- ECO code
- C65
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 3,599
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1851–2026
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C65, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Berlin Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 3,599 games on this line — the 40th 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 1,546 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 30% of those games, 50% end in a draw, and Black wins 20%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 8 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 15 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.O-O, played in 1,850 games, followed by 4.d3 (1,575) and 4.Nc3 (66). 4.O-O leads into Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (C65). After 4.O-O White scores 25% and Black 15%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (273 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (314).
5 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (C65); Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted; Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 30% (1,069)
- Draws 50% (1,795)
- Black 20% (735)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.O-O | 1,850 | 25/60/15 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (C65) |
| 4.d3 | 1,575 | 34/41/25 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anti-Berlin Variation |
| 4.Nc3 | 66 | 26/41/33 | — |
| 4.d4 | 59 | 31/25/44 | — |
| 4.Qe2 | 39 | 39/33/28 | — |
| 4.Bxc6 | 8 | 49/13/38 | — |
| 4.c3 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4.Kf1 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Berlin Defense (C65) · 4.O-O · 1,850 games
- Rio Gambit Accepted · 4.O-O Nxe4 · 1,680 games
- Anti-Berlin Variation · 4.d3 · 1,575 games
- l'Hermet Variation · 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 · 880 games
- l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense · 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 · 740 games
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
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 273
- Caruana,F 213
- Anand,V 161
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 314
- So,W 300
- Aronian,L 233
Games per decade
- 1850s 17
- 1860s 50
- 1870s 5
- 1880s 22
- 1890s 77
- 1900s 68
- 1910s 22
- 1920s 22
- 1930s 7
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 18
- 1960s 28
- 1970s 19
- 1980s 36
- 1990s 60
- 2000s 364
- 2010s 1,234
- 2020s 1,546
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?
It is the opening with ECO code C65, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense good for White or for Black?
In 3,599 master games on this line White wins 30%, 50% are drawn and Black wins 20%. 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?
4.O-O — played in 1,850 of the master games on this line, which leads into Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (C65).
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (273), Caruana,F (213), Anand,V (161); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (314), So,W (300), Aronian,L (233).
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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