- 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 d5 8.dxe5 Be6
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 701
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1873–2026
Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line 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 d5 8.dxe5 Be6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Open, Main Line; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 701 games on this line — the 161st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1873 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 195 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 9.c3, played in 284 games, followed by 9.Nbd2 (239) and 9.Be3 (88). After 9.c3 White scores 33% and Black 19%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (37 games); on the Black side, Mamedyarov,S (82).
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Results in master games
- White 33% (231)
- Draws 49% (343)
- Black 18% (127)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.c3 | 284 | 33/48/19 | — |
| 9.Nbd2 | 239 | 34/54/12 | — |
| 9.Be3 | 88 | 34/46/20 | — |
| 9.Qe2 | 81 | 30/45/25 | — |
| 9.a4 | 5 | 20/40/40 | — |
| 9.Nc3 | 4 | 0/0/100 | — |
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
- Ruy Lopez: Open · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 · 752 games
- Ruy Lopez: Open · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 · 703 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 37
- Vachier Lagrave,M 33
- Caruana,F 24
As Black
- Mamedyarov,S 82
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 67
- Euwe, Max 36
Games per decade
- 1870s 1
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 4
- 1900s 7
- 1910s 20
- 1920s 17
- 1930s 12
- 1940s 30
- 1950s 24
- 1960s 27
- 1970s 28
- 1980s 58
- 1990s 51
- 2000s 106
- 2010s 120
- 2020s 195
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, Main Line?
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 d5 8.dxe5 Be6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line good for White or for Black?
In 701 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, Main Line?
9.c3 — played in 284 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Open, Main Line?
On the White side Shirov,A (37), Vachier Lagrave,M (33), Caruana,F (24); on the Black side Mamedyarov,S (82), Kortschnoj, Viktor (67), Euwe, Max (36).
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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