Ruy Lopez Books

Many players want to have shortcut at least in the early career of playing Ruy Lopez. There is no better way to achieve this, than adopting the Ruy Lopez Exchange as the main weapon to play with white. After all, even the late Bobby Fischer used to play this with white in order to win.

Playing the white side of Ruy Lopez Exchange involves having to play with B+K against B+B. On the other hand, white will have the superior pawn structure that will help him to play for win even in the endgame.

This is a good and recent book by Krzysztof Panczyk and Jacek Ilczuk about the exchange variation. The book uses a model game approach which is highly valued by club players.

Not many club players are willing to answer e4 with e5. Those of use who are ready for some real chess, should buy this book by two Norwegian authors who explain the Ruy Lopez for the black player: The Ruy Lopez. A guide for the Black.

Sverre Johnsen and Leif Erlend Johannessen did not choose a simple repertoire solution based on some early deviation. On the contrary, they recommend the reader one of the most important main lines, the famous Zaitsev variation. Zaitse is a sharp and strategic variation that was used by no other than the World Champion GM Anatoly Karpov in his best years.

The Zaitsev leads to sharp play which often results in open battles where Black gains active counterplay. On the other hand, White tries to attack on the kingside.

One of the problems for those playing with black to win is the early Ng5 repetition. Th authors have some ideas about how Black can handle the problem of the Ng5. In addition, they recommend reliable procedures against White's other options in the Lopez, starting off with the Exchange Variation, and moving on to a variety of closed systems.

The authors emphase on what ordinary players really need to know and understand. They explain all the important ideas, and guide the readers away from trouble. Highly recommended!

Paperback: 207 pages
Publisher: Gambit Publications (March 30, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1904600670
ISBN-13: 978-1904600671
Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Symbols 4
Bibliography 5
Preface by Sverre 6
Preface by Leif 8

Part 1: Introduction 23
A Quality Opening 23
A Great Learning Tool 29
Learning the Closed Ruy Lopez 30
Closed Ruy Lopez Strategy 31
Some Closed Ruy Lopez Concepts 32
Ruy Lopez Overview 33
Part 2: The Main Battleground 48
1 The Zaitsev Main Line 51
2 The 17...c4 Zaitsev 82
3 Other Zaitsev Lines 91
4 Imperfection 107
5 Regrouping System 117
Part 3: White Ducks the Challenge 132
6 Rare 8th and 9th Moves 133
7 5th and 6th Move Alternatives 156
Part 4: Exchange Variations 175
8 The Exchange Variation 178
9 Delayed Exchange Variations 194
Index of Variations 205

Ruy Lopez is one of the most popular chess openings. It is known also under the name of Spanish opening. Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura was a 16th century priest who lived in Spain. He was the first scholar and chess enthusiast who systematically studied this and other openings in his 150-page booklet Libro del Ajedrez (in 1561).

Ruy Lopez was not the first to open his game with the characteristic sequence 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5. It took three more centuries before the opening really became popular. In the mid-1800s Carl Jaenisch, a Finnish-Russian theoretician really discovered the potential of the opening. The Spanish opening is still in active use as the most common opening played by the masters after 1. e4 e5.

According to common wisdom, every chess player who wants to develop into a master should play Ruy Lopez at least for some time. Only by studying this classic opening, it becomes possible to understand some of the fine strategic nuances of the royal game.