Current position
Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
The Ruy Lopez starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 and is catalogued under ECO C60, in the open games & french half of the book. The catalog indexes 234 lines inside it, grouped into 200 named variations, and the position after those moves has 1 playable continuation to walk from here.
Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.
Current setup
Move ideas
Claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop.
Idea: Build quick development and make early castling possible.
Meets White’s center directly and opens lines for Black’s queen and bishop.
Idea: Fight for equal central space in a balanced, open position.
Develops the king’s knight and attacks Black’s e5-pawn.
Idea: Increase central pressure while getting ready to castle.
Defends e5 while developing the queen’s knight toward the center.
Idea: Hold the central pawn and keep several classical setups available.
Develops the bishop and pressures the knight that helps defend e5.
Idea: Create long-term pressure on Black’s center before deciding whether to exchange.
Advances the a-pawn to gain queenside edge space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Repositions the bishop to a4, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Develops the knight to f6, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Tucks the king away and activates the rook in a single move.
Idea: Finish kingside development so the central pieces can coordinate safely.
Develops the bishop to e7, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Repositions the rook to e1, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Advances the b-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.
Idea: Prepare a fianchetto or discourage the opponent’s expansion on that wing.
Repositions the bishop to b3, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Tucks the king away and activates the rook in a single move.
Idea: Finish kingside development so the central pieces can coordinate safely.
Advances the c-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Advances to d5 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.
Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.
Captures the pawn on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Open lines in the center and reshape the center for the next phase.
Captures the pawn on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the pawn on e5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the knight on e5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the knight on e5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Advances the c-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Advances to d4 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.
Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.
Repositions the bishop to d6, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Repositions the rook to e1, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Waiting for Lichess game popularity.
Each line below is an indexed entry under Ruy Lopez. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.
176 more named lines sit inside this family — the tree above walks all of them.
ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Ruy Lopez.