Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
713 games: White 42.5% / Draw 5.5% / Black 52.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 209209 | ||
| 199199 | ||
| 132132 | ||
| 9090 | ||
| 4141 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 1414 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.43 Black is slightly better
Best play: 9. Nxc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Bf4 d6 12. exd6 Bxd6 13. Bxd6 cxd6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit (ECO C84, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Basque Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3 dxc3 (8 moves).
In 713 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.5%, Black 52.0% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Nxc3, in 29% 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, Center Attack, Basque Gambit
9. Re1 scores best for White: 52.7%, with White winning 50.8% and Black 45.5% of 132 games. The most played answer, 9. Nxc3, scores lowest: 40.4% in 209 games. Stockfish's first choice is 9. Nxc3.
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, Center Attack, Basque Gambit (C84)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-center-attack-basque-gambit