Ruy Lopez
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The Ruy Lopez (pronounced "Reye" Lopez) is a popular chess opening, also known as Spanish Opening or Spanish Game. It is a very old opening, but still favored in our times by many world class players. There are so many effective variations on this opening that 40 codes in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (C60 to C99) are assigned to them.
It is named after the 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del Ajedrez, written in 1561. However, the opening predates the book to as early as 1490.
The moves
The trademark of the Ruy Lopez is White's third move of his King's Bishop:
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 3. Bb5