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Ruy Lopez
Intermediatewhite repertoire·6 parts
The Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5). White's bishop attacks the knight that defends Black's e5-pawn. Its famous plan is to play c3 and then d4 — building a big pawn centre and slowly squeezing Black for space.
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Start
Key Strategic Ideas
Before diving into specific lines, we look at the 6 core White ideas that underpin every Ruy Lopez variation. Understanding these will make every subsequent line feel logical rather than memorised.