Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
30,366 games: White 56.7% / Draw 4.7% / Black 38.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,1649,164 | ||
| 6,2426,242 | ||
| 5,7975,797 | ||
| 5,1825,182 | ||
| 3,0293,029 | ||
| 328328 | ||
| 193193 | ||
| 148148 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.03 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... a6 6. Ba4 Be7 7. e5 Ne4 8. Nxd4 O-O 9. Nf5 d5 10. Nxe7+
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack (ECO C65, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O (5 moves).
In 30,366 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.7%, Black 38.6% and 4.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bc5, in 30% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack
5…Be7 scores best for Black: 45.0%, with Black winning 42.4% and White 52.4% of 5,182 games. The most played, 5…Bc5, scores 39.5% in 9,164 games, and 5…Nxe4 scores lowest: 35.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…a6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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, Nyholm Attack (C65)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-berlin-defense-nyholm-attack