Chess Codex
Tree path 12 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Normal Variation › Ruy Lopez › Morphy Defense › Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense › Ruy Lopez: Open › Ruy Lopez: Open › Ruy Lopez: Open › Ruy Lopez: Open › Main Line › Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack
  1. Chess Codex
  2. King's Pawn Game C20
  3. King's Knight Opening C40
  4. Normal Variation C44
  5. Ruy Lopez C60
  6. Morphy Defense C70
  7. Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense C78
  8. Ruy Lopez: Open C80
  9. Ruy Lopez: Open C80
  10. Ruy Lopez: Open C80
  11. Ruy Lopez: Open C80
  12. Main Line C80
  13. Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack C81 you are here
C81

Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack

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Overview

Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack is a specific line in the Open Games family (ECO C81), arising from a recognised theoretical position.

The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.

It begins with 17 plies and takes 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. Qe2 to reach the canonical position.

The line refines Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line, which traces back to the root opening King's Pawn Game.

The line splits into 2 documented sub-systems: Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack, Ekstrom Variation.

Explore the position on the interactive board, study its real-world results from Lichess, and challenge the engine when you are ready.

ECO code
C81
Group
Open Games (C)
Plies
17
Parent
Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line
Direct variations
2

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

12,231 games · White 50.6% / Draw 8.8% / Black 40.6%

MovesGamesW / D / B
Be75,419
Bc53,980
Nc52,312
Na5335
Bg489
Qd736
g517
g613

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 03:16:18

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Variations (2)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line:

https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-howell-attack