Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line, Spassky Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,103 games: White 41.3% / Draw 9.6% / Black 49.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 947947 | ||
| 7373 | ||
| 4141 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 44 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 19. Qf1 Rfe8 20. Bxd5 Qxd5 21. h3 Bh5 22. Qg2 Qxg2+ 23. Kxg2 f5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line, Spassky Variation (ECO C89, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Modern Main Line, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d4 Bd6 13. Re1 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Be3 Bg4 16. Qd3 Rae8 17. Nd2 Re6 18. a4 Qh5 (18 moves).
In 1,103 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.3%, Black 49.1% and 9.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 19. axb5, in 86% of those games.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Main Line, Spassky Variation (C89)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-marshall-attack-main-line-spassky-variation