Chess set Aluminum and Anodized Gold, created by Kurt Grohs
20 Ruy Lopez Puzzle special (+ bonus opening index!)
This puzzle series is aimed to acquaint you with typical tactics in the Ruy Lopez. If you don't play the Ruy, you'll still find the exercise useful for general tactical training. They're all from real Ruy games, and there are some recurring patterns. Notice how frequently the light squared Bishop plays a leading role in the tactical death of white. This should give you an idea of why it's uncommon for white to give up this bishop, even when it seems that it's not doing much. (problems 1,3,6,11 +16) Watch how black often punishes white for slow development. Despite being the most popular opening against 1.e4 e5, many of the main lines of the Ruy, and not just the Marshall gambit, give black a temporary lead in development. (Problems 10,14 -15 and 19) The 20th problem is an opening trap first executed by Paul Keres that arises from a line in the Steinitz Deferred: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5.d4 ed4 6. Nd4?? Nxd4 7. Qxd4... For your convenience, there's an opening index hyperlinked to each problem with short verbal and historical summaries of each line! Finally comfort yourself with the thought that in addition to improving your tactical skills, you might also be improving your Ruy! 1. White to Move 
Henk Schouten-Frank Denys Huy 1992 Bird Opening
2. Black to Move 
Stoddard-Sorenson Corr.1977 Schliemann 3. White to Move 
Kliavinish, Y-Zhuraliov, V. URS 1968Classical 4. White to Move 
Bobotsov, M-Olafsson,F. Lyons 1955 Exchange Variation
5. Black to Move 
Parnenzini,P- Fernandez, J. Corr. 1992 Unusual lines 6. White to Move 
Martin Vaculik- Stanislav Galicek Svetla nad Savnou,1994 Moller 7. Black to Move 
Torres-Alekhine Seville, 1922 Steinitz Deferred 8. White to Move 
Laroschikn-Groper Berlin 1923, Open Ruy Lopez 9. White to Move 
Ivanov,A.-Hoover,N. Sioux Falls, 1998 Open Ruy Lopez Howell Variation
10. Black to Move 
Morabito-Dangremond Eastpointe, 1994 Worall Attack
11.
White to Move 
Zatisev, Igor-Vornokov,B. Moscow, 1966 Closed Ruy-Zaitsev Variation 12.
White to Move 
Fischer-Gligoric Zagreb, 1970 Closed Ruy-Smyslov Variation 13. White to Move 
Boleslavsky-Kholmov Leningrad, 1956 Closed Ruy-Chigorin Defense
14.
Black to Move 
Hatzl,S-Jovanovic,Sasa Frohnleiten, 1999 Closed Ruy-Breyer
15. Black to Move 
Rodriguez,A- Rodriguez,E. Uruguay 1986 Bird Opening 16. White to Move  Zatocha,V-Shamil,G. Harkany, 1994 Bird Opening 17. White to Move 
A Ynigo-D.Levine Philadelphia, 1995 Bird Opening 18. Black to Move 
Dworzynski-Keres Moscow, 1956 Modern Steinitz 19. Black to Move 
Kostiukchenko-Levin, M. Kiev, 1958 Marshall Gambit 20. White to Move 
Jansson,B-Tchalkhasuren,C. Anti-Marshall
Solutions
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