Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2

ECO C77

The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack is a chess opening line in the Ruy Lopez complex, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Qe2.

It is catalogued under code C77 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move Qe2 is chosen by White on move 5.

The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack is a line of the Ruy Lopez. The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Game, is a chess opening that begins 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. Read the complete Ruy Lopez guide: what it is, how to reach it, its main variations, how to play against it, and its history.

Study this line with a grandmaster

This position is covered in the Beat the Ruy Lopez course: a GM-authored repertoire you study move by move, then practice against a human-like AI opponent.

Every chess term used here is defined in the chess terms glossary. Browse all opening courses or the full ECO code index.