Exeter Chess Club: Steve Martinson on Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5

 

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Goals for White:

pressure Black's centre, especially Pawns - d4 is important; plan to get a Knight to d5 or f5 using the e4 Pawn as an anchor; generally attack be will to King's-side; usually plays O-O

Goals for Black:

maintain strong centre - keep e5 if possible or counterattack quickly if centre is lost; counterattack is frequently on Queen's-side where Pawn thrust (...a6, ...b5) occurs; usually plays ...O-O because of a6/b5 weakening if ...O-O-O; ...d5 will be useful but difficult to attain

Common continuations:

3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5

 

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Marshall Gambit

 

3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Bb7

 

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Steinitz [Impertinent note from typesetter: I would call this the Archangelsk Variation and not the Steinitz]

 

3... Nd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. O-O Bc5 6. Bc4 d6 7. c3 Ne7 8. cxd4 Bxd4

 

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Bird's Defence

 

3... a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O f6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Qxd1 9. Rxd1

 

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Exchange Variation
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This document (smop1.html) was last modified on 28 Jun 1996 by [cool blue cat]

Dr. Dave