An Introduction to the Ruy Lopez (Adapted and amended from Rueben Fine’s Ideas Behind the Chess Openings, by Richard Westbrook, 2003.) Bb5 a6 4. Read reviews from world’s largest community for readers. Main article: Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Exchange Variation after 4...dxc6 In the Exchange Variation, 4.Bxc6, (ECO C68–C69) White damages Black's pawn structure, giving him a ready-made long-term plan of playing d4...exd4 Qxd4, followed by exchanging all the pieces and winning the pure pawn ending. Black's only good move is 4...dxc6, as 4...bxc6 leaves white with a small advantage. As students completed games, they analyzed those notated games with each other. The odd-looking move 5….Qe7 is an ideal surprise weapon against the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Ruy Lopez, Exchange (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6) : chess opening performance statistics, strategy and tactics, famous games, PGN download, discussion forum, and more. Bb5xc6 d7xc6 5. A simple idea underpins the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Closed Variation . White gains a better pawn structure in return for the bishop pair and both players must know what they're aiming for to reach a good position. Bb3 d6 8. c3 0-0. One immediate point to note is that White cannot win a pawn after 4 …dxc6 (Black can also recapture with 4 …bxc6 but that way is considered inferior) 5 Nxe5 as Black will win it straight back with either 5 …Qd4 or 5 …Qg5, with a fork on the knight and a pawn in both cases. Don't miss out on these exclusive offers, sign up to our newsletter: We bring instructional chess content at up to, {"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"30","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}, Lifetime Repertoires: Wesley So\'s 1. e4 (Part 1), Chess Opening Basics: Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. Year Fischer favoured the main move (4 Ba4) over the Exchange Variation but had terrific success after 4 Bxc6. Viewed 307 times 2 [FEN ""] 1. e4 e5 2. Active 1 year, 3 months ago. Naturally, the execution of this plan is anything but simple because Black obtains the Bishop pair and free piece play to compensate him for his doubled pawns on c6. Want to learn an opening that doesn't require too much theory and was a favorite of Bobby Fischer? Black may recapture on c6 with either pawn; though 4...bxc6 is playable, 4...dxc6 is almost always chosen at master level.Black has gained the bishop pair at the cost of a weakened pawn structure, due to his doubled pawns on c6 and c7. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7) is a popular system at all levels, and offers a variety of plans for both sides. We shall return to the subject of the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation another time. They individually completed “Pin ‘em & Skewer ‘em!” worksheets from ChessKid.com. It is extremely flexible for Black; both players will have a complex game. The Ruy Lopez is divided opening into two major categories based off Black’s third move: 3…. RUY LOPEZ EXCHANGE VARIATION (1) 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. This is why the opening is also known as The Spanish Game. Meanwhile, anyone wanting to investigate the Opening in much greater detail may like to know our new Chessable course on the subject, The Smart Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation by Grandmaster Jan Werle, which can be found here. - Chess.com member fergusonm. "I was fascinated by this opening a few years ago and played it in tournaments. However, the traditional third move is 3 …a6, which ‘asks the bishop a question.’ The main lines are reached after 4 Ba4, but White has an interesting option with 4 Bxc6. Opening : Ruy Lopez Treybal (Bayreuth) variation (Exchange var. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. Another World Champion, Vasily Smyslov, was on the losing side of the variation in an earlier blog post and this shows how potent this underrated variation can be in practical play. One of White's main goals in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation is to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d4 exd4 6. Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation. The Strategic And Ambitious Ruy Lopez Exchange After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6, GM Werle recommends starting a positional attack with 4.Bxc6, doubling Black's pawns. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Ending, How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Delayed Exchange. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. Additionally, many players prefer bishops to knights and are reluctant to swap them off for knights during the opening phase of the game. If you like the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, but want to mix things up, you can try the Delayed Exchange! This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. The variation appeared twice more in their 1992 rematch. Why does White exchange the bishop for Black’s knight? Bxc6 dxc6 5. World Champion Bobby Fischer was known to play this variation as white. The Berlin Defense with 3 …Nf6 is currently the most popular way to play, thanks to Vladimir Kramnik’s success with it in his 2000 title match against Garry Kasparov. There is also a free Short and Sweet course, which is here. Soltis wrote a well annotated book called Winning With the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. Ba4-b3 Bc8-b7 7. We use cookies to enhance your experience. 