About this opening
Ruy Lopez: Bird Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings,
classified under code C61. ECO group C (C00–C99)
covers open games (1.e4 e5) and the French Defence, including the Ruy Lopez, Italian, Scotch and King's Gambit. This particular variation is reached
after 6 half-moves from the
starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4.
It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family. Within that family this is a sub-variation (the Bird Variation line).
The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 e5, 2.Nf3 Nc6, 3.Bb5 Nd4. From this position exactly one named continuation is recorded in the encyclopaedia.
Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. The list of recorded continuations sits directly below the board. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.
Caissly's coverage of C61 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.