Ruy Lopez: Open, Riga Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
41,880 games: White 48.2% / Draw 9.2% / Black 42.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 33,08833K | ||
| 5,9165,916 | ||
| 1,7201,720 | ||
| 903903 | ||
| 130130 | ||
| 4949 | ||
| 2525 | ||
| 2222 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.41 White is better
Best play: 7. Re1 d5 8. Nxd4 Bd6 9. Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10. Kh1 Qh4 11. Rxe4+ dxe4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Open, Riga 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 exd4 (6 moves).
In 41,880 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.2%, Black 42.7% and 9.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Re1, in 79% 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, Riga Variation
7. Nxd4 scores best for White: 52.7%, with White winning 49.7% and Black 44.4% of 5,916 games. The most played answer, 7. Re1, scores lowest: 52.5% in 33K games. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Re1.
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, Riga Variation (C80)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-riga-variation