Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
8,157 games: White 41.0% / Draw 6.5% / Black 52.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,2156,215 | ||
| 1,1771,177 | ||
| 440440 | ||
| 230230 | ||
| 5757 | ||
| 1212 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 55 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.79 White is better
Best play: 8. c4 Qd6 9. Nxa7+ Bd7 10. Qh5+ g6 11. Bxd7+ Qxd7 12. Qe5+ Kf7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation (ECO C63, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Dyckhoff Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Nxe5 dxe4 7. Nxc6 Qd5 (7 moves).
In 8,157 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.0%, Black 52.4% and 6.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. c4, in 76% of those games.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation
The most played answer, 8. c4, also scores best for White: 46.7%, with White winning 43.3% and Black 49.9% of 6,215 games. Of the main answers, 8. Qe2 scores lowest: 29.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. c4.
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: Schliemann Defense, Möhring Variation (C63)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-schliemann-defense-mohring-variation