Ruy Lopez Opening: Morphy Defense & Steinitz
Ruy Lopez Opening
Definition
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening, begins with the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. White immediately attacks Black’s e-pawn and indirectly tests the knight on c6, striving for long-term pressure on the centre and queenside.
Typical Move Order
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
Strategic Themes
- Central Majority: White aims to play d2-d4 and later c2-c3 to build a strong pawn centre.
- Bishop Pair: The light-squared bishop on b5 may be exchanged for the knight, giving Black the bishop pair but removing a key defender of e5.
- Long-term Manoeuvring: Many lines lead to slow, strategic battles in closed structures (e.g., the Closed Ruy López after …Be7).
Historical Significance
Named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, the opening has been a mainstay of master play for over 400 years. It was revitalised in the 19th century by players such as Paul Morphy and later became the workhorse of champions from Steinitz to Carlsen.
Famous Examples
- Fischer – Spassky, World Championship 1972, Game 6: A model positional victory by Fischer with the Exchange Variation.
- Kasparov – Karpov, World Championship 1985, Game 16: Illustrates dynamic possibilities in the Zaitsev System.
Interesting Facts
- More than one-quarter of all classical world-championship games have begun with the Ruy López.
- The opening’s ECO codes range from C60 to C99—the broadest span of any individual opening family.
Morphy Defense (in the Ruy Lopez)
Definition
The Morphy Defense is Black’s most popular reply to 3.Bb5 and is defined by the move 3…a6. Its key idea is to immediately ask White’s bishop a question and seize space on the queenside.
Typical Move Order
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6
Strategic Ideas
- Bishop Retreat or Exchange: White must choose between 4.Ba4 and 4.Bxc6.
- Flexible Development: Black can head for the Closed (…Be7), Open (…Nxe4), or other systems such as the Marshall Gambit.
- Queenside Expansion: …a6 is often followed by …b5, gaining space and harassing the bishop.
Historical Background
Paul Morphy famously employed 3…a6 in numerous exhibitions, showing that Black does not have to defend passively. The idea quickly supplanted the older Steinitz Defense (3…d6) at top level.
Illustrative Game
Morphy vs. Duke of Brunswick & Count Isouard, Paris 1858 began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7, leading to Morphy’s legendary “Opera Game.”
Interesting Facts
- Because 3…a6 was considered “too modern” for its time, some 19th-century analysts dismissed it—until Morphy proved its soundness.
- Most Closed Ruy López systems (Zaitsev, Chigorin, Breyer, etc.) arise only after the Morphy Defense.
Modern Steinitz Defense (Ruy Lopez)
Definition
The Modern Steinitz Defense updates Wilhelm Steinitz’s original idea of defending with …d6 by first inserting the Morphy move …a6. The defining position arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6, although many modern practitioners insert 4…Nf6 5.O-O d6.
Key Move Order
- e4 e5
- Nf3 Nc6
- Bb5 a6
- Ba4 d6 (or 4…Nf6 5.O-O d6)
Strategic Characteristics
- Solid but Passive: Black bolsters the e5-pawn and prepares …Nf6, …Be7, and …O-O, but concedes space.
- Counter-thrusts: Common breaks include …f5 (the Siesta Variation) or …d5 in the middlegame.
- Piece Play: Because Black’s light-squared bishop is hemmed in, piece coordination is critical.
Historical Evolution
Steinitz first played 3…d6 in the 1870s. Grandmasters in the 20th century—most notably Smyslov and Bronstein—refined it by adding 3…a6, reducing early pressure on the c6 knight.
Example Game
Smyslov – Botvinnik, World Championship 1954, Game 7 featured the Modern Steinitz, ending in a complex draw after both players tried central pawn breaks.
Interesting Facts
- The line was virtually abandoned in the 1960s but revived by Sergei Rublevsky and Igor Glek in the 1990s.
- It often transposes into Philidor-like structures if the light-squared bishops are exchanged early.
Siesta Variation
Definition
The Siesta Variation is an aggressive branch of the Modern Steinitz Defense characterized by Black’s early …f5 thrust. The main line arises after:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 6. c3 f5
Origin of the Name
Legend holds that the line was analyzed in a Madrid café named “La Siesta,” where Spanish masters convened for afternoon analysis—hence the sleepy-sounding moniker despite its sharpness.
Strategic Themes
- King-Side Initiative: …f5 grabs space and hints at a future …f4 to attack.
- Center Tension: White often responds with d4, leading to a lively struggle over e5 and f5 squares.
- Risk vs. Reward: Black weakens the e6 and e5 squares; accurate play is required.
Typical Continuation
7.d4 fxe4 8.Ng5 d5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 gives a double-edged middlegame where both sides’ kings are somewhat exposed.
Illustrative Game
Anand – Adams, Linares 1993 followed Siesta lines and ended in a spectacular perpetual check after mutual attacks on opposite wings.
Interesting Facts
- Bobby Fischer analysed the Siesta in My 60 Memorable Games, calling it “one of Black’s most radical answers to the Spanish.”
- Because the pawn structure can resemble the King’s Indian, some specialists of that opening (e.g., Teimour Radjabov) have experimented with the Siesta.
Visualization
You can step through the opening with the interactive viewer below: