Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
71,024 games: White 54.3% / Draw 5.5% / Black 40.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 61,84062K | ||
| 4,8814,881 | ||
| 2,0532,053 | ||
| 1,3551,355 | ||
| 802802 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 1818 | ||
| 99 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.41 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bd7 12. Nf1 a5 13. Bc2 a4 14. Ng3 Bf8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Smyslov Defense (ECO C93, 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 h6 (9 moves).
In 71,024 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.3%, Black 40.2% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. d4, in 87% 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, Smyslov Defense
The most played answer, 10. d4, also scores best for White: 57.2%, with White winning 54.4% and Black 40.1% of 62K games. Of the main answers, 10. d3 scores lowest: 56.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 10. d4.
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 Defense (C93)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-smyslov-defense