Ruy Lopez: Open, Skipworth Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
22,393 games: White 65.0% / Draw 4.1% / Black 30.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,32710K | ||
| 7,3897,389 | ||
| 2,9222,922 | ||
| 1,4751,475 | ||
| 108108 | ||
| 8585 | ||
| 5858 | ||
| 1212 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.49 White is clearly better
Best play: 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. d3 Nf6 9. Nxe5 Be6 10. Nxc6 Qd7 11. Ne5 Qc8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Open, Skipworth Gambit (ECO C80, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ruy Lopez: Open, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 (6 moves).
In 22,393 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 65.0%, Black 30.9% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. d3, in 46% 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, Skipworth Gambit
The most played answer, 7. d3, also scores best for White: 70.3%, with White winning 68.7% and Black 28.0% of 10K games. Of the main answers, 7. d4 scores lowest: 55.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Bxc6+.
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, Skipworth Gambit (C80)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-open-skipworth-gambit