Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense, Center Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
24,937 games: White 57.6% / Draw 4.5% / Black 37.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 15,75216K | ||
| 3,2583,258 | ||
| 2,7572,757 | ||
| 1,2591,259 | ||
| 1,1131,113 | ||
| 312312 | ||
| 158158 | ||
| 141141 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.57 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... Bd7 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Qxd4 Ne7 8. b3 Ng6 9. Bb2 Qb8 10. c4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense, Center Gambit (ECO C62, Open Games) is a gambit in the Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O (5 moves).
In 24,937 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.6%, Black 37.9% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bd7, in 63% 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: Steinitz Defense, Center Gambit
5…Nf6 scores best for Black: 43.4%, with Black winning 41.0% and White 54.1% of 3,258 games. The most played, 5…Bd7, scores 39.9% in 16K games, and 5…a6 scores lowest: 34.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Bd7.
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: Steinitz Defense, Center Gambit (C62)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-steinitz-defense-center-gambit