Ruy Lopez: Closed, Rossolimo Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
891 games: White 53.6% / Draw 4.5% / Black 41.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 575575 | ||
| 114114 | ||
| 5858 | ||
| 4040 | ||
| 3434 | ||
| 2929 | ||
| 2424 | ||
| 44 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.84 White is better
Best play: 12. b3 Nb7 13. a4 Be6 14. Nbd2 c5 15. d5 Bd7 16. c4 g6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Rossolimo Defense (ECO C96, 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 c6 11. d4 Qc7 (11 moves).
In 891 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.6%, Black 41.9% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 12. Nbd2, in 65% of those games.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Rossolimo Defense
12. Bg5 scores best for White: 56.1%, with White winning 55.3% and Black 43.0% of 114 games. The most played answer, 12. Nbd2, scores lowest: 55.8% in 575 games. Stockfish's first choice is 12. b3.
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, Rossolimo Defense (C96)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-rossolimo-defense