Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez - Introduction

The Ruy-Lopez is one of the most famous and earliest documented chess openings, it is named after a 16th century catholic priest, Ruy Lopez de Segura who was a born native to Segura de León, a town in Extremadura, Spain. In 1561 Ruy Lopez published his treatise, which was one of the first books on modern chess in Europe. Ruy López has been described as the "father of opening theory". Padre Lopez was in all likelihood the strongest player in Spain, and possibly Italy, for about twenty years. During the 1500s the strongest players of modern chess theory lived in Italy and Iberia. López is believed to have easily beaten the most skilled Italian or Iberian players deserving the title of world champion, however that title did not exist until the late nineteenth century. Due to the difficulty for Black in achieving equality, a common nickname for the opening is "The Spanish Torture". In the Spanish game, white develops their light squared bishop to B5 rather than C4 as in the Italian game, this puts early pressure onto black's knight on C6, and sets up an absolute pin should black want to push their queen's pawn.

In the Ruy-Lopez white puts early pressure onto black's C6 knight, this developing move put's so much pressure onto black that a common nickname for the opening is "The Spanish Torture", because black finds it very difficult to equalise the position.

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Ruy Lopez - Morphy defence

The mainline of the 'Ruy Lopez' is more commonly referred to as the Morphy defence, after Paul Morphy an American chess prodigy who was most likely the world's greatest chess master at the time, and quite possibly even to date. Paul at 20 years old dominated the American chess scene, after which he travelled to Europe and crushed all of the European greats of his era, including the German Adolf Anderssen. Despite the fact that by 21 he was widely considered the world's greatest chess master, much like Bobby Fischer, he was unfortunetly considered a mentally unsound, yet highly intelligent individual. In 1875, his mother and brother attempted to admit him to a Catholic sanitarium, however Paul being well versed in law, coupled with his intelligence, was able to argue his rights and sanity. Morphy has been called "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess". In the Morphy defence, black expands on the queenside with A6, dislodging white's bishop, with the option of pushing B5 to win a second tempo against white's bishop. Black will then look to develop their kingside and castle short. White will either aim to attack black on the queenside, or the centre, depending on how black reacts to white's early bishop to B5.

In the Morphy defence, black expands on the queenside with A6, dislodging white's bishop, with the option of pushing B5 to win a second tempo against white's bishop. Black will then look to develop their kingside and castle short. White will either aim to attack black on the queenside, or the centre, depending on how black reacts to white's early bishop to B5.

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

Ruy Lopez - Archangel defence

h

g

f

e

d

c

b

a

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

h

g

f

e

d

c

b

a

Introduction to the Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez - Introduction

Ruy Lopez - Morphy defence

Ruy Lopez - Archangel defence