- ECO code
- C90
- 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
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,368
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1904–2026
Ruy Lopez: Closed is the opening filed under ECO code C90, 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. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Closed; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,368 games on this line — the 88th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1904 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 285 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 40% of those games, 43% end in a draw, and Black wins 17%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 11 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 8 points.
From this position the most popular move is 9.h3, played in 1,234 games, followed by 9.d4 (95) and 9.d3 (23). 9.h3 leads into Ruy Lopez: Closed (C92). After 9.h3 White scores 41% and Black 16%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (86 games); on the Black side, Spassky, Boris V (81).
7 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Ruy Lopez: Closed (C92); Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense; Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense.
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Results in master games
- White 40% (541)
- Draws 43% (600)
- Black 17% (227)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.h3 | 1,234 | 41/43/16 | Ruy Lopez: Closed (C92) |
| 9.d4 | 95 | 33/43/24 | — |
| 9.d3 | 23 | 22/48/30 | — |
| 9.a3 | 10 | 10/60/30 | — |
| 9.a4 | 6 | 67/0/33 | — |
Variations from this position
- Closed (C92) · 9.h3 · 1,234 games
- Chigorin Defense · 9.h3 Na5 · 389 games
- Chigorin Defense · 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 · 389 games
- Chigorin Defense · 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 · 382 games
- Breyer Defense · 9.h3 Nb8 · 344 games
- Breyer · 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 · 321 games
- Breyer Defense, Zaitsev Hybrid · 9.h3 Nb8 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
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 86
- Tal, Mihail 71
- Karjakin,Sergey 50
As Black
- Spassky, Boris V 81
- Karpov, Anatoly 75
- Mamedyarov,S 38
Games per decade
- 1900s 9
- 1910s 5
- 1920s 16
- 1930s 10
- 1940s 25
- 1950s 61
- 1960s 119
- 1970s 116
- 1980s 122
- 1990s 160
- 2000s 281
- 2010s 285
- 2020s 159
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So,W | Gukesh,D | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 14th Norway Chess 2026 |
| Bacrot,E | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Erdogmus,Yagiz Kaan | Topalov,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Clash of Generations III |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Saric,Iv | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Croatia |
| Tsaruk,Maksim | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Karttunen,M | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed?
It is the opening with ECO code C90, 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. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed good for White or for Black?
In 1,368 master games on this line White wins 40%, 43% are drawn and Black wins 17%. 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?
9.h3 — played in 1,234 of the master games on this line, which leads into Ruy Lopez: Closed (C92).
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Closed?
On the White side Shirov,A (86), Tal, Mihail (71), Karjakin,Sergey (50); on the Black side Spassky, Boris V (81), Karpov, Anatoly (75), Mamedyarov,S (38).
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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