Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
17,222 games: White 45.8% / Draw 5.1% / Black 49.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,6937,693 | ||
| 6,7826,782 | ||
| 986986 | ||
| 952952 | ||
| 748748 | ||
| 2323 | ||
| 1313 | ||
| 77 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... e4 7. Ne5 Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Re1 f5 10. Bb3+ Kh8 11. Qh5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation (ECO C67, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Ba4 (6 moves).
In 17,222 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.8%, Black 49.1% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…exd4, in 45% 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: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation
6…e4 scores best for Black: 53.7%, with Black winning 50.9% and White 43.5% of 6,782 games. The most played, 6…exd4, scores 52.8% in 7,693 games, and 6…Nxd4 scores lowest: 43.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…e4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation (C67)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-berlin-defense-showalter-variation