Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense 12. Nbd2 Nc6
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Statistics from Lichess
18,024 games: White 48.0% / Draw 6.7% / Black 45.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,58411K | ||
| 5,8235,823 | ||
| 453453 | ||
| 377377 | ||
| 286286 | ||
| 233233 | ||
| 146146 | ||
| 5757 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.02 White is better
Best play: 13. d5 Nd8 14. Nf1 c4 15. Bd2 Nd7 16. b4 Nb6 17. Ng3 Bd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense (ECO C98, 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 Qc7 12. Nbd2 Nc6 (12 moves).
In 18,024 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 45.3% and 6.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 13. d5, in 59% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 12…Nc6
13. Nf1 scores best for White: 51.4%, with White winning 48.5% and Black 45.7% of 5,823 games. The most played answer, 13. d5, scores lowest: 50.6% in 11K games. Stockfish's first choice is 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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense (C98)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-chigorin-defense-5