Ruy Lopez: Open, Richter Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,535 games: White 46.6% / Draw 5.0% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 904904 | ||
| 244244 | ||
| 201201 | ||
| 7878 | ||
| 3939 | ||
| 2828 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 99 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−1.24 Black is better
Best play: 7... Ne7 8. Re1 bxa4 9. Rxe4 d6 10. c4 f5 11. Re2 h6 12. Bd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Open, Richter Variation (ECO C80, 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. d5 (7 moves).
In 1,535 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 48.4% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…bxa4, in 59% 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, Richter Variation
7…Ne7 scores best for Black: 56.5%, with Black winning 53.7% and White 40.8% of 201 games. The most played, 7…bxa4, scores 54.0% in 904 games, and 7…Na5 scores lowest: 45.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…Ne7.
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, Richter Variation (C80)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-richter-variation