Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rosenthal Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
10,547 games: White 55.6% / Draw 5.2% / Black 39.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,2766,276 | ||
| Ruy Lopez: Open | 3,2953,295 | |
| 646646 | ||
| 196196 | ||
| 8282 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1111 | ||
| 1010 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.42 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Re1 Nf6 8. Nbd2 h6 9. dxe5 Nh7 10. Qe2 Ng5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rosenthal Variation (ECO C67, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 a6 (5 moves).
In 10,547 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.6%, Black 39.2% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bxc6, in 60% 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, Rosenthal Variation
6. Ba4 (Ruy Lopez: Open) scores best for White: 60.2%, with White winning 58.1% and Black 37.8% of 3,295 games. The most played, 6. Bxc6, scores 57.9% in 6,276 games, and 6. Bd3 scores lowest: 54.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Bxc6.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rosenthal Variation (C67)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-berlin-defense-rosenthal-variation