- ECO code
- C68
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 382
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1879–2026
Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C68, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Exchange Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 382 games on this line — the 257th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1879 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 69 games. An average game here lasts 41 moves.
White wins 27% of those games, 48% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 13 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...dxc6, played in 372 games, followed by 4...bxc6 (10). After 4...dxc6 White scores 27% and Black 25%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Lasker, Emanuel (23 games); on the Black side, Mamedyarov,S (18).
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Results in master games
- White 27% (105)
- Draws 48% (182)
- Black 25% (95)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...dxc6 | 372 | 27/48/25 | — |
| 4...bxc6 | 10 | 40/40/20 | — |
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
Played most often by
As White
- Lasker, Emanuel 23
- Vachier Lagrave,M 20
- Alekhine, Alexander 16
As Black
- Mamedyarov,S 18
- Shirov,A 18
- Smyslov, Vassily 18
Games per decade
- 1870s 1
- 1890s 10
- 1900s 19
- 1910s 15
- 1920s 18
- 1930s 11
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 23
- 1970s 40
- 1980s 25
- 1990s 38
- 2000s 69
- 2010s 59
- 2020s 49
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapport,R | Sindarov,Javokhir | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Erdogmus,Yagiz Kaan | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Gurel,Ediz | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | World Rapid 2025 |
| Rapport,R | Praggnanandhaa,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | TechM GCL 2025 |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2025 | Saint Louis Blitz 2025 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Sindarov,Javokhir | 1-0 | 2025 | Esports World Cup C 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C68, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation good for White or for Black?
In 382 master games on this line White wins 27%, 48% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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: Exchange Variation?
4...dxc6 — played in 372 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation?
On the White side Lasker, Emanuel (23), Vachier Lagrave,M (20), Alekhine, Alexander (16); on the Black side Mamedyarov,S (18), Shirov,A (18), Smyslov, Vassily (18).
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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