Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. Bb5/3...a6/4. Ba4/4...Nf6/5. O-O/5...Be7/6. Re1/6...b5/7. Bb3/7...d6/8. c3/8...O-O

Ruy Lopez Main Line
a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) r1bq1rk1/2p1bppp/p1np1n2/1p2p3/4P3/1BP2N2/PP1P1PPP/RNBQR1K1 w
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O
Parent: Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez Main Line

Whites most consistent move is 9. d4 freeing the queenside minor pieces and contesting the centre, however, it walks into 9...Bg4 after which the conventional wisdom is that Black has nothing to worry about. For this reason the d4 push is almost always prepared with 9. h3. A few masters have recently attempted to prove that 9. d4 is possible.

White may be fed up with all these preparatory moves and play 9. d3 allowing the safe development of the queenside, but this gives Black complete freedom, claims less space than d4 and limits the scope of the light-squared bishop. The successful chess player must have patience!

References

• Modern Chess Openings 15th ed, 2008. Nick de Firmian. Random House, New York. ISBN 0-8129-3682-5.