- ECO code
- C80
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 752
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1870–2026
Ruy Lopez: Open is the opening filed under ECO code C80, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Open; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 752 games on this line — the 142nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1870 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 203 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 33% of those games, 49% end in a draw, and Black wins 18%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 10 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 14 points.
From this position the most popular move is 7...d5, played in 747 games, followed by 7...Be7 (4) and 7...exd4 (1). After 7...d5 White scores 33% and Black 18%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (38 games); on the Black side, Mamedyarov,S (86).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Ruy Lopez: Open (C80); Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line.
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Results in master games
- White 33% (249)
- Draws 49% (367)
- Black 18% (136)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7...d5 | 747 | 33/49/18 | — |
| 7...Be7 | 4 | 25/50/25 | — |
| 7...exd4 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Open (C80) · 7...d5 8.dxe5 · 703 games
- Main Line · 7...d5 8.dxe5 Be6 · 701 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: Open · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 · 809 games
- Ruy Lopez: Open · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 · 793 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 38
- Vachier Lagrave,M 33
- Caruana,F 24
As Black
- Mamedyarov,S 86
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 69
- Euwe, Max 37
Games per decade
- 1870s 4
- 1880s 4
- 1890s 9
- 1900s 12
- 1910s 26
- 1920s 18
- 1930s 13
- 1940s 30
- 1950s 25
- 1960s 34
- 1970s 31
- 1980s 60
- 1990s 54
- 2000s 107
- 2010s 122
- 2020s 203
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominguez Perez,L | Wei Yi | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Sevian,Samuel | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team 5-8th |
| Grischuk,A | Lysyj,I | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Feb 2026 |
| Shirov,A | Zhong,Kangmin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | V Menorca Open A 2026 |
| Vidit,S | Anand,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Rapid |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Zeng,C | 1-0 | 2026 | Sardinia World Open A |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open?
It is the opening with ECO code C80, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open good for White or for Black?
In 752 master games on this line White wins 33%, 49% are drawn and Black wins 18%. 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: Open?
7...d5 — played in 747 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Open?
On the White side Shirov,A (38), Vachier Lagrave,M (33), Caruana,F (24); on the Black side Mamedyarov,S (86), Kortschnoj, Viktor (69), Euwe, Max (37).
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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