Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted
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Statistics from Lichess
358,396 games: White 42.1% / Draw 4.3% / Black 53.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 278,376278K | ||
| 45,90546K | ||
| 22,01622K | ||
| 3,6633,663 | ||
| 3,6203,620 | ||
| 1,6521,652 | ||
| 1,3771,377 | ||
| 641641 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.38 Black is slightly better
Best play: 4... e4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Nd4 Nf6 8. O-O Qc5 9. Nb3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 111K | |
| 1400–1799 | 228K | |
| 1800–2199 | 207K | |
| 2200 and up | 21K | |
| Masters, over the board | 38 |
Master games
- Megaranto, S. – Purnama, T. C.
- Reyes Larena, J. – Rodriguez Vargas, O.
- Peters, J. – Khachiyan, M.
- Narancic, V. – Todorovic, G. N.
- Henri, J. – Vötter, D. H.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted (ECO C63, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. exf5 (4 moves).
In 358,396 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.1%, Black 53.6% and 4.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…e4, in 78% 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: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted
The most played answer, 4…e4, also scores best for Black: 57.9%, with Black winning 55.6% and White 39.9% of 278K games. Of the main answers, 4…d6 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…e4.
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
Popularity by year
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted peaked in 2017 at 0.017% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.014% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.016% | 5,571 |
| 2017 | 0.017% | 9,520 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,185 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 19,618 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 37,823 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 44,690 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 49,993 |
| 2023 | 0.015% | 56,726 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 51,698 |
| 2025 | 0.014% | 48,651 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.014% | 14,821 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted (C63)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-schliemann-defense-jaenisch-gambit-accepted