Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense 12. Bc2 c5
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Statistics from Lichess
6,808 games: White 49.9% / Draw 5.8% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,3153,315 | ||
| 3,0693,069 | ||
| 137137 | ||
| 133133 | ||
| 115115 | ||
| 1717 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 55 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 13. d5 c4 14. b3 cxb3 15. axb3 Qc7 16. Bb2 Rfb8 17. Qe2 a5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense (ECO C95, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense, Zaitsev Hybrid, 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 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 c5 (12 moves).
In 6,808 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.9%, Black 44.2% and 5.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 13. d5, in 49% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 12…c5
The most played answer, 13. d5, also scores best for White: 53.7%, with White winning 51.0% and Black 43.7% of 3,315 games. Of the main answers, 13. Nf1 scores lowest: 52.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 13. 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, Breyer Defense (C95)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-breyer-defense-3