- ECO code
- C96
- 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 Na5 10.Bc2 c5
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 382
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1906–2026
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C96, 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 Na5 10.Bc2 c5. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Closed, Chigorin Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 382 games on this line — the 256th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1906 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 97 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 44% of those games, 39% 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.
From this position the most popular move is 11.d4, played in 379 games, followed by 11.d3 (3). After 11.d4 White scores 44% and Black 17%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (31 games); on the Black side, Keres, Paul (19).
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Results in master games
- White 44% (170)
- Draws 39% (148)
- Black 17% (64)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.d4 | 379 | 44/39/17 | — |
| 11.d3 | 3 | 34/33/33 | — |
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
- Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense · 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 Na5 · 389 games
- Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense · 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 Na5 10.Bc2 · 389 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 31
- Tal, Mihail 22
- Fischer, Robert James 19
As Black
- Keres, Paul 19
- Rapport,R 14
- Smyslov, Vassily 11
Games per decade
- 1900s 6
- 1910s 1
- 1920s 5
- 1930s 2
- 1940s 14
- 1950s 40
- 1960s 50
- 1970s 30
- 1980s 14
- 1990s 35
- 2000s 97
- 2010s 59
- 2020s 29
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erdogmus,Yagiz Kaan | Topalov,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Clash of Generations III |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Makarian,Rudik | 1-0 | 2025 | Titled Tue 15th Apr Early |
| Ivanchuk,V | Ferreira,Jor1 | 1-0 | 2024 | Portuguese Top League |
| Hou Yifan | Mungunzul,Bat-Erdene | 1-0 | 2024 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Sarana,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2024 | Chennai GM 2024 |
| Shirov,A | Moreno Tejera,E | 1-0 | 2024 | ch-ESP Blitz 2024 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code C96, 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 Na5 10.Bc2 c5. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense good for White or for Black?
In 382 master games on this line White wins 44%, 39% 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, Chigorin Defense?
11.d4 — played in 379 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (31), Tal, Mihail (22), Fischer, Robert James (19); on the Black side Keres, Paul (19), Rapport,R (14), Smyslov, Vassily (11).
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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