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Ruy Lopez, Closed (C91)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Re1 b5
7 Bb3 O-O 8 c3 d6 9 d4

Number of games in database: 3006
Years covered: 1889 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 38.9%
   Black wins 25.1%
   Draws 36.0%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Herman van Riemsdijk  35 games
Vitaly Tseshkovsky  27 games
Gata Kamsky  24 games
Mark Hebden  27 games
Oleg Romanishin  20 games
Predrag Nikolic  18 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Capablanca vs Bogoljubov, 1922
Fischer vs Korchnoi, 1962
Bronstein vs Keres, 1950
J Szily vs Gligoric, 1948
Shirov vs Ivanchuk, 2007
P Johner vs Rubinstein, 1907
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 page 1 of 121; games 1-25 of 3,006  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. M Judd vs J W Baird 1-05418896th American Chess Congress, New YorkC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
2. H Suechting vs Englisch ½-½661897BerlinC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
3. G Marco vs Englisch  ½-½141897BerlinC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
4. Marshall vs A P Beauchemin 0-1311898Marshall Simul 15bC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
5. H Softlaw vs G Ellis  1-031189927th Oxford - Cambridge Varsity mC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
6. L Rosen vs Chigorin 0-1401900ParisC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
7. Olland vs Janowski  1-0481901NED casualC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
8. Olland vs R Loman  ½-½35190129th DCA Congress, HaarlemC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
9. Olland vs B Leussen  1-04219013 player tournamentC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
10. W Gunston vs J Mortimer  0-1641904LondonC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
11. R Michell vs C Tattersall 1-0331904British ChampionshipC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
12. Teichmann vs G Marco  ½-½191905OstendC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
13. Maroczy vs M Morgan 1-0121906Exhibition gameC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
14. Maroczy vs M M Smith  1-0421906Exhibition gameC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
15. G Marco vs Chigorin  0-1651906OstendC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
16. Maroczy vs Chigorin 1-0631906OstendC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
17. W Wittekopff vs S Lurie  0-13619074th Baltic Chess Congress- Major sf BC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
18. P Johner vs Rubinstein 0-1491907KarlsbadC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
19. H Suechting vs Duras 0-1311908ViennaC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
20. Olland vs J Vijzelaar  ½-½551908Utrecht-VASC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
21. A Keller / G Wiarda / Orthmann / E vs Tarrasch 1-05019083-board Consultation SimulC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
22. S Izbinsky vs D Daniuszewski  ½-½541909All Russian AmateurC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
23. Lasker vs J Nollmann ½-½541910Simul, 12bC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
24. H Ziolo vs J Barton  0-1281911Cologne-AC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
25. G Nyholm vs J Barton  1-0291911Cologne-AC91 Ruy Lopez, Closed
 page 1 of 121; games 1-25 of 3,006  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-01-03  bishop: I posted someting on the Marshall at it's eco code c89. Hope that helps.
Jun-01-03  refutor: the knight comes back to b8 in some variations (breyer 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 a6 4.♗a4 ♘f6 5.O-O ♗e7 6.♖e1 b5 7.♗b3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 ♘b8 for example) because the knight has already done its job on c6 and is just blocking the advance of the c-pawn. the other main line, the tchigorin 9. ... ♘a5 moves the knight but when black plays the breyer, he believes that the knight is better on the b8 square, heading for d7 then on a5.
Jun-01-03  maa: thanks i have a better understanding of this opening and BISHOP i read your comment on C89 and it help a lot. Sorry if i dont talk well , i am french
Jun-02-03  drukenknight: Maa. You type very well for someone who is french speaking.

Regarding Anti Marshall. All this means is that white is so afraid of the Marshall attack, that he will play a different move other than the one that leads to the Marshall. it is all psychological of course, there is no reason to think the Marshall is any worse than any other main line, but white is afraid so he will play a deliberate, sort of not so good move, so he doesnt have to face the Marshall line. I can show you an example of this, but first you should use the website to find example of the Marshall attack. I guess you found Bishop's comments on c89.

Okay then I will have to find you the Fischer game where he steers it away from the Marshall.

Jun-02-03  maa: Thanks but i dont understand why a4 stop black from playing d5
Jun-02-03  actual: http://www.ex.ac.uk/~dregis/DR/Open...
Nov-26-04  e4Newman: After the position

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.d4 Bg4 10.Be3 exd4

there's a long list of truly classic closed Lopez games.

Aug-01-05  Montreal1666: A good game in progress right now:

GM Svidler Peter 2738
GM Bacrot Etienne 2729

European Chess Team Championship 2005 (3)

1. e4 1... e5 2. Nf3 2... Nc6 3. Bb5 3... a6 4. Ba4 4... Nf6 5. O-O 5... Be7 6. Re1 6... b5 7. Bb3 7... d6 8. c3 8... O-O 9. d4 9... Bg4 10. Be3 10... exd4 11. cxd4 11... Na5 12. Bc2 12... c5 13. h3 13... Bxf3 14. Qxf3 14... cxd4 15. Bxd4 15... Rc8 16. Bb3 16... Nc6

Why did Svidler offer his Bishop (16