hanging pawns
After 35 days, the Ruy Lopez series is complete
The Ruy Lopez series is complete. 35 videos total, covering every variation for black and for white. I tried to go into much more detail than in the original Spanish series from 2018. Let me know what you think!Hi everyone, Stjepan here! After 35 days, the Ruy Lopez series is complete. Let me know what you think (Sicilian starts tomorrow!)
The Ruy Lopez series is complete. 35 videos total, covering every variation for black and for white. I tried to go into much more detail than in the original Spanish series from 2018. Let me know what you think!
I have created an Anti Ruy Lopez repertoire for black, and a Ruy Lopez repertoire for white. Both are available as annotated PGN files. The repertoire for black recommends the Closed Spanish and the Chigorin, and the repertoire for white is based on the exchange variation, but both cover all the sidelines as well.
All books on the Ruy Lopez, for both black and white are listed here. You can filter the books by opening, color, and first move, in case you need recommendations against other openings.
Here is the tool I use to study openings and prepare my repertoires.
Here are all the variations covered in the playlist:
Introduction to the Spanish Opening (Ruy Lopez): basics, strategy, history, resources, all variations
Closed Spanish Variations:
A complete guide to the Closed Ruy Lopez: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
Chigorin Variation (Closed Spanish with Na5): 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 9. h3 Na5
Breyer Variation (Closed Spanish with Nb8): 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 9. h3 Nb8
Zaitsev Variation (Closed Spanish with Bb7 and Re8): 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 9. h3 Bb7
Kholmov Variation (Closed Spanish with Be6): 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 9. h3 Be6
Karpov Variation (Closed Spanish with Nd7): 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 9. h3 Nd7
Smyslov Defense (Closed Spanish with h6): 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 9. h3 h6
Keres Defense (Closed Spanish with a5): 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 9. h3 a5
Yates Variation (Closed Spanish with d4): 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 9. d4
Pilnik Variation (Closed Spanish with d3): 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 9. d3
Averbakh Variation (6...d6): 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 d6
Deviations from the Closed Spanish after a6:
Arkhangelsk Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7
Neo-Archangel Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5
Marshall Attack: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5
Anti-Marshall: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4
Exchange Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6
Delayed Exchange Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Bxc6
Open Spanish: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4
Modern (Deferred) Steinitz Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6
Deviations for black on move 3:
What if black doesn't play a6 against the Spanish?
Schliemann Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5
Berlin Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6
The Anti-Berlin(s): 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4.d3
Cozio Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7
Classical Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5
Bird Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4
(Old) Steinitz Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6
Fianchetto Defense: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6
White’s deviations on moves 5 and 6:
Every sideline in the Ruy Lopez for white
Worrall (Wormald) Attack: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2
Anderssen Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.d3
Martinez Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3
Tarrasch Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3
Mackenzie Variation: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.d4