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Ruy Lopez, Open (C83)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Nxe4 6 d4 b5
7 Bb3 d5 8 dxe5 Be6

Number of games in database: 970
Years covered: 1869 to 2023
Overall record:
   White wins 40.2%
   Black wins 24.7%
   Draws 34.9%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Paul Keres  14 games
Fred Dewhirst Yates  12 games
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  12 games
Max Euwe  36 games
Viktor Korchnoi  24 games
Wolfgang Unzicker  16 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Bronstein vs Korchnoi, 1962
Tarrasch vs Gunsberg, 1890
Capablanca vs Allies, 1913
Alekhine vs Rubinstein, 1912
K Treybal vs Spielmann, 1922
NN vs Tarrasch, 1915
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 page 1 of 39; games 1-25 of 970  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Zukertort / Hoffer vs J Minckwitz ½-½441869LeipzigC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
2. Moscow vs St. Petersburg  1-0401878CorrespondenceC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
3. Wemmers vs A Schottlaender 0-13018791st DSB Congress, LeipzigC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
4. C Leffmann vs Gunsberg 0-13918833rd DSB Congress, NurembergC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
5. M Bier vs J Minckwitz 0-12918854th DSB Congress, HamburgC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
6. M Bier vs Gunsberg 0-14218854th DSB Congress, HamburgC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
7. Blackburne vs Zukertort 1-0351887Blackburne - ZukertortC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
8. J N Berger vs Taubenhaus  1-06018875th DSB Congress, FrankfurtC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
9. Metger vs Mackenzie 0-11918875th DSB Congress, FrankfurtC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
10. J N Berger vs Schiffers 0-12918875th DSB Congress, FrankfurtC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
11. Tarrasch vs Zukertort 1-01718875th DSB Congress, FrankfurtC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
12. Mackenzie vs Taubenhaus 1-04118875th DSB Congress, FrankfurtC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
13. R Loman vs W Wayte ½-½391889LondonC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
14. M Judd vs W Pollock  0-15318896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
15. M Weiss vs Taubenhaus 1-04818896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
16. J W Baird vs W Pollock 0-13618896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
17. M Judd vs E Delmar  0-15218896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
18. Taubenhaus vs W Pollock 0-12618896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
19. M Judd vs Burille  1-03418896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
20. A Csank vs B Fleissig 0-1591890Kolisch MemorialC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
21. Tarrasch vs Gunsberg 1-0121890ManchesterC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
22. A Tietjen vs A Curnock 1-0341891LondonC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
23. E O Jones vs H Jacobs  0-1321892MatchC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
24. Showalter vs A Hodges ½-½641894Showalter - Hodges US ChampionshipC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
25. J W Baird vs J N Berger 0-14018949th DSB Congress, LeipzigC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
 page 1 of 39; games 1-25 of 970  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 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-01-04  PinkPanther: <OneBadDog>
It's only the "Karpov Gambit" which has "killed" this opening, but the gambit can be avoided by not pushing the pawn and pinning the knight with the bishop instead. Overall, I would say the Open Variation is alive and well.
Jun-01-04  OneBadDog: <PinkPanther> I understand what you're saying. However, most of the Bg4 lines lead to a slight but persistant edge for white.
Jun-01-04  PinkPanther: <OneBadDog>
Most of the opening lines in all of chess lead to a slight but persistant edge for white.
Jun-01-04  OneBadDog: True, but depending on what your sources are, there are some openings that do equalize for Black. Looking at NCO there are a number of lines, especially against 1e4, that equalize.
Jun-01-04  PinkPanther: True, but only because of inaccuracies made by white.
Jun-01-04  acirce: I usually play 11. Bxe6 instead of the Ng5 "gambit". Quite as good, I think.
Jun-01-04  OneBadDog: the Qe2 lines are also intersting.
Aug-16-04  tomh72000: Do you mean 9.Qe2, the Howell/Keres attack? It seems to give black equality if he knows the theory.
Jul-28-06  Ness: after move 6. d4 why isn't the pawn captured? i must be missing something obvious! HELP PLZ
Jul-28-06  micartouse: <Ness>The line is considered dangerous for Black because it leads after a series of sharp forcing moves into a clearly superior endgame for White. An exemplary game is:

Capablanca vs Edward Lasker, 1915

Also, White can easily force a draw by repetition if he desires. But every once in a while people do risk 6 ... exd4.

Jul-28-06  Ness: Ok Thanks for the help micartouse!
Aug-20-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  WTHarvey: Here are some traps n zaps from C83 minitures: http://www.wtharvey.com/c83.html
Oct-23-06  popski: I agree here with <refutor>. Also this opening isn't very confortable to play if you are not Korchnoi.
Apr-11-07  soughzin: I think acirce might have the right idea. Ng5 is shocking but I feel pretty prepared for it. One can stand on the shoulders of theory and be ready for a forced draw or win if white slips up. Bxe6 makes me fight For the draw, and a loss if I slip up. Anyone else have an interest in this line?
May-26-07  Hesam7: I know that Korchnoi has written the monographs for C80-81, C82 and C83; does anyone know when he wrote these three volumes??
Apr-10-08  Simonkaser: There is a problem in the diagram. There isn't a bishop on e7, only one on e6.
Apr-11-08  Simonkaser: Correction : in the line above 9.c3 Be7 isn't marked (Bad English lol)
Jun-28-09  blacksburg: so...what's the verdict on this thing? has anything happened theoretically in recent years? i don't remember the last time i saw someone playing it. is black really in big trouble in the 9.Nbd2 lines?
Oct-19-10  lefthandsketch: Check out a collection of well written articles on the open ruy as well as a knight sac idea, here http://greenpointchess.org/tag/open...
Feb-27-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day : <Ruy Lopez, Breslau Variation> 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 a6 4.♗a4 ♘f6 5.O-O ♘xe4 6.d4 b5 7.♗b3 d5 8.dxe5 ♗e6 9.c3 ♗e7 10.♖e1 O-O 11. ♘d4 Never heard of this opening before.Looks kind of like a Tarrasch.
Mar-16-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

Ruy Lopez, Breslau Variation
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 a6 4.♗a4 ♘f6 5. O-O ♘xe4 6.d4 b5 7.♘b3 d5 8.dxe5 ♗e6 9. c3 ♗e7 10.♖e1 O-O 11.♘d4


click for larger view

Nov-30-12  freeman8201: Can anyone show a line of the Ng5 version.
Nov-30-12  Dr. Siggy: A demonstration of how to play against the Breslau variation of the Ruy Lopez, with a very beautiful finish: NN vs Tarrasch, 1915.
Oct-03-13  Kikoman: <Opening of the Day>

Ruy Lopez, Breslau Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Re1 O-O 11. Nd4


click for larger view

Opening Explorer

Oct-23-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Thought this OTD looked familiar.
search thread:   
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