- ECO code
- C67
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 740
- Average game length
- 47 moves
- Years covered
- 1895–2026
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C67, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 740 games on this line — the 146th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1895 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 295 games. An average game here lasts 47 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 57% end in a draw, and Black wins 14%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 14 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 22 points.
From this position the most popular move is 9.Nc3, played in 422 games, followed by 9.h3 (272) and 9.Rd1+ (40). After 9.Nc3 White scores 31% and Black 15%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (130 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (71).
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Results in master games
- White 29% (212)
- Draws 57% (426)
- Black 14% (102)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.Nc3 | 422 | 31/54/15 | — |
| 9.h3 | 272 | 27/62/11 | — |
| 9.Rd1+ | 40 | 15/67/18 | — |
| 9.b3 | 3 | 33/0/67 | — |
| 9.Bg5+ | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 9.c4 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 9.g4 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
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
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O · 1,850 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 · 1,680 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 · 880 games
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 130
- Shirov,A 60
- Grischuk,A 43
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 71
- Aronian,L 47
- Karjakin,Sergey 47
Games per decade
- 1890s 3
- 1900s 4
- 1910s 1
- 1950s 2
- 1960s 3
- 1970s 3
- 1980s 6
- 1990s 20
- 2000s 185
- 2010s 295
- 2020s 218
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Niemann,Hans Moke | 1-0 | 2026 | Niemann-Nepomniachtchi m |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Blitz |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| So,W | Vidit,S | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Rapid |
| Giri,A | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Dominguez Perez,L | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Champions Showdown Kings |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code C67, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense good for White or for Black?
In 740 master games on this line White wins 29%, 57% are drawn and Black wins 14%. 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, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense?
9.Nc3 — played in 422 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (130), Shirov,A (60), Grischuk,A (43); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (71), Aronian,L (47), Karjakin,Sergey (47).
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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