Ruy Lopez: Open, Berlin Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
2,364 games: White 52.4% / Draw 6.8% / Black 40.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,1262,126 | ||
| 163163 | ||
| 2323 | ||
| 1818 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 55 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.68 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. Bc2 Bg4 11. Re1 Be7 12. Nbd2 Qd7 13. Nf1 Rd8 14. Ne3 Bh5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Open, Berlin Variation (ECO C82, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Open, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Nc5 (9 moves).
In 2,364 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.4%, Black 40.8% and 6.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. Bc2, in 90% 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 Variation
10. Nbd2 scores best for White: 57.7%, with White winning 52.8% and Black 37.4% of 163 games. The most played answer, 10. Bc2, scores lowest: 55.9% in 2,126 games. Stockfish's first choice is 10. Bc2.
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: Open, Berlin Variation (C82)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-berlin-variation