- ECO code
- C94
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nb8
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 344
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1955–2026
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C94, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nb8. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Closed, Breyer Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 344 games on this line — the 281st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1955 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 110 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 40% of those games, 47% end in a draw, and Black wins 13%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 15 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 12 points.
From this position the most popular move is 10.d4, played in 321 games, followed by 10.d3 (23). 10.d4 leads into Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer. After 10.d4 White scores 40% and Black 13%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (25 games); on the Black side, Spassky, Boris V (56).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer; Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense, Zaitsev Hybrid.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 40% (138)
- Draws 47% (162)
- Black 13% (44)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.d4 | 321 | 40/47/13 | Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer |
| 10.d3 | 23 | 48/43/9 | — |
Variations from this position
- Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer · 10.d4 · 321 games
- Zaitsev Hybrid · 10.d4 Nbd7 · 319 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
- Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 · 8,064 games
- Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O · 5,861 games
- Ruy Lopez: Closed · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 · 3,942 games
- Ruy Lopez: Closed · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 · 2,916 games
- Ruy Lopez: Closed · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O · 1,368 games
- Ruy Lopez: Closed · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 · 1,234 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 25
- Hou Yifan 21
- Vachier Lagrave,M 20
As Black
- Spassky, Boris V 56
- Mamedyarov,S 20
- Carlsen,M 16
Games per decade
- 1950s 4
- 1960s 18
- 1970s 59
- 1980s 24
- 1990s 28
- 2000s 64
- 2010s 110
- 2020s 37
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So,W | Gukesh,D | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 14th Norway Chess 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Sokolovsky,Yahli | 1-0 | 2026 | Sardinia World Open A |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Sokolovsky,Yahli | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Jerusalem Masters 2025 |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Siddharth,Jagadeesh | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 21st Jan Early |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Ibrahimli,Murad | 1-0 | 2025 | World Blitz 2025 |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Firouzja,Alireza | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Superbet POL Rapid 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code C94, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Nb8. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense good for White or for Black?
In 344 master games on this line White wins 40%, 47% are drawn and Black wins 13%. 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: Closed, Breyer Defense?
10.d4 — played in 321 of the master games on this line, which leads into Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (25), Hou Yifan (21), Vachier Lagrave,M (20); on the Black side Spassky, Boris V (56), Mamedyarov,S (20), Carlsen,M (16).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.