Ruy Lopez: Noah's Ark Trap 10. Qxd4 c5
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Statistics from Lichess
6,663 games: White 20.7% / Draw 3.6% / Black 75.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,7051,705 | ||
| 1,5631,563 | ||
| 1,5231,523 | ||
| 1,0901,090 | ||
| 516516 | ||
| 135135 | ||
| 108108 | ||
| 1313 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−5.49 Black is clearly better
Best play: 11. Qd3 c4 12. Bxc4 bxc4 13. Qxc4 O-O 14. Nc3 Be6 15. Qe2 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Noah's Ark Trap (ECO C88, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Rosen Attack, 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. d4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 exd4 10. Qxd4 c5 (10 moves).
In 6,663 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 20.7%, Black 75.7% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. Bxf7+, in 26% of those games.
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How to answer 10…c5
11. Qd3 scores best for White: 26.8%, with White winning 24.6% and Black 71.0% of 1,523 games. The most played, 11. Bxf7+, scores 20.4% in 1,705 games, and 11. Qd1 scores lowest: 18.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 11. Qd3.
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: Noah's Ark Trap (C88)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-noahs-ark-trap-2