Ruy Lopez Ajedrez", written in 1561. Although it bears his name, this particular opening was included in the Göttingen manuscript, which dates from c. 1490. However, popular use of the Ruy Lopez opening did not develop until the mid-19th century, when Carl Jaenisch, a Russian theoretician, "rediscovered" its potential. The opening remains the most commonly used amongst the open games in master play; it has been adopted by almost all players during their careers, many of whom have played it with both colours. Due to the difficulty for Black in achieving equality, a common nickname for the opening is "The Spanish Torture".
Ruy Lopez his 1992 match against Anatoly Karpov and won both games. By playing 6.d3 White steers clear of the Marshall Attack and any of the Anti-Marshall lines. White threatens 7.Bxc6 winning the e5-pawn leaving Black a choice of either 6...d6 or 6...b5. After 6...d6 the e5-pawn is firmly defended and Black threatens to trade off White's Ruy Lopez bishop with 7...b5 and 8...Na5. White normally continues with 7.c3 and after 8...0-0 White can choose between 9.Nbd2 or 9 Re1. Black can also play 6...b5 and after 7.Bb3 d6 (7...0-0 is a viable alternative) White has to deal with the threat of