Open · a plan for White

Ruy Lopez: Closed

10/10
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.O-OBe7
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Ruy Lopez: Closed1.7M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
72%1.3M50%
11%185k51%
0.4%6.7k50%
0.1%2.2k47%
0%66249%
Famous games in this line60k master games
Carlsen, M. (2882) – Ding Liren (2805)20190–1Anand, V. (2804) – Carlsen, M. (2876)20151–0Carlsen, Magnus (2862) – Aronian, Levon (2813)20131–0Carlsen, M. (2870) – Ding Liren (2801)20191–0Carlsen, M. (2870) – Ding Liren (2801)20190–1Carlsen, M. (2876) – Aronian, L. (2780)20151–0Kasparov, Garry (2847) – Kramnik, Vladimir (2807)2003½–½Anand, V. (2791) – Carlsen, M. (2863)2015½–½
Heroes of this opening Carlsen, Magnus · Ding Liren · Anand, V.
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
Classical
★ Read the guide: Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening)Explore all 234 Ruy Lopez lines →
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From the archives

Ruy López de Segura was a Spanish priest whose 1561 book set out 3.Bb5 as a system; the move itself is already in the Göttingen manuscript, written around 1500. The 'Spanish torture' has been a world-championship battleground ever since: slow pressure, forever.

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