Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
79,682 games: White 49.7% / Draw 5.1% / Black 45.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 29,31529K | ||
| 22,24422K | ||
| 14,63315K | ||
| 5,7575,757 | ||
| 2,6392,639 | ||
| 1,2621,262 | ||
| 1,0461,046 | ||
| 992992 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.56 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Nxc6 dxc6 9. Bd3 Be6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation (ECO C60, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. Nc3 g6 (4 moves).
In 79,682 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.7%, Black 45.2% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. d4, in 37% 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: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation
The most played answer, 5. d4, also scores best for White: 58.5%, with White winning 55.7% and Black 38.7% of 29K games. Of the main answers, 5. O-O scores lowest: 47.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. 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: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation (C60)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-cozio-defense-paulsen-variation