Any players around 1800 or Above, what is the point of the Ruy Lopez?

The Ruy Lopez starts at move 3 and has a large and varied number of pawn structures, variations, and subtle ideas. The reason to play it is that (generally and with exceptions) it is an interesting and complex game with chances for white to keep black under pressure for a long time and for black to slowly equalize and counter. There is no reason you can't play it at any level so if you want to try it, look at some annotated RL games then go for it.  - Bill

I think that is to take the knight have black take it back and you that that pawn on e5

That is the main reason for the Ruy Lopez. Although, another reason is it has a lot of theory involved so it can allow a well-prepared player an advantage in a sound opening but also one that they are prepared for while their opponent is not as prepared for. Of course, it can be hard to do so at the top level if they play the Berlin Defense

1. Double  black's pawns

2. Development

3. Potential pin.

Most high level games (and openings) aren't about "attacking" so it's a hard question to answer. Between developing pieces and winning material there are usually dozens of moves. Players fight for things like piece activity, pawn structure, and king safety. You can't attack until you have active pieces and a weak target.

It's also hard to answer because the Ruy is a broad opening with different structures and ideas, and even within the same structure sometimes players are playing on the kingside, queenside or center... it just depends.

I guess a few basic ideas off the top of my head...

1)
As in most (all?) 1.e4 e5 openings, white typically wants to play d4 at some point and black wants to play d5. Beware that pawn breaks favor the side with better development. White can usually play an early d4 if they want, but black will typically need to focus on catching up in development first so will play d6 and look for an opportunity to play d5 later if possible.

And just like 1.d4 d5 openings, it white is maintaining a pawn on d4, then c5 is an important pawn break for black.

2)
As in most 1.e4 e5 openings, a knight on f5 for white (or knight on f4 for black) can be a strong attacking piece. Sacrifice a knight or bishop to capture a pawn in front of the opponent's king, then swarm in with your other pieces to checkmate. When going for mate in a 1.e4 e5 opening, instead of attacking the e pawn from the center, you may want to do it with your f pawn. So f4 for white and f5 for black indtead of d4 and d5.

3)
In the Ruy and many other openings, if there's a black pawn on b5 then the a4 pawn break is often good.

And now that I look at it, those 3 tips mention each area (kingside, center, and queenside). So yeah, it just depends. Typically you can't be ahead in every area... and I don't mean in the Ruy I just mean in chess. Choose an area (kingside, center, or queenside) where you have more active pieces or where your far advanced pawns are cramping your opponent and play in that area. Play a pawn break (or sacrifice a piece) to open lines... that's chess in a nutshell I suppose.

(And in very boring or completely symmetrical positions just make small improvements).

@1

"What are some of the main attacking ideas for black and white in the Ruy Lopez?"
++ It is usually white who attacks the black king and black defends it. The basis of the attack will be Bb5-a4-b3 and Nb1-d2-f1-g3-f5 after the center is secured with c3 and d4.

"Why play it in the first place?" ++ 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 is arguably the strongest opening for white. AlphaZero reinvented that. It is most played at top level like World Championships and Candidate Tournaments.

"What is there to win?" ++ 3 Bb5 undoes the control of Nc6 over 2 central squares d4 and e5, and thus facilitates a later seizing of the center with d4 after a preparatory c3. The point is not to take e5, as that is impossible. 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 Nxe5? Qd4.

I’m an 1100-ish patzer (with 1300-ish peaks over my 55 years of waves on the spectrum of chess addiction to abstinence .  I have not attempted the Ruy since I was a child.  Some conventional wisdom I hear from coaches is that people at my level should avoid the Ruy as its branches are numerous and sophisticated.  I have largely followed this advice but have begun to question it.  My reasons for this are:

1. Yes, the opening is rich like that, but to what degree will that challenge my opponents as well? They will have their ways of steering into favorite alternative lines, but so will I.

2.  The opening has stood the test of time over centuries, so the wealth of beauty in past and present play is deep and magnificent.  Patzer experience playing will certainly clarify  our sense of the opening’s fascinating problems and possibilities, enhancing our appreciation of great games.  And I suspect that pure appreciation is underrated as a peak experience in its own right,  and even more so as a component of building chess strength.

That is not the main point.  In fact, it is tactically unsound until you have the e4-pawn protected.

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6, the move 4.Bxc6 is fine, but you are playing the positional game where your 4-on-3 after your d-pawn is traded for his e-pawn is better than his 4-on-3 due to pawn structure.  White wants an endgame and Black hopes to get at the White King in the middlegame.

After 4.Bxc6 dxc6, the move 5.Nxe5? Is a major error.  After 5...Qd4!!, Black has a slight advantage After only 5 moves.

Instead, the main line is 4.Ba4, when 4...Nf6 5.O-O Be7 (Safer than 5...Nxe4, but that is a line) and now After 6.Re1, protecting e4, only now is 7.Bxc6 and 8.Nxe5 a threat, and therefore Black is forced to play 6...b5, when After 7.Bb3, Black has the main line with 7...d6, or he can play 7...O-O hoping to be able to Gambit the pawn after 8.c3 d5, but there are many Anti-Marshall lines, like 8.a4, 8.a3, 8.h3, or 8.d4.

I would suggest learning one of the main closed lines after 7...d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 and now 9...Na5, 9...Nb8, or 9...Bb7.

This question requires more than a forum post would do justice.  I would suggest checking out one of the 3 GM Ruy Lopez courses (with video) on Chessable, Damian Lemos' Ruy Lopez Deep Dive, or Fabiano's 3-part ChessBase video series as they will give you a much more thorough answer.

The main idea for White is to force Black to defend the e5 pawn in a committal manner and then break appropriately depending on which way Black plays (often a kingside attack, but there are also plans in the center and queenside in some lines).  White's initial threat is to take on c6 and then on e5(winning a pawn) at the correct moment (mainly, when his e4 pawn is well-defended and king safe).

The Ruy Lopez is a chess opening that is named after the Spanish bishop Ruy López de Segura, who wrote one of the first books on chess in the 16th century. It is a popular opening among chess players and is known for being a solid, versatile opening that can be used in a variety of different situations.

The opening starts with the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5, and is known for the pressure it puts on the black pawn on e5. This pressure can lead to various tactics and strategies for white, such as the famous "Fried Liver Attack" or the more positional "Berlin Defense".

The point of the Ruy Lopez is to gain a small advantage in the opening and to control the center of the board, setting the stage for a strong middle game. By controlling the center, white can restrict the movement of black's pieces and create opportunities to attack. Additionally, the Ruy Lopez is a flexible opening that can be used in both aggressive and defensive positions, allowing white to adapt to their opponent's style of play.

Overall, the Ruy Lopez is a valuable opening for chess players to have in their arsenal. It provides a solid foundation for the rest of the game and gives white an edge in the opening that can be built upon throughout the rest of the match.