Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
9,613 games: White 42.0% / Draw 9.6% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,4622,462 | ||
| 1,6271,627 | ||
| 1,5051,505 | ||
| 1,2231,223 | ||
| 1,1211,121 | ||
| 766766 | ||
| 339339 | ||
| 167167 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 10. h3 h6 11. b3 c5 12. Bb2 Nd4 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Ne4 c5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall (ECO C67, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Bd7 (9 moves).
In 9,613 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.0%, Black 48.4% and 9.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. h3, in 26% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall
The most played answer, 10. h3, also scores best for White: 50.2%, with White winning 44.4% and Black 44.0% of 2,462 games. Of the main answers, 10. Ne4 scores lowest: 41.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 10. h3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall (C67)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-berlin-defense-berlin-wall