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Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense (C65)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6

Number of games in database: 6765
Years covered: 1840 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 36.4%
   Black wins 23.9%
   Draws 39.7%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Fabiano Caruana  104 games
Viswanathan Anand  83 games
Magnus Carlsen  72 games
Wesley So  84 games
Levon Aronian  82 games
Vladimir Kramnik  70 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1892
Capablanca vs O Bernstein, 1911
Morphy vs Anderssen, 1858
Marshall vs Lasker, 1907
Anderssen vs Steinitz, 1866
Blackburne vs M Weiss, 1889
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 page 1 of 271; games 1-25 of 6,765 
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. von der Lasa vs W Hanstein 0-1331840BerlinC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
2. C Mayet vs Harrwitz 0-1221847Berlin mC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
3. Moheschunder vs Cochrane 0-1351850Cochrane - MoheschunderC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
4. NN vs Morphy 0-1241850Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
5. Bird vs C Smith  1-0201850Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
6. Bird vs C Smith  1-0351850Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
7. J Wallenrath vs C Jaenisch ½-½541850Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
8. H Kennedy vs Szen 0-1301851LondonC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
9. Bird vs Anderssen 1-0441851Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
10. C Mayet vs Anderssen 1-0531851Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
11. Lowenthal vs Anderssen 0-1301851Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
12. Nijmegen vs Gouda  1-0501851corrC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
13. Lowenthal vs E Williams 1-0601851Lowenthal - WilliamsC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
14. Bird vs Horwitz 1-0591851LondonC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
15. Szen vs Horwitz 1-0381851LondonC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
16. J Trelawny vs R Brien  0-1431851Provincial Tournament, LondonC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
17. E Williams vs Staunton 0-1611851LondonC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
18. Bird vs Horwitz 1-0291851Bird - HorwitzC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
19. C Jaenisch vs Staunton 0-1421851Jaenisch - StauntonC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
20. Staunton vs von der Lasa ½-½691853Staunton - von der Lasa Casual SeriesC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
21. Staunton vs von der Lasa 0-1271853Staunton - von der Lasa Casual SeriesC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
22. Lowenthal vs Harrwitz 1-0591853Harrwitz - LowenthalC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
23. Zytogorski vs R Brien  0-1271855Zytogorski - BrienC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
24. Cochrane vs Moheschunder  ½-½411855Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
25. Bird vs Anderssen 1-0381857Casual gameC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
 page 1 of 271; games 1-25 of 6,765 
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 4 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-29-05  Holden: <1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nc6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.c3 Nxe4>

6. d4 exd4 7. Re1 and black can save the knight but there are plenty of ways for black to lose.

White's still down a pawn though.

Jul-29-05  Eric6312: Yes Holden! I think 7. Re1 is the key I missed. Thanks!
Jul-31-05  who: <Eric6312> see Alekhine vs Desai RE, 1933
Jul-31-05  who: <e4Newman> Fritz gives 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.c3 Nxe4 6.Qe2 Bxf2+ 7.Kh1 d5 8.d3 Ng3+ 9.hxg3 Bxg3 as better for white.

After 6.Qe2!? Bxf2+! 7.Kh1! (7.Rxf2 Nxf2 8.Kxf2 f6) d5 8.c4!? it suggests 8...Bb6 as about equal. After 8...0-0 9.cxd5 it suggest 9...Ng3. After that Fritz is o.k. with all the moves played and gives the final position an evaluation of 2.32

Nov-14-05  Kriegspiel: <acirce> I went looking for the C65 game(s) your Kramnik quote refers to, and couldn't find any in the database. Turns out they are misclassified C67. For example, see:

Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000

Kriegspiel

Feb-04-06  hamworld: here's a game of mine is 1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 Nf6
4. 0-0 Nxe4
5. d4 Nd6
6. Bxc6 dxc6
7. dxe5 Nf5
8. Qxd8+ Kxd8
9. Rd1+ Ke8 equal?
Feb-04-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: <hamworld> Yes, that line seems very even for both sides, although White has a slim edge statistically = Opening Explorer Note the Kasparov-Kramnik games in London, 2000 went 9. Nc3 Bd7 10. b3 h6 for Game 1 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000 & Game 3 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000, then 9. Nc3 h6 10. Rd1+ Ke8 for Game 9 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000, then 9. Nc3 h6 10. h3 Ke8 for Game 13 Kasparov vs Kramnik, 2000
Apr-03-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <hamworld> Here is what Bronstein thinks about the position: Pilnik vs Bronstein, 1956
Apr-03-06  refutor: i'm surprised kasparov didn't try 9.Rd1+ v. kramnik...j.polgar has played 9.Rd1+ over the years
Jul-29-06  Ness: Lets say 4. O-O Bc5 how should white continue?
Sep-28-06  ongyj: After years of my previous post on this page I'm back again! I'd like to seek opinion of everyone on this continuation of the Berlin Wall defence. 4.d3 Bc5(Pretending Black's e pawn falls but in reality it doesn't. If I don't remember wrongly I think Topalov used it against Anand in the tournament he was crowned? Or was it the other way round?) 5.c3 d6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bb4+ and Now White can "play safe with 8.Bd2" or try the interesting looking 8.Kf1!? All criticisms greatly appreciated.
Oct-03-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Is cg.com trying to give Topalov and Kramnik a hint by picking this for OOTD?
Jan-11-07  Bobak Zahmat: <keypusher> Like expected Topalov didn't test Kramnik's Berlin Wall, because that would be just a waste of time.
Feb-13-07  druby: Maybe kasparov should have tried the nimzo larsen attack.
Jul-27-07  melianis: Looking at the statistics of the opening (closed berlin (Bc5)), it seems like <10.Nbd2 is a very good move.
Jan-17-09  blacksburg: Opening of the Day!

the best thing about playing the Berlin is that you get to study Lasker's games. :)

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Jan-17-09  LaFreaK: search "WESLEY SO-NI HUA"
May-18-09  spirosgr: How about
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4. c3!?
i cant find any games starting like this though
Jul-24-09  WhiteRook48: that's because 4 c3 isn't attacking
Feb-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day : Ruy Lopez,Berlin Defense 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 ♘f6.
Jan-06-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: The Ruy Lopez is strong, but not unbreakable.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Same for the Petroff

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Mar-07-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 ♘f6


click for larger view

May-28-13  dvpjal: Visit http://chessstrategyguide.com/RL-BV...

Thanks

Sep-25-13  Kikoman:

<Opening of the Day>

Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6


click for larger view

Dec-01-13  solskytz: I have a very basic question, as a totally non-opening-expert:

If black wants to play ...Nf6 early, isn't it more flexible for him to play 3...a6 first? And then on 4. Ba4, ...Nf6?

Doesn't this give him more options? Or is there something basic here that I'm missing?

Flexible because after 3...a6 and 4. Ba4, he can always break the pin if he wants, by playing ...b5 anytime he sees fit.

Explanation please! :-)

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