Ruy Lopez: Closed, Borisenko Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
29,180 games: White 52.7% / Draw 5.7% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 15,11015K | ||
| 3,7463,746 | ||
| 3,5503,550 | ||
| 2,1952,195 | ||
| 1,7401,740 | ||
| 1,6101,610 | ||
| 643643 | ||
| 282282 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.14 White is better
Best play: 12. d5 Na5 13. b3 g6 14. Be3 Nh5 15. Nbd2 Qc7 16. Kh2 Bd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Borisenko Variation (ECO C96, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Nc6 (11 moves).
In 29,180 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.7%, Black 41.6% and 5.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 12. d5, in 52% 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: Closed, Borisenko Variation
12. a4 scores best for White: 57.3%, with White winning 54.4% and Black 39.8% of 2,195 games. The most played, 12. d5, scores 55.9% in 15K games, and 12. dxe5 scores lowest: 50.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 12. d5.
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: Closed, Borisenko Variation (C96)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-borisenko-variation