Ruy Lopez: Closed, Worrall Attack, Castling Line
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Statistics from Lichess
28,070 games: White 53.1% / Draw 5.6% / Black 41.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 22,57423K | ||
| 1,9641,964 | ||
| 1,7501,750 | ||
| 579579 | ||
| 483483 | ||
| 376376 | ||
| 119119 | ||
| 8080 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. d3 d6 9. a3 Na5 10. Ba2 c5 11. Nc3 Be6 12. Bg5 Nc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Worrall Attack, Castling Line (ECO C86, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Worrall Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Qe2 b5 7. Bb3 O-O (7 moves).
In 28,070 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.1%, Black 41.3% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. c3, in 80% 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, Worrall Attack, Castling Line
The most played answer, 8. c3, also scores best for White: 56.3%, with White winning 53.5% and Black 40.8% of 23K games. Of the main answers, 8. Rd1 scores lowest: 54.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. d3.
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, Worrall Attack, Castling Line (C86)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-worrall-attack-castling-line