Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Cordel Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
553 games: White 47.0% / Draw 10.8% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 201201 | ||
| 131131 | ||
| 9999 | ||
| 9292 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.48 White is slightly better
Best play: 9. Qe4 g6 10. c4 O-O 11. Nc3 Bb7 12. Rd1 Re8 13. h3 a5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Cordel Variation (ECO C67, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio de Janeiro Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nf5 (8 moves).
In 553 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 42.1% and 10.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Qe4, in 36% of those games.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Cordel Variation
9. c4 scores best for White: 60.3%, with White winning 52.7% and Black 32.1% of 131 games. The most played answer, 9. Qe4, scores lowest: 55.0% in 201 games. Stockfish's first choice is 9. Qe4.
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, Cordel Variation (C67)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-berlin-defense-cordel-variation