Ruy Lopez

1. 1

   The pin doesn't win a pawn yet

   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

   It looks like e5 is now only defended once (by the c6 knight) and attacked twice, but 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nxe5?? Qd4! forks the knight and the bishop on e5 and b5's old square, winning the piece back with interest. The pin's value is long-term: pressure, and the option to damage Black's structure with Bxc6 at a moment of White's choosing.

2. 2

   Morphy Defense: gaining a tempo first

   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6

   Before deciding anything else, Black asks the bishop a question. 4.Ba4 keeps the pin (and the option of Bxc6 later); 4.Bxc6 dxc6 trades it immediately for the bishop pair and a simplified game. Almost all main-line Ruy Lopez theory starts here.

3. 3

   Exchange Variation: trade for structure

   2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6

   White gives up the bishop pair for a long-term structural plan: Black's doubled c-pawns cannot easily be fixed or attacked, but White's kingside pawn majority (four vs three) can eventually create a passed pawn in an endgame, while Black's own bishop pair and open lines offer full compensation in the middlegame. Recapturing ...dxc6 (not ...bxc6) keeps the bishop's diagonal open and prepares to meet White's central plans.

4. 4

   Closed systems: the slow build-up

   6...b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3

   Both sides spend many moves on prophylaxis: 9.h3 stops ...Bg4 pinning the f3 knight, ...b5 and ...d6 secure space and prepare ...Bb7 or ...Nb8-d7-c5/f8-g6 manoeuvres (Breyer and Zaitsev systems). Progress is slow and precise; a single careless pawn break can undo many quiet moves of preparation.

5. 5

   Berlin Defense: the drawing weapon that isn't

   6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8

   Black gives up castling rights but reaches an endgame with the bishop pair and a solid structure that is famously hard to break down — the 'Berlin Wall' that neutralised 1.e4 at the very top level in the 2000s. Not a passive draw at all: both sides have real winning tries in the resulting endgame.

6. 6

   Marshall Attack: a pawn for permanent activity

   6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5

   Instead of the slow main lines, Black offers a pawn immediately: 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 gives Black open lines, the bishop pair and a long-lasting initiative against White's king in return. So feared that most modern White players avoid it entirely with an early 8.a4 or 8.h3 (the 'Anti-Marshall').

7. 7

   Schliemann/Jaenisch Gambit: fighting back at once

   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5

   The most aggressive reply: Black strikes the centre immediately, before White's pin has achieved anything. Extremely sharp and forcing, with tactics starting as early as move four or five — not a line to play without concrete preparation, on either side of the board.

These are the patterns worth knowing. For the full count, see the Ruy Lopez mistakes players make most often at each rating.

1. 1

   White: the kingside pawn-majority endgame (Exchange Variation)

   7.d3 Qf6 8.Nbd2 Ne7 9.Re1 Ng6

   With queens still on, White plays patiently (d3, Nbd2-c4, Be3) aiming to reach an endgame where the four-versus-three kingside pawn majority can create a passed pawn, since Black's doubled c-pawns cannot easily do the same on the queenside. Black's plan is to use the bishop pair and open lines for active piece play before that endgame arrives.

2. 2

   Black: the Breyer manoeuvre

   8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7

   The knight retreats all the way to b8 only to redeploy to d7, freeing c6 for the bishop and preparing ...Re8, ...Bf8 and ...g6 in some lines. It looks slow, but repositioning the pieces onto their ideal squares before committing to a central break has scored consistently well even at world championship level.

3. 3

   White: the kingside build-up in Closed systems

   10...Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1

   The f1 knight heads for g3 or e3, supporting a future d5 space-gaining push or a kingside pawn storm with Nh2-g4 and f4. Black meets it with counterplay on the queenside (...c5, ...Nc4) or central breaks with ...d5 or ...exd4 at the right moment. Whoever's pieces are better placed when the position opens gets the advantage.

4. 4

   Black: Marshall Attack compensation

   11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4

   Down a pawn, Black keeps the queen active on h4 or h3, brings the light bishop to f5 or g4, and doubles rooks on the e-file, aiming permanent pressure against White's king and kingside pawns rather than a quick recapture of material. Trading pieces (especially rooks) generally helps the side that is up material, so Black avoids simplifying whenever possible.

5. 5

   The Berlin endgame: opposite plans

   8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 h5

   White tries to use the extra kingside space and slightly better structure to press for decades if necessary; Black relies on the bishop pair and the e5 pawn eventually becoming a long-term target to hold the balance and create counterplay. Neither side can force matters quickly — this endgame has been played, and held, at the very highest level for over a decade.