The Ruy Lopez

The Ruy Lopez, also known as the Spanish Opening, is a classic and highly respected chess opening played by White. It begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. White aims to control the center with their pawn on e4 and develop their pieces quickly. The Ruy Lopez can lead to a strategic and positional game, with both sides vying for control of the center and attempting to outmaneuver each other. The opening is named after a Spanish bishop who wrote a book on chess in the 16th century. The Ruy Lopez has been played by many top-level players throughout history, including José Capablanca and Anatoly Karpov, and is still a popular choice at all levels of play today.