Chess opening · ECO C84
Ruy Lopez: Closed
After 5...Be7 Black declines to take on e4 and prepares to castle. The center stays closed, and both sides spend the next several moves shuffling pieces to better squares rather than fighting for material. White builds with Re1, c3, h3 and d4, while Black gains queenside space with ...b5 and decides later how to handle the pressure on e5.
- Rank by weighted share
- #129 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
- 5. O-OWhite castles and leaves e4 hanging for a moment. Black can take it with ...Nxe4, which opens the game, or keep the position closed with ...Be7, the choice that defines this page.
- 5... Be7The bishop steps to e7 and clears the way for kingside castling. It also stands behind the f6 knight, so a later pin on the h4-d8 diagonal does not bother Black.
What 6.Re1 threatens
With the rook on e1 guarding e4, White now threatens Bxc6 followed by Nxe5, winning a pawn for real. If Black castles at once with 6...O-O, then 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.Nxe5 does exactly that, and ...Qd4 no longer works because the e4 pawn is covered.
So Black usually plays 6...b5, sending the bishop to b3, and then ...d6 to give e5 a pawn defender. The bishop on b3 now points at f7 along the a2-g8 diagonal.
The c3, h3 and d4 setup
White plays c3 to support a d4 push and to give the bishop a retreat on c2. The h3 move keeps a black bishop off g4, where it would pin the f3 knight. The queen's knight often travels d2, f1 and g3 to reach the kingside.
Black has several plans from here: a knight jump to a5 to trade or chase the b3 bishop, a slower knight reroute through b8 and d7, or pressure on e4 with ...Bb7 and ...Re8.
The Marshall pawn offer
Black can also castle first and answer 8.c3 with 8...d5. After 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Black is a pawn down, but White's queenside pieces are still at home and Black's pieces swing toward the white king. This is the Marshall Attack.
Building the closed center
6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Each side has finished the basic setup. White's h3 takes g4 from the c8 bishop and prepares d4, while Black's pieces cover e5 and wait to choose a queenside plan.
Top replies by rating
Re1 leads every band shown, and its share grows with rating. At 2000 and up, d4 climbs into the top three.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1400–1599 | Re1 67% | d3 9% | c3 9% |
| 1600–1799 | Re1 70% | c3 10% | d3 7% |
| 1800–1999 | Re1 82% | d3 7% | c3 6% |
| 2000 and up | Re1 84% | d4 7% | d3 5% |
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.