d2–d3 or d2–d4 followed by c2–c3.
- Typical plans for Black: Choose a solid set-up (e.g. the Berlin or Closed Defences) or strike back dynamically (e.g. the Open or Marshall Attacks).
- Both sides castle quickly; many positions feature locked pawn chains and manoeuvring behind them.
Strategic & Historical Significance
The Ruy Lopez has dominated top-level play for 150 years. It formed the backbone of world-championship repertoires from Steinitz to Carlsen because:
- It offers White rich positional pressure without excessive risk.
- Black enjoys many reliable defences, ensuring theoretical balance.
- Its branching tree (Berlin, Morphy, Marshall, Zaitsev, Breyer, etc.) provides lifetime study material.
Illustrative Example
Game 6, Fischer – Spassky, Reykjavik 1972, showcases the quiet pressure White can build in the Ruy Lopez. Fischer’s 11.Re1 and 14.a3 created long-term weaknesses; Spassky’s passive set-up eventually collapsed.
Interesting Facts
- Because it begins with 3.Bb5, many club players simply call it “the Spanish.”
- In blitz, 3.Bb5 is sometimes pre-moved even before Black replies 1…e5.
- The opening’s theory fills entire volumes; ECO devotes the whole “C60–C99” range to it.
Morphy Defense (in the Ruy Lopez)
Definition
The Morphy Defense starts 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6. By immediately questioning the Spanish bishop, Black threatens …b5, gaining space and forcing White to clarify the bishop’s intentions.
Strategic Ideas
- Flexibility: 3…a6 introduces multiple branches—Closed (…Be7), Open (…Nxe4), Arkhangelsk (…b5 & …Bb7), Marshall Gambit (…b5, …O-O, …d5) and more.
- Time vs. structure: White often spends tempi relocating the bishop (Bb5–a4–b3), while Black concedes a pawn island on the a-file.
- Who owns the centre? Black delays …d6 or …Bc5 until the bishop issue is settled, aiming for counterplay rather than early solidity (as in the Berlin).
Historical Background
Named after the American genius Paul Morphy (1837-1884), who frequently employed the move …a6 to seize the initiative. Although the idea predates him, Morphy’s demonstration game against the Duke of Brunswick & Count Isouard (Paris 1858) immortalised the line.
Famous Example
Kramnik – Lékó, Dortmund 2000, demonstrates modern “wait and see” Morphy play: the bishop retreat to b3, flexible pawn structures, and a later central explosion.
Interesting Tidbits
- 3…a6 is so common that many databases label all 3…a6 positions “C70” until further moves clarify the sub-line.
- In the 2018 WCh match, Caruana used the Morphy Defense six times; Carlsen answered with both the Anti-Marshall (8.a4) and the sharp 8.h4 novelty.
Keres–Smyslov Defense (Ruy Lopez 3…g6)
Definition
The Keres–Smyslov Defense appears after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6. Instead of protecting the e5-pawn with …a6 or …d6, Black fianchettoes the king’s bishop, planning …Bg7 and rapid kingside castling.
Strategic Themes
- Hyper-modern counterstrike: Black allows White to occupy the centre, intending later pressure with …f5, …d5 or piece activity along the long diagonal.
- Bishop pair: The g7-bishop often becomes Black’s pride; in many lines Black later plays …Nge7, …d6, and …O-O preserving bishop scope.
- Imbalance: White can choose aggressive set-ups with c2–c3 & d2–d4, or go positional with d2–d3 and Nbd2–f1–g3. Play is less analysed than mainstream Morphy/Berlin lines, giving room for creativity.
Origins & Name
The move 3…g6 was experimented with by Estonian grandmaster Paul Keres in the late 1930s, and was later refined by future World Champion Vasily Smyslov. While neither adopted it as a main staple, their occasional successes prompted the dual eponym.
Model Game
Keres – Lilienthal, USSR Championship 1940. Black’s flexible structure and active bishops outmanoeuvred White, underscoring the line’s dynamic potential.
Usage in Modern Practice
- Occasional surprise weapon for elite players such as Alexander Grischuk and Teimour Radjabov.
- Popular in correspondence and engine play, where the subtle pawn structures offer rich unexplored territory.
Interesting Facts
- Because the line skips the thematic …a6, the famous “Spanish bishop” often remains on b5 for many moves, an unusual sight in Ruy Lopez theory.
- Engines initially gave 3…g6 a dubious verdict, but neural-network engines (Leela, AlphaZero) have since suggested it is fully playable.
- FIDE code C70 also covers 3…g6, so Morphy and Keres–Smyslov variations share the same ECO chapter until move 4.