Common Lines in the Ruy Lopez

While White's most popular 4th move is to retreat the bishop to a4, 4. Bxc6 is also common. Black will usually recapture with the d-pawn, although it is also possible to do so with the b-pawn.

The Exchange Variation was popularized most recently by Bobby Fischer. White damages Black's pawn structure, and will usually try to trade pieces to get into a favorable endgame. However, despite its reputation, some lines of the Exchange Variation also allow for middlegame attacking chances.