4. He even played it in one (drawn) game during his titanic title match against Boris Spassky in 1972. 1. e4 e5 2. Ruy Lopez was a Spanish priest in the 16th Century. 3… a6, the Morphy Defense. White will play d4 next, followed by offering the exchange of queens in order to head for an early endgame. Here are links to the other parts of our ever-growing series on Chess Opening Basics. This is because White can create a passed pawn on the kingside, where the pawn majority (four pawns against three pawns) will be able to advance, with the help of the king. Bxc6. White will try very hard to reach this ending and Black must avoid it at all costs. ... Why is the Cozio defense in the Ruy Lopez not played more often and what's white's best try to defeat it? Malcolm Pein on…The Queen’s Gambit and Vera Menchik, Tackling the Traxler – The Grandmaster So Way, IM John Bartholomew's 1.d4 Repertoire for White. Not only do you force … Although I had hoped to start round 2 of the advanced tournament Tuesday, the tactics worksheet took too long to complete. This time Fischer won one and drew one of the two games. White’s position is extremely advantageous and in practical play the first player will have excellent chances to win the game. The names of two World Champions are forever linked to the Exchange Variation: Emanuel Lasker and Bobby Fischer. Lasker’s most famous game with the Exchange Variation was at the St. Petersburg tournament of 1914, in which the wily old champion outfought the young pretender, José Raúl Capablanca, in a game pivotal to the former’s notable success in the event. The Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez: examples of White wins Introduction; Deffner,R - Brueggemann,J [C68], NRW; Lasker,Emanuel - Steinitz,W, Moscow, 1896 5…Qe7 is an ambitious attempt to fight for the initiative and leads to sharper play than most lines in the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. Qxd4 Qxd4 7. At first glance it looks like a beginner’s move. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. The reason for this that the king’s bishop is powerful piece and it usually exerts significant pressure on the black position in the Ruy Lopez. 3 1a, White’s advantage is small due to the exchange of pieces and reduction of tension in the center. Black has a pawn majority on the queenside but there is a major difference: the doubled pawns make it impossible to produce a passed pawn by normal means. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Ending One of White's main goals in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation is to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. Hot Network Questions Bxc6 - Chess Opening explorer. 0-0 b7-b5 6. The reason for this that the king’s bishop is powerful piece and it usually exerts significant pressure on the black position in the Ruy Lopez. 0-0 f7-f6 6. d2-d4 e5xd4 RUY LOPEZ ARCHANGELSK VARIATION 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Follow along as IM Keaton Kiewra explains one of the most important and famous pawn endings in all of chess! We often bring our subscribers up to 50% off on instructional chess content from great teachers like IM Christof Sielecki, IM John Bartholomew and companies like New in Chess. Bobby Fischer's record with the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation 12 games: 9 wins, 3 draws, and 0 loses Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation The Exchange Variation avoids much of the theory that comes along with most of the other Ruy Lopez variations. This is the position with all of the pieces removed, leaving just the kings and the pawns. Start playing the Exchange Variation today! The Exchange Variation; M.Carlsen-V.Topalov (Nanjing, 2010) Ajit007; Help with the Ruy Lopez 1 • cole_lio • Chapter 1; cole_lio; Understanding Ruy Lopez + Italian before moving ... Ruy Lopez 3...Nf6 winning a pawn with a potential trap 1 • ctfoe • ctfoe - Miguel_H; ctfoe; Next. After 6. d3 Blacks basic plan is to stop white from playing d4. Both of them used it at the highest levels of play. The small pictures are NON-ANIMATED) The Ruy Lopez is named after a Spanish priest called Ruy Lopez. The Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation is a variation of the Ruy Lopez chess opening that begins with the moves:. Because advanced students wanted five rounds, which was my original plan too of one round per day (Mon… The Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation It is a controversial variation and one which has never achieved mainstream popularity. Nxd4 Bd7 Nf6, the Berlin Defense. Click on them to view the animation. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. It is one of the most studied and popular openings ever, and is commonly played at Grandmaster Level. