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Ruy Lopez, Open (C80)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Nxe4

Number of games in database: 3502
Years covered: 1854 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 37.1%
   Black wins 22.8%
   Draws 40.1%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Michael Adams  24 games
Alexey Shirov  22 games
Peter Svidler  20 games
Victor Mikhalevski  56 games
Viktor Korchnoi  45 games
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov  44 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Kasparov vs Anand, 1995
Karpov vs Korchnoi, 1978
J Polgar vs Mamedyarov, 2002
Spielmann vs Tarrasch, 1912
A Cherepkov vs Bronstein, 1961
Z Almasi vs I Sokolov, 1995
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 page 1 of 141; games 1-25 of 3,502  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Lowenthal vs Brien / Wormald 1-0211854Consultation gameC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
2. E Thorold vs E Pindar  1-0461860Casual gameC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
3. J H Blackburne / J Kling vs E Falkbeer / A Zytogorski 1-0321864Consultation gameC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
4. G Tegeler vs J Watkinson  0-1261864Bradford - Huddersfield mC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
5. J Minckwitz vs E von Schmidt  ½-½281865Augustea CC Winter TournamentC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
6. S Rosenthal vs E von Schmidt 1-0291865MatchC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
7. A Schliemann vs Beger 0-1431866BerlinC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
8. A Schliemann vs Beger ½-½561866BerlinC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
9. G Neumann vs S Rosenthal 1-0381867Neumann - RosenthalC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
10. C De Vere vs C Golmayo 1-0331867ParisC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
11. C De Vere vs G Fraser ½-½4418677th BCA Congress, DundeeC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
12. J I Minchin vs Cochrane  0-1571867Casual gameC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
13. M Lange vs W Paulsen 1-05118687th WSB Congress, AachenC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
14. S Mieses vs J Minckwitz  0-1361869LeipzigC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
15. S Mieses vs J Minckwitz 1-0461869LeipzigC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
16. J Minckwitz vs Lange 1-0271869LeipzigC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
17. Paulsen vs E Schallopp 1-07018692nd NSB Congress, HamburgC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
18. J Minckwitz vs Zukertort 1-05518698th WSB Congress, BarmenC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
19. C Goering vs J Minckwitz 1-0401870LeipzigC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
20. A Stern vs J Minckwitz 0-1191870Baden-BadenC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
21. S Rosenthal vs Winawer ½-½371870Baden-BadenC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
22. Winawer vs Anderssen 0-1351870Baden-BadenC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
23. A Ascharin vs H Clemenz  0-1251870Dorpat Chess ClubC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
24. Cordel / Minckwitz / Allies vs Anderssen / Goering / Allies 1-0671871LeipzigC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
25. S Mieses vs J Minckwitz  1-0341871LeipzigC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
 page 1 of 141; games 1-25 of 3,502  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-21-05  johnwgoes: I have castled! When I search for 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O, the following options are available: 5...Be7 8,474 33.8%
45.8%
20.5%

5...Ne4 1,676
35.7%
39.6%
24.7%

5...b5 1,076
37.6%
38.2%
24.2%

5...d6 370
36.5%
37.3%
26.2%

5...Bc5 166
35.5%
39.2%
25.3%

5...Bb4 S Takacs vs Alekhine, 1922 0-1
5...Bd6 Adams vs L Dobson, 1998 1-0
.

No Nxe4!

Sep-21-05  johnwgoes: Chessgames.com, please fix this!
Sep-21-05  who: 5..Ne4 is exactly that!
Sep-21-05  suenteus po 147: <johnwgoes> I just checked and found you are correct. My apologies in giving an unsatisfactory answer.
Sep-22-05  who: <johnwgoes: I have castled! When I search for 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O, the following options are available: 5...Be7 8,474 33.8% 45.8%
20.5%

<5...Ne4 1,676
35.7%
39.6%
24.7%>
>
it's just missing the X sign in Nxe4

Oct-30-05  Averageguy: Against the open I'm thinking of playing 6.Re1 Nf6 7.d4. What do you kibitzers think of that?
Oct-30-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: <Averageguy: Against the open I'm thinking of playing 6.Re1 Nf6 7.d4. What do you kibitzers think of that?> Well it seems that the Black reply to consider most seriously is 6..Nc5
Oct-30-05  who: <acirce> why play 19...Kf7 in your main line?
Oct-30-05  who: Moving either rook to d8 comes to mind as viable options.
Oct-30-05  who: <Averageguy> I like to play the Riga variation against people rated higher than me. Either I get an easy draw with black, or I force them to show that they can convert a tiny initiative. If not I end up with a slight material advantage.
Oct-30-05  acirce: <why play 19...Kf7 in your main line?> <Moving either rook to d8 comes to mind as viable options.>

Sure, but I guess the king will have to move away from the centre anyway. Why/if it's really better to do it immediately instead of developing I cannot say.

Oct-30-05  Johnox: 19...Rad8 is a sure equalizer! 19...Kf7 20.Ne5+ Kf6 21.Bd4 Kg5 22.Nf3+ Kg6 with a strong initiative for White e.g. 23.Bc2 h5 24.Nh4+! Kg5 25.Rf1!! winning if Black take the white knight.
Nov-08-05  notyetagm: Could someone please post the line which makes 6 ♖e1?! a dubious move? Glen Flear gives this move the ?! annotation in his book on the Open Spanish. Thanks.
Nov-08-05  notyetagm: And could someone please tell me what exactly the Bernstein variation of the Open Spanish is? Thanks.
Nov-08-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: <notyetagm>

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adam.b...

Ruy is about 1/2 way down. Starting with move 9.

Dec-01-05  soughzin: Does the open Ruy give, as its name suggests, a more open and tactical game than the closed? I've heard the closed involves more manuevering which at the present is not my strong point.
Dec-01-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: <soughzin> Yes, both more open and more tactical, however many believe Black's piece formation (Ne4/Nc6/Bc5/Be6) is somewhat loose giving White a positional advantage. Two of its greatest practitioners are Viktor Korchnoi and Artur Yusupov so look at their games for ideas and inspiration. =)
Dec-05-05  Damodude: I'm a bit stuck here. After 6 d4 (..b5 7 Bb3) black should respond ..d5. I know this is obvious but, after 7 ..exd4, how is white to exploit the pin on the e4 knight? After Re1 d5 there doesn't seem to be an immediate way to break through. Any suggestions welcome...
Dec-05-05  refutor: 7.Bb3 exd4 8.Re1 d5 9.Nc3 seems strong
Dec-05-05  Damodude: isn't that just met with 9..dxc3 though?
Dec-05-05  refutor: 10.Bxd5 looks good
Dec-05-05  Damodude: aha! I geddit - thanks
Mar-05-06  popski: I tryed this open thing today for very first time in blitz game, but something went terribly wrong... :/ 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 a6 4.♗a4 ♘f6 5.0-0 ♘xe4 6.♘xe5?! (well, this move is out of the book, but I couldn't find anything better than:) 6... ♘xe5 7.♖e1 f5 8.d3 b5 9.♗b3 ♗b7 10.de4 fe4 and my poor ♔ was stuck in the middle... So, how to play against 6.♘xe5?!
Mar-05-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: <popski> I've never seen 6. Nxe5!? before either. Consider 6 ... Nxe5 7. Re1 Nc5 transposing to the 6. Re1 line after 8. Rxe5+ Be7 Opening Explorer I often see 6. Re1 from opponents under 2000, sometimes because they automatically expect 5 ... Be7, and also because they don't know the 6. d4 theory.
Mar-06-06  popski: Thanks <tpstar>, yes this is much better than my 'invention' :)
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