GM Fabiano Caruana – Navigating the Ruy Lopez Volume 3: Every Third-Move Alternative

Sidelines are where many Ruy Lopez repertoires fail in practice. Black plays 3…f5 or 3…Nd4, White has never looked at it, and the opening advantage disappears by move ten. This volume is Caruana’s cure. ChessBase’s description is short and confident — “Epiphanies guaranteed!” — and the content backs it up: every defence gets its own lesson, and the bigger ones (Cozio, Steinitz) get two or three.

The recommendations are practical rather than maximal. Against the Schliemann Caruana skips the chaotic 4.Nc3 theory, against the Norwegian he declines the speculative piece sacrifice, and against several lines he aims for the same Steinitz-type centre that appears elsewhere in the series. That consistency is deliberate: the closed main lines are in Volume 1, the Berlin and Open in Volume 2, and this volume connects them. More titles are on our chess courses list.

Lessons from the Sidelines

The first video opens with Caruana’s view of why the opening deserves this much work:

Classical and Bird’s: punish the early commitments

Against 3…Bc5 Caruana goes straight for the centre with 4.c3, threatening d4. Black is then limited to 4…Nf6 or the sharper 4…f5, which he considers the better try, and both are analysed. Against Bird’s 3…Nd4 he explains why the move breaks basic opening principles, recalls Magnus Carlsen’s Olympiad experiment with it, shows Kasparov’s impressive rapid game against Khalifman, and studies the Qh4 set-ups of Richard Rapport — “the only one who really plays this line” consistently today.

The Schliemann without the chaos

The longest lesson (48:37) is on 3…f5. Instead of the old 4.Nc3, where the theory is “some crazy stuff with a lot of correspondence games,” Caruana recommends 4.d3, “a very practical approach” and in his view the best way to fight for an advantage. After 4…fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 he explains why 6.0-0 is better than the natural 6.Nc3, which allows …Bb4, and shows his own games against Teimour Radjabov and Levon Aronian, including the bishop route back from c4 to e2 that sets up Ng5 ideas.

Cozio and Smyslov: different move orders, different answers

Two Cozio lessons show why move order matters. Against 3…Nge7 the answer is 4.Nc3; after 3…a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 it is 5.c3, and Caruana demonstrates how the tempting …d5 runs into a Qb3 idea. He notes that Aronian and Grischuk played the …g6 revival a lot and that Vachier-Lagrave picked it up too — in Caruana’s words, his choice is “usually a very reliable sign that this is a good line” — and still finds ways for White to press. Against the Smyslov 3…g6, White plays 4.d4 exd4 5.c3, giving a pawn to develop fast. If you play the Cozio yourself, GM Erwin Lami’s Cozio Defense shows the Black side.

Steinitz, Modern Steinitz and the Norwegian

Three Steinitz lessons form the strategic heart of Caruana Ruy Lopez Volume 3. Against the old 3…d6 he plays 4.d4 and, after …Bd7, gains space with d5 — a King’s Indian-type structure where the exchange of light-squared bishops usually helps White, as an Ivanchuk game shows. Against the modern 3…a6 4.Ba4 d6 he castles and meets both 5…Bg4 and 5…Bd7, with games such as Svidler–Ivanchuk and Hübner–Kavalek. He even marks the line to choose if a draw is all you need, and warns about the old trap Capablanca used with Black. The short Norwegian lesson ends with honest advice about the Bxf7+ sacrifice: “if you feel like being adventurous, you can give it a try. But white has ways to play for an advantage without sacrificing anything.”

Caruana Ruy Lopez Volume 3: What’s in the Files

Who Needs Caruana Ruy Lopez Volume 3

• Ruy Lopez players who get caught out early by 3…f5, 3…Nd4 or 3…g6 and want a ready-made, sound answer to each.
• Players who already own Volume 1 or 2 and need the remaining Black options to complete the 3.Bb5 repertoire.
• Practical tournament players who prefer safe, low-theory replies (4.d3 against the Schliemann, 0-0 against the Norwegian) to sharp gambits.
• Black players of the sidelines who want to know what a world-class opponent would do against their pet line.

It assumes you already know basic Ruy Lopez ideas, so newer players may prefer a gentler start with IM Andrew Martin’s ABC of the Ruy Lopez.

FAQ

Does Caruana Ruy Lopez Volume 3 include the Exchange Variation?

No. The series is about keeping the bishop with 4.Ba4; in the Cozio lesson the presenters say the large body of theory after taking on c6 is outside its scope.

Which reply does Caruana choose against the Schliemann?

4.d3, followed by castling after 4…fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6. He considers it both practical and the best way to play for an advantage, and shows why the heavy 4.Nc3 theory is unnecessary.

Can I buy the three volumes together?

Yes — each volume is sold on its own, and all three are available as the Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol. 1–3 bundle.

What files come with it, and how is it delivered?

Caruana Ruy Lopez Volume 3 comes as the ChessBase Fritz Trainer app with HD videos, MP4 copies of each lesson and PGN/ChessBase databases. Digital files. Crypto payment only. Fast delivery is handled manually after payment confirmation. Download links remain available for 7 days; save your files locally.