Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
3,198 games: White 61.5% / Draw 4.5% / Black 34.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,3641,364 | ||
| 695695 | ||
| 420420 | ||
| 351351 | ||
| 238238 | ||
| 9090 | ||
| 1616 | ||
| 1010 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.15 White is better
Best play: 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. Nxe5 Bg7 8. d3 Qe7 9. f4 b6 10. Nd2 Nd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation (ECO C78, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O g6 (5 moves).
In 3,198 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 61.5%, Black 34.0% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Re1, in 43% 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: Brix Variation
6. d4 scores best for White: 72.8%, with White winning 70.4% and Black 24.8% of 351 games. The most played, 6. Re1, scores 62.1% in 1,364 games, and 6. c3 scores lowest: 59.1%. 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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation (C78)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-brix-variation