If black plays something other than 1...e5 then you aren't going to be able to play the Ruy unless it transposes, which is pretty unlikely, and in cases where you can transpose, it probably isnt the best move. You need to have an idea of what you are going to play for the different black moves. For example, if black makes no claim whatsoever for the centre, then you are probably going to want to play 2.d4 and get an ideal pawn centre. If he plays the sicilian, you might want to play 2.Nf3 anyway as it's still a great move, or perhaps you want to vary with something like 2.c3 - the Alapin.
Forgive a dumb question but...
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The Alapin is amazing, you've got to watch out for some trickiness in the 2...Nf6 lines but everything else gives White a solid edge.
So how do I prepare myself for this? Books? Any suggestions?
stwils
You could use the Games Explorer and see if it has that position in it, then, it will show you what masters have played from that position in the past, and what the results were. You can access the Games Explorer here: http://www.chess.com/explorer/
If I am White and open with the idea of playing Ruy Lopez and make my first move, then what if Black plays Sicilian or some other defense that keeps me from going forward with Ruy Lopez?
What do I do? How do I study for this?
stwils