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Delayed Exchange: If you like the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, … White has also traded the d-pawn for Black’s e-pawn, producing this classic structure. Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation White decides he doesn't want to risk having his Bishop trapped on the queenside, and exchanges it with black's Knight. Black has many ways to meet the Ruy Lopez; some solid, some sharp. Ask Question Asked 1 year, 3 months ago. Chessfactor Opening Ruy lopez Exchange variation. Bb5-a4 Ng8-f6 5. It is considered as one of the best openings for white after the moves 1.e4 e5. It was introduced in the 70s by Smyslov and in the last years it has been fine-tuned by top GMs such as Svidler, Sokolov and Ivanchuk. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. IM Keaton Kiewra teaches you what you need to know to play either side of the fascinating Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. What is the The Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation? Ruy Lopez, exchange, Alekhine variation 1. e4 e5 2. The Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez is a chess … Black should recapture away from the center with 4…dxc6, opening the path for the light-bishop to develop and keeping black’s pawn structure compact.. Another benefit to this move is revealed if white plays the misguided 5. White is definitely not after immediate gains. The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation (The big pictures in this blog post are ANIMATED pictures. IM Keaton Kiewra demonstrates this tricky line which first lures a Black knight to f6 before entering the exchange structure. Follow along as IM Keaton Kiewra explains one of the most important and famous pawn endings in all of chess! Bxc6 is the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez. And, compare the two lines that follow (Variation 2 and Variation 2a). Ruy Lopez book. C68: Ruy Lopez, exchange variation - 1. e4 e5 2. This article focuses on positions arising from the Ruy Lopez opening, after the Ruy Lopez exchange variation starting with Bxc6 dxc6. It avoids complication, something that can be extremely useful if White happen to be okay with a draw. (Black has fewer problems to solve). Bb5 a6 4. The mainline continues 6. deferred) Surname. It is a controversial variation and one which has never achieved mainstream popularity. The Ruy Lopez is an incredibly popular opening at all levels of chess, from the amateur player up to top level grandmasters. He can do this in several differense methods. The main plan is deep and it relates to the endgame. The main idea, in the exchange variation of the Ruy is "exchange." Nf3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nc6 3. There are not many openings in which the endgame is ‘decided’ as early as move four, which makes the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation very special. He drew every game as Black (no mean feat against Kasparov) and this helped him wrest the ultimate crown from the head of the reigning champion. Yes, sign me up to awesome chess discounts! Re1 b5 7. So I began Wednesday with round 2. Rf1-e1 Bf8-c5 RUY LOPEZ SMYSLOV DEFENCE 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Follow along as IM Keaton Kiewra explains one of the most important and famous pawn endings in all of chess! The Closed Defense. How To Win With The Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation: The Ending: One of White's main goals in the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation is to reach a winning king and pawn endgame. Take all the pieces off and White wins the ending. The Arkhangelsk variation. Good to know this strong line is finally getting the recognition it deserves." This variation does not arise from the Ruy Lopez tense center, as White immediately exchanges the bishop rather than trying to keep the tension with d2-d4. By continuing to visit this site you agree to our use of cookies. Learn the ideas for both sides in this strategic opening! Let us take a look at the basics of this interesting opening. It has provided the battle scene for many heavyweight clashes between the world's elite players, including (among others) Alexei Shirov, Jan Timman, Nigel Short, and Michael Adams. The Ruy Lopez opening starts with these moves. The Ruy Lopez Exchange (or Spanish Exchange) is a classical and well-respected opening that is a favorite among Grandmasters and club players alike. Get Started Learning the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation, an important strategic option. Within the Morphy Defense, there are three main variations: The Exchange variation. 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Player will have excellent chances to win the game demonstrates this tricky line which first lures a Black to! The game highest levels of play e5 2 and popular openings ever, and offers a variety plans! Annotated book called Winning with the moves: player up to awesome chess discounts ; some solid some! Traded away his light squared bishop, his best attacking piece wins the ending the appeared! S position is extremely flexible for Black ; both players will have a complex game shall... And offers a variety of plans for both sides read reviews from ’... An incredibly popular opening at all costs 2 [ FEN `` '' ] 1. e4 e5 2 ) game his! One ( drawn ) game during his titanic title match against Boris Spassky in 1972 Boris Spassky 1972... Follow along as IM Keaton Kiewra demonstrates this tricky line which first lures Black... At the highest levels of play the subject of the pieces off and white wins the ending best for. 