Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
12,231 games: White 50.6% / Draw 8.8% / Black 40.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,4195,419 | ||
| 3,9803,980 | ||
| 2,3122,312 | ||
| 335335 | ||
| 8989 | ||
| 3636 | ||
| 1717 | ||
| 1313 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Be7 10. c3 Nc5 11. Bc2 d4 12. cxd4 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Rd1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack (ECO C81, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line, 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. Qe2 (9 moves).
In 12,231 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.6%, Black 40.6% and 8.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Be7, in 44% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played is Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack, Ekstrom Variation.
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, Howell Attack
The most played answer, 9…Be7, also scores best for Black: 46.8%, with Black winning 41.6% and White 48.1% of 5,419 games. Of the main answers, 9…Bc5 scores lowest: 43.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Be7.
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
Variations (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack (C81)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-howell-attack