This is taken from my post in my school's website http://forum.smkbintulu.net


Well, now's the time to learn some openings. In international chess we normally follow some general principles. These are thus:

(i) Control the center
(ii) Knights before bishops
(iii) Castle early
(iv) Do not move a piece more than once in the opening
(v) Do not move your queen early

Of course, if the opponent violates the opening principles, you should also punish him/her. Sometimes this may involve violating the principles yourself...

Today we'll be learning an opening called Ruy Lopez or also the Spanish Opening/Spanish Torture


















The Ruy Lopez occurs after the following positions:

1. e4 e5
2. Nf6 Nc3
3. Bb5

The Ruy Lopez is a very positional yet potentially tactical opening. By moving the Bishop to b5, the Bishop attacks the sole defender of e5. From here on, we have three main continuations:

3. ... a6
3. ... Nf6
3. ... d6

... a6 is Morphy's defence
... Nf6 is Berlin's defence
... d6 is Steinitz defence

Of course, after 3. ... a6, White cannot win the pawn on e5 as demonstrated below:

4. Bxc6 dxc6!?
5. Nxe5?! Qe7! skewering the Knight and pawn (or 5. ...Qd4 forking)
6. Nf3 Qxe4+
7. Qe2 Qxe2+
8. Kxe2 -/+ due to Black's Bishop pair

Therefore the only logical move would be 4. Ba4 (The moving of the Bishop twice in the opening is in response to Black's weakening of the Queenside and is thus justified)

4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0!?

Black cannot hold onto the pawn in the long run and faces serious attacking chances from White... eg

5. ... Nxe4?!
6. d4! exd4?
7. Re1! pinning the Knight to the King

Note that 6. ... Nf6 then 7. dxe5 regains material

I will post the others in a later entry =P Got complained of overdosage >_<