1 Hour to Crush the Ruy Lopez: Norwegian Variation PGN Only Aug 15, 2025 Chessable

One Hour, 29 Lines:
Master a Rare Weapon to Crush the Ruy Lopez

An hour can slip away without you noticing. Or you can use it to master a sharp, powerful reply to one of the most common openings in chess.

If you want to take down the Ruy Lopez without wading through endless theory, this course is your shortcut.

In just 29 lines, you’ll learn the Norwegian Variation — a practical, offbeat weapon that defies standard opening thinking and can catch even well-prepared opponents off guard:

The Norwegian Variation is technically a gambit:
if White takes your “free pawn”,
they’ll end up losing something
in return, usually the g2-pawn.

Though top players like Firouzja and Mamedyarov have shown the Norwegian can compete at the highest level, it is still a fairly rare choice. Most of your opponents won’t be ready for it.

Breaking the Norm

In this course, you’ll learn a refined version of the Norwegian, packed with fresh ideas and novelties.

No routine knight development to f6. No ‘knights before bishops.’ Sometimes you’ll even leave pieces hanging or provoke an opening of the e-file with your king still uncastled. In this repertoire, you’ll break several established chess principles for good reason.

If you know what you’re doing, it is often White who ends up under fire, and it can happen even after the best initial responses to the variation (6.O-O, 8.Re1):

You won’t mind playing a sacrifice or two in the Norwegian!

This unorthodox style can leave your opponents wondering if you’ve forgotten basic opening principles… or if you’re just not playing at their level. That doubt alone gives you a psychological edge.

In reality, you’ll know exactly what’s going on and how to coordinate your pieces, while White may be the one lured into mistakes.