Caissa Codex
C64

Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation

Chess diagram: Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation after 4…Qe7

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

33,661 games: White 53.1% / Draw 3.7% / Black 43.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
25,55926K
3,8423,842
1,8261,826
1,1661,166
390390
341341
232232
118118

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026

Engine evaluation

+1.50 White is clearly better

Even so, Black scores 45.1% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.

Best play: 5. d4 exd4 6. O-O Ne5 7. Nxd4 c6 8. b4 Bb6 9. Nf5 Qf6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation (ECO C64, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Central Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 (4 moves).

In 33,661 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.1%, Black 43.2% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. O-O, in 76% of those games.

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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation

The most played answer, 5. O-O, also scores best for White: 56.0%, with White winning 54.1% and Black 42.2% of 26K games. Of the main answers, 5. d3 scores lowest: 50.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. d4.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4…Qe7, the position after Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Central Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation (C64)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-classical-defense-boden-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-classical-defense-boden-variation