Ruy Lopez: Closed, Delayed Exchange
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Statistics from Lichess
79,883 games: White 51.3% / Draw 6.8% / Black 41.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 75,08675K | ||
| 4,2944,294 | ||
| 456456 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 1717 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.03 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... dxc6 7. d3 Nd7 8. Be3 O-O 9. h3 Re8 10. Nc3 Bd6 11. Nd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Delayed Exchange (ECO C85, 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. Bxc6 (6 moves).
In 79,883 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.3%, Black 41.9% and 6.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…dxc6, in 94% 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, Delayed Exchange
The most played answer, 6…dxc6, also scores best for Black: 45.9%, with Black winning 42.4% and White 50.7% of 75K games. Of the main answers, 6…bxc6 scores lowest: 39.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…dxc6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Closed, Delayed Exchange (C85)”. Lichess data as of 26 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-delayed-exchange