C84 · Open · a plan for White

Ruy Lopez: Closed, Basque Gambit

15/15
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.O-OBe76.d4exd47.e5Ne48.c3
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Basque Gambit408 games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit77%31555%
5.6%2357%
4.7%1963%
4.7%1937%
3.9%1644%
3.7%1547%
0.2%10%
Famous games in this line4 master games
Nihal, Sarin (2692) – Svane, R. (2619)2025½–½Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra (2402) – Injac, Teodora (2385)20221–0Tomczak, Rafal (2365) – Christ, Ralf (2283)2011½–½Sambursky, Vladimir (2244) – Kozlitin, Roman (2325)2013½–½
Family
Ruy Lopez
Category
Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C84
Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3
GambitClassical
★ Read the guide: Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening)Explore all 234 Ruy Lopez lines →
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque GambitC84 8…dxc3
Nearby lines in the family
Ruy Lopez: Open, Harksen GambitC80 5…Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.c4Ruy Lopez: Closed, Rosen AttackC88 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.d4Ruy Lopez: Closed, Anti-MarshallC88 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.a4
From the archives

Ruy López de Segura was a 16th-century Spanish priest whose 1561 book systematized 3.Bb5 — alongside advice like seating your opponent facing the sun. The 'Spanish torture' has been a world-championship battleground from Steinitz to Carlsen: slow pressure, forever.

Study this opening
Videos on YouTube ↗Wikipedia: Ruy Lopez ↗