Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid
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Statistics from Lichess
2,750 games: White 49.0% / Draw 7.0% / Black 44.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,8531,853 | ||
| 398398 | ||
| 242242 | ||
| 186186 | ||
| 4141 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 13. Bc2 Nb8 14. b3 Nbd7 15. Bb2 Rb8 16. Rc1 Ba8 17. Bb1 g6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid (ECO C92, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Flohr System, 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 Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. a3 h6 (12 moves).
In 2,750 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.0%, Black 44.0% and 7.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 13. Bc2, in 67% of those games.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid
The most played answer, 13. Bc2, also scores best for White: 53.8%, with White winning 50.0% and Black 42.4% of 1,853 games. Of the main answers, 13. Nf1 scores lowest: 40.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 13. Bc2.
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, Smyslov-Breyer-Zaitsev Hybrid (C92)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-smyslov-breyer-zaitsev-hybrid