Ruy Lopez Books

Starting Out is Everyman's popular series of chess opening books for ordinary club players. The books of the series have been written for players whose rating varies between 1500 and 2000. Thus they do not demand too much strategic understanding to be useful for any woodpusher.

The book is not quite new - it has been published in 2003. This does not make it any less useful, as the latest lines played by the greatest grand masters are not necessary for the intendend readership. The games are in any case pretty modern, as most of them have been played in the first years of this decade.

The book is a great book for anyone who intends to start playing Ruy Lopez as white. In addition, it can be recommended for black players who like to open with e5.

Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Everyman Chess; 1st edition (August 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1857443217
ISBN-13: 978-1857443219
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 0.4 inches

One of the best ways to learn to play the Ruy Lopez is to buy a few books about the opening. Playing the opening and studying the mistakes made by yourself is the only way to learn to play an opening as rich as the Ruy Lopez.

Andrew Greet's Play the Ruy Lopez is a recent book about the Ruy Lopez. In this book, the author recommends the white player to use a variants commonly known as the Worral Attack. In this way, the white can sidestep many of the more difficult variants of the closed Ruy Lopez. Furthermore, most of the chess players have not really studied the defense against the Worral Attack. This makes it a good practical weapon for the white players.

The Worral Attack is characterized by the first moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Qe2. The white intends to play the rook from f1 to d1 before advancing the d pawn. The opposition of rook and queen in the same file might promise some advantage to white. It is, however, difficult to know whether the Worral Attack promises white with real chances of any advantage. Of course, the same problem exists for most of the mainstram openings.

Before buying this fine book, you might like to read the reviews by NM Bill McGeary, Chessbug or Carsten Hansen (pdf).

Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: Everyman Chess; 1st edition (January 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1857444272
ISBN-13: 978-1857444278
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Nigel Short (3 pgs)
Bibliography (2 pgs)
Acknowledgements (1 pg)

Introduction (8 pgs)
Part 1: Variations without 3...a6
* Introduction (2 pgs)
* Unusual Third Moves (8 pgs)
* Fianchetto Defence (...g6) (10 pgs)
* Cozio Defence (3...Nge7) (18 pgs)
* Steinitz Defence (3...d6) (25 pgs)
* Bird Defence (3...Nd4) (21 pgs)
* Classical Variation (3...Bc5) (16 pgs)
* Schliemann Variation (3...f5) (20 pgs)
* Berlin Defence (3...Nf6) (16 pgs)

Part 2: 3...a6 Ba4: Fourth Move Alternatives

* Introduction (1 pg)
* Unusual Fourth Moves (4 pgs)
* Deferred Fiachnetto (4...g6) (3 pgs)
* Deferred Cozio (4...Nge7) (4 pgs)
* Deferred Classical (4...Bc5) (8 pgs)
* Deferred Schliemann (4...f5) (14 pgs)
* 4...b5 5Bb3: Unusual Fifth Moves (3 pgs)
* Norwegian Variation (4...b5 5 Bb3 Na5) (14 pgs)
* Deferred Steinitz (4...d6) without 6...f6 (16 pgs)
* Deferred Steinits (4...d6): 6...f6

Part 3: Worrall System (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2)

* Introduction (3 pgs)
* Unusual Fifth Moves (9 pgs)
* Black delays ...b5 (9 pgs)
* 5...b5 6.Bb3: Unusual Sixth Moves (5 pgs)
* Anti-5.Qe5 Variation: 6...Bc5 (18 pgs)
* 6...Be7 7.0-0: Unusual Seventh and Eighth Moves (4 pgs)
* Closed Worrall (7...0-0 8.c3 d6 9.Rd1):Introduction (16 pgs)
* Closed Worrall (7...0-0 8.c3 d6 9.Rd1): 9...Na5 (20 pgs)
* Open Worrall (7...0-0 8.c3 d5 9.d3): Introduction (17 pgs)
* Open Worrall (7...0-0 8.c3 d5 9.d3): 9...Bb7 (17 pgs)
* Open Worrall (7...0-0 8.c3 d5 9.d3): 9...Re8 (12 pgs)

Index of Variations (3 pgs)