Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Benelux Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
57,730 games: White 42.3% / Draw 5.9% / Black 51.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Modern Main Line | 16,10216K | |
| 14,90815K | ||
| 9,8219,821 | ||
| 9,2819,281 | ||
| 5,3455,345 | ||
| 592592 | ||
| 394394 | ||
| 366366 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.42 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. a4 a5 8. dxe5 Nxe4 9. Qd5 Nc5 10. Na3 d6 11. exd6 Be6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Benelux Variation (ECO C64, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. d4 Bb6 (6 moves).
In 57,730 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.3%, Black 51.7% and 5.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bg5, in 28% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Modern Main Line.
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: Classical Defense, Benelux Variation
7. Re1 scores best for White: 46.9%, with White winning 44.1% and Black 50.4% of 15K games. The most played, 7. Bg5, scores 46.6% in 16K games, and 7. d5 scores lowest: 39.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. a4.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Benelux Variation (C64)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-classical-defense-benelux-variation