Ruy Lopez Exchange
The Ruy Lopez Exchange (or Spanish Exchange) is a classical and well-respected opening that is a favourite amongst Grandmasters and club players alike. It has provided the battle scene for many heavyweight clashes between world's elite, including (amongst others) Alexei Shirov, Jan Timman, Nigel Short and Michael Adams. Very early on in the game, a distinctive pawn structure is obtained, and in this particular opening it's the understanding of key ideas, plans and structures that's more important than the memorisation of long theoretical variations.