- ECO code
- C65
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,575
- Average game length
- 48 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C65, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,575 games on this line — the 75th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1851 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 834 games. An average game here lasts 48 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 41% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 6 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Bc5, played in 1,320 games, followed by 4...d6 (222) and 4...Ne7 (23). After 4...Bc5 White scores 33% and Black 25%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Caruana,F (145 games); on the Black side, So,W (145).
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Results in master games
- White 34% (543)
- Draws 41% (642)
- Black 25% (390)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Bc5 | 1,320 | 33/42/25 | — |
| 4...d6 | 222 | 40/35/25 | — |
| 4...Ne7 | 23 | 48/22/30 | — |
| 4...Bd6 | 10 | 40/30/30 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Ruy Lopez · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · 12,516 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 · 3,599 games
Played most often by
As White
- Caruana,F 145
- Nakamura,Hi 97
- Anand,V 86
As Black
- So,W 145
- Nakamura,Hi 128
- Aronian,L 97
Games per decade
- 1850s 5
- 1860s 18
- 1870s 3
- 1880s 7
- 1890s 18
- 1900s 3
- 1920s 1
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 2
- 1980s 2
- 1990s 3
- 2000s 95
- 2010s 581
- 2020s 834
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Firouzja,Alireza | 1-0 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Saric,Iv | Keymer,Vincent | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Croatia |
| Gukesh,D | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Croatia |
| Grischuk,A | Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | 0-1 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
| Grischuk,A | Aravindh,Chithambaram VR. | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 11th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C65, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,575 master games on this line White wins 34%, 41% are drawn and Black wins 25%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation?
4...Bc5 — played in 1,320 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation?
On the White side Caruana,F (145), Nakamura,Hi (97), Anand,V (86); on the Black side So,W (145), Nakamura,Hi (128), Aronian,L (97).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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