Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
885,273 games: White 57.3% / Draw 3.8% / Black 38.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 381,886382K | ||
| 206,302206K | ||
| 110,895111K | ||
| 108,701109K | ||
| 22,18622K | ||
| 14,21414K | ||
| 12,25212K | ||
| 11,49611K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 21, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.32 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. a4 a6 8. Bxc6 dxc6 9. Nxe5 Nxe4 10. a5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 57% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 57% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 237K | |
| 1400–1799 | 597K | |
| 1800–2199 | 501K | |
| 2200 and up | 52K | |
| Masters, over the board | 745 |
Master games
- Shirov, A. – Topalov, V.
- Leko, P. – Anand, V.
- Topalov, V. – Karjakin, S.
- Anand, V. – Leko, P.
- Naiditsch, A. – Anand, V.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit (ECO C65, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Beverwijk Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. c3 (5 moves).
In 885,273 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.3%, Black 38.9% and 3.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…O-O, in 43% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Benelux Variation. In all, 2 named lines continue from it.
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 Variation, Zukertort Gambit
5…Nxe4 scores best for Black: 47.2%, with Black winning 45.3% and White 50.9% of 111K games. The most played, 5…O-O, scores 44.4% in 382K games, and 5…d6 scores lowest: 31.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…O-O.
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
Popularity by year
The Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit peaked in 2018 at 0.037% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.031% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.031% | 11,011 |
| 2017 | 0.034% | 18,727 |
| 2018 | 0.037% | 28,971 |
| 2019 | 0.036% | 44,398 |
| 2020 | 0.036% | 105,758 |
| 2021 | 0.036% | 140,260 |
| 2022 | 0.035% | 133,131 |
| 2023 | 0.034% | 128,524 |
| 2024 | 0.033% | 118,758 |
| 2025 | 0.031% | 109,170 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.031% | 33,764 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit (C65)”. Lichess data as of 21 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-classical-variation-zukertort-gambit