Ruy Lopez: Closed, Pilnik Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
159,451 games: White 51.9% / Draw 5.5% / Black 42.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 67,39867K | ||
| 37,78238K | ||
| 15,16515K | ||
| 11,37511K | ||
| 10,04110K | ||
| 7,8137,813 | ||
| 5,0265,026 | ||
| 1,3141,314 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.03 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. h3 Re8 12. a4 Bd7 13. Nbd2 Nc6 14. Nf1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Pilnik Variation (ECO C90, 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 O-O 8. d3 d6 9. c3 (9 moves).
In 159,451 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.9%, Black 42.6% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Na5, in 42% of those games.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Pilnik Variation
The most played answer, 9…Na5, also scores best for Black: 47.6%, with Black winning 44.6% and White 49.4% of 67K games. Of the main answers, 9…Bg4 scores lowest: 41.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Na5.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Closed, Pilnik Variation (C90)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-pilnik-variation