Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
68,973 games: White 56.2% / Draw 5.3% / Black 38.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 33,86934K | ||
| 24,88025K | ||
| 8,3768,376 | ||
| 1,2411,241 | ||
| 420420 | ||
| 8282 | ||
| 5151 | ||
| 3030 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.40 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. d4 Qd7 12. a4 h6 13. Qc2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nb4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation (ECO C92, 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. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Be6 (9 moves).
In 68,973 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.2%, Black 38.5% and 5.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. Bc2, in 49% of those games.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Kholmov Variation
The most played answer, 10. Bc2, also scores best for White: 60.2%, with White winning 57.9% and Black 37.5% of 34K games. Of the main answers, 10. Bxe6 scores lowest: 53.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 10. Bxe6.
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, Kholmov Variation (C92)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-kholmov-variation