Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...Nf6/4. O-O/4...Nxe4/5. d4/5...a6

Ruy Lopez:Open Game
a b c d e f g h
8 a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8 8
7 a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7 7
6 a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6 6
5 a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5 5
4 a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4 4
3 a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3 3
2 a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2 2
1 a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1 1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 a6
Parent: Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez:Open Game edit

White's threatened bishop has five options, but any retreat along the f1-a6 diagonal it travelled on move 3 constitutes a loss of tempo, while Bxc6 gives a bad Exchange Variation where the lack of a fixed centre makes Black's bishop pair a fearsome force. So White is more or less forced to transpose into the Open Variation with Ba4.

This is a good example of a move-order trick. Fans of the Open Variation can avoid a whole world of nonsense (Exchange Variation, Worrall Attack, 5. d3) by playing 3...Nf6 and transposing later.

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