How to beat the Old Steinitz Defense - Ruy Lopez Masterclass

Today, we dive deep into the Old Steinitz of the Ruy Lopez, by showing the three similar options Black has, and how we respond!

Follow the main branching points of different variations by moving through the timeline, and secure your knowledge of this system by checking out the PGN file.
PGN FILE: https://www.chessgeek.org/free-master...

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🚨 About this masterclass:
The Ruy Lopez (also called the Spanish Game) has been played for hundreds of years, staying popular among beginners and world champions alike. The Ruy Lopez Opening promises a rich positional battle, with various tactical motifs too, and is an extremely principled opening: White fights for key center squares, develops their pieces, and castles! This makes the Ruy Lopez a great chess opening for masters, and a fantastic chess opening for beginners too! 🚀

In this masterclass, I dive deep into everything you need to know about the Ruy Lopez. The masterclass has 1 introduction video, explaining the structure, format, and important information about the course, and then 9 theory-based chapters, each with clear, consistent and strong recommendations, and PGN files attached, so you can review the lines & ideas afterward! By the end of this course, you will be able to play this classical opening with confidence and accuracy.

The course is divided into the following chapters:

0. Introduction
1. Classical (3...Bc5)
2. Steinitz (3...d6) ⭐
3. Steinitz Deferred (4...d6)
4. Smyslov (3...g6)
5. Cozio (3...Nge7)
6. Bird’s (3...Nd4)
7. Schliemann (3...f5)
8. Anderssen/Anti-Berlin with Bc5
9. Anderssen/Anti-Berlin with Be7

Chapters 1-7 cover sidelines that Black can throw at you, and the final two chapters (8 and 9) deal with the mainlines you should know. This course prioritizes objective strength, consistency, and, importantly, practicality. So, I recommend lines that will lead to similar Ruy Lopez main line positions, but we avoid much of the theory, and make learning this opening very manageable!

If you choose to join me on this journey to master the Ruy Lopez, welcome!
#ruylopez #chessopenings #spanishgame

00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Move-Order Note
04:53 - Option 1) Black takes w/ the Bishop (Bxc6)
10:04 - Option 2) Black takes w/ the Pawn (bxc6)
12:18 - Option 3) Black takes the Knight on d4
13:28 - Summary of 3 Options For Black