Ruy Lopez · As White · updated October 2026
Play the Ruy Lopez like Ray Robson
A repertoire in the Ruy Lopez built from 49 of Ray Robson's public Chess.com blitz games. At every position you play the move Ray Robson chose most often. Where Ray Robson has fewer than 3 games, the course takes the other top-50 players' most played move, then Stockfish's. Learn a line on the board, then each position comes back in a short daily review until it sticks.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Ray Robson or Chess.com.
- Ray Robson was #48 in Chess.com blitz in October 2026 (3,204) and scored 78% against opponents averaging 2,933 in these games.
- You play Ray Robson's own move in 22 of 40 positions.
- The whole course is free, and it is updated monthly.
Train lines
Learn a new line move by move. Lines due for review go to your daily review first.
Free · first 5 lines need no account
Blitz rank
#48
Chess.com
Rating
3,204
Games
49
in this opening
Score
78%
in these games
Opponents
2,933
average rating
Lines to learn
- Next
Line 1 · 16% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5 6.Nbd2 dxe4 7.dxe4 O-O 8.b4
- New
Line 2 · 11% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.a4 Rb8 9.axb5 axb5 10.d3 d6 11.Nc3 h6 12.Nd5
- New
Line 3 · 8% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.a4 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2
- New
Line 4 · 8% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 O-O 6.O-O
- New
Line 5 · 8% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3
- New
Line 6 · 5% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.O-O Bd7 6.c3
- New
Line 7 · 5% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 5.O-O Ng6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4
- New
Line 8 · 4% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.c3 O-O 7.d4 Ba7 8.Re1
- New
Line 9 · 4% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.d4 Bb6 9.a4
- New
Line 10 · 4% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Be7 10.Nbd2
- New
Line 11 · 4% at top level
3…a6 4.Ba4 Bc5 5.c3 Nge7 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 d5 9.e5
Ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. Learned lines join your daily review.
Ray Robson's main line in the Ruy Lopez, move by move
The most common line at top level: 3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5 6.Nbd2 dxe4 7.dxe4 O-O 8.b4.
- 3…Nf6 Reply · Ray Robson's games A common reply here is 3…Nf6. At top level, this comes up about 27% of the time.
- 4.d3 Your move · Ray Robson's games Ray Robson played 4.d3 in 13 games, scoring 62%.
- 4…Bc5 Reply · Ray Robson's games A common reply here is 4…Bc5. At top level, this comes up about 24% of the time.
- 5.c3 Your move · Ray Robson's games Ray Robson played 5.c3 in 6 games, scoring 50%.
- 5…d5 Reply · Ray Robson's games A common reply here is 5…d5. At top level, this comes up about 16% of the time.
- 6.Nbd2 Your move · Ray Robson's games Ray Robson played 6.Nbd2 in 4 games, scoring 25%.
- 6…dxe4 Reply · Ray Robson's games A common reply here is 6…dxe4.
- 7.dxe4 Your move · Ray Robson's games Ray Robson played 7.dxe4 in 4 games, scoring 25%.
- 7…O-O Reply · Ray Robson's games A common reply here is 7…O-O.
- 8.b4 Your move · Ray Robson's games Ray Robson played 8.b4 in 2 games, scoring 50%.
Questions about this course
- How does Ray Robson play the Ruy Lopez?
- After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, Ray Robson's most common line is 3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5 6.Nbd2 dxe4 7.dxe4 O-O 8.b4. At top level it comes up about 16% of the time.
- Is this Ray Robson's course?
- No. ChessDrills builds it automatically from Ray Robson's public Chess.com blitz games.
- What is this Ruy Lopez course based on?
- 49 of Ray Robson's Chess.com blitz games in the Ruy Lopez as White, against opponents with an average rating of 2,933. Ray Robson scored 78% in them.
- How many lines does the course have?
- 11 lines covering 40 positions, ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. The first 5 lines need no account; saving your progress with an email unlocks the rest, free.
- Who is Ray Robson?
- GM Ray Robson was ranked number 48 on the Chess.com blitz leaderboard with a rating of 3,204 when this course was built.