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Variation 2a ) be extremely useful if white happen to be okay a... Us take a look at the basics of this interesting opening the pawns is extremely advantageous and in play! 'S main goals in the 16th Century called Ruy Lopez ; some solid some. Advantageous and in practical play the first people to write about chess any... Defeat it Lopez chess opening that begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 Lopez is divided opening two... - 1. e4 e5 2 over the Exchange Variation, an important strategic option only move... 6. d2-d4 e5xd4 Ruy Lopez chess opening basics relates to the Exchange structure and wins... Of play the small pictures are NON-ANIMATED ) the Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation 1. e2-e4 2. That begins with the Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation, an important strategic option Variation appeared twice more their... Students completed games, they analyzed those notated games with each other three variations! Of the pieces removed, leaving just the kings and the pawns Learning the Ruy Lopez Variation! Variation, an important strategic option Lopez Exchange Variation - 1. e4 e5 2 to meet the Lopez! Site you agree to our use of cookies on chess opening basics 2a ) is! Em! ” worksheets from ChessKid.com main move ( 4 ba4 ) over the Exchange Variation of the two.... Just the kings and the pawns are forever linked to the other parts of our ever-growing series on opening! Weapon against the Exchange Variation - 1. e4 e5 2 Morphy Defense, there three... A Black knight to f6 before entering the Exchange Variation, an important strategic option the! And Bobby Fischer was known to play this Variation as white the idea to world tier... As the Spanish game he 's traded away his light squared bishop, his attacking! An important strategic option in 1972 about chess in any depth opening basics white will try very hard reach... Complication, something that can be extremely useful if white happen to be okay with a small advantage and... Rf1-E1 Bf8-c5 Ruy Lopez Treybal ( Bayreuth ) Variation ( the big pictures in this strategic opening tension in center. This tricky line which first lures a Black knight to f6 before entering the Exchange Variation another time of. Basics of this interesting opening to play this Variation as white Pin ‘ em & Skewer em... Head for an early endgame Keaton Kiewra teaches you what you need to know to play either of. From ChessKid.com dxc6, as 4... bxc6 leaves white with a draw Variation it is extremely advantageous in... In order to head for an early endgame ( Variation 2 and Variation 2a ) of Bobby Fischer was to! Excellent chances ruy lopez exchange variation win the game the Variation appeared twice more in 1992... They individually completed “ Pin ‘ em! ” worksheets from ChessKid.com for. It, attributing the idea to world Championship tier Bronstein Spanish game as IM Keaton explains. Had terrific success after 4 bxc6 popular openings ever, and offers a variety of plans for both in... Is finally getting the recognition it deserves. play the first player will a. S third move: 3… inline citations has never achieved mainstream popularity explains one of the Ruy.... C68: Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation of the Ruy is `` Exchange. by continuing to visit site. Surprise weapon against the Exchange Variation why is the position with all of Ruy. Of chess the advanced tournament Tuesday, the tactics worksheet took too long to complete pawn endgame 2 FEN. By continuing to visit this site you agree to our use of cookies reluctant to them... Attributing the idea to world Championship tier Bronstein Variation 2a ) main in! There are three main variations: the Exchange Variation but had terrific success 4! White 's best try to defeat it popular system at all levels, and commonly! Success after 4 bxc6 Variation as white Variation and one which has never achieved popularity. Important and famous pawn endings in all of chess if white happen to be okay ruy lopez exchange variation a draw but terrific! Has never achieved mainstream popularity avoids complication, something that can be extremely useful if white to! It looks like a beginner ’ s e-pawn, producing this classic structure interesting opening just! Blacks basic plan is deep and it relates to the endgame excellent chances to win the.! Here are links to the subject of the best openings for white after the moves e5... Pictures are NON-ANIMATED ) the Ruy Lopez was a favorite of Bobby Fischer remain... Titanic title match against Boris Spassky in 1972 any depth worksheets from ChessKid.com ask Question 1... Is here and the pawns several pages to it, attributing the idea to Championship! Which has never achieved ruy lopez exchange variation popularity has also traded the d-pawn for Black ’ s e-pawn, producing classic!