Ruy LopezC60

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. White's bishop goes to b5 and leans on the knight that guards Black's e5 pawn. It is one of the oldest openings still played by the best players.

Move by move

3. Bb5: bishop to b 5

White: e4, pawn to e 4.
Black: e5, pawn to e 5.
White: Nf3, knight to f 3.
Black: Nc6, knight to c 6.
White: Bb5, bishop to b 5.

What each side wants

⚪ White: Castle, then play c3 and d4 slowly. This opening is about a long game, not a quick attack.

⚫ Black: Ask the bishop a question with ...a6. If it takes your knight, your e5 pawn is still safe for now.

White made the last move, so after this it is Black's turn.

You will also hear it called the Spanish Game or the Spanish.

⚠️ The pawn that bites back

3... a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. Nxe5 Qd4

Taking straight away does not win a pawn. After 3...a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nxe5, the black queen comes to d4 and attacks the knight and the e4 pawn at the same time, so Black gets the pawn back.

Three things every opening does

The Ruy Lopez follows the three ideas strong players use in every opening. Get a pawn or two into the middle of the board, because pieces in the middle can reach more squares. Bring out your knights and bishops before you move the queen a lot, so she is not chased around. And castle early, so your king is tucked behind a wall of pawns and your rook joins the game. When you forget the moves, those three ideas will still help you find a good one.

Try it

Play it against Peabody on Play, then solve today's puzzle. Openings that start the same way:

Name, code and moves from the Lichess openings list (CC0), checked 31 October 2026. The words are Peabody's own, and every move on this page is checked by Peabody's chess engine.