If Black plays the immediate Morphy Defense ( ), retreat the bishop to (the Spanish Italian hybrid). The pressure remains.
White aims for a strong center, often following up with to dominate the board. Play the Ruy Lopez
, maintaining the tension, before proceeding with standard maneuvering. Exchange Variation ( If Black plays the immediate Morphy Defense (
is to put pressure on Black's knight on c6, which defends the maintaining the tension
The setup allows for quick kingside castling and piece development. Common Variations Closed Ruy Lopez ( ): The most popular response. White typically plays