Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
73,846 games: White 49.7% / Draw 5.4% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 35,33135K | ||
| 27,08427K | ||
| 4,8434,843 | ||
| 3,6233,623 | ||
| 2,0582,058 | ||
| 771771 | ||
| 5454 | ||
| 5151 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. Nxd4 O-O 9. Re1 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Nc5 11. Nc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack (ECO C84, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 (6 moves).
In 73,846 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.7%, Black 44.9% and 5.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…exd4, in 48% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Ruy Lopez: Closed, Basque Gambit. 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: Closed, Center Attack
The most played answer, 6…exd4, also scores best for Black: 50.4%, with Black winning 47.4% and White 46.6% of 35K games. Of the main answers, 6…b5 scores lowest: 44.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…exd4.
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
Variations (1)
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack (C84)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-center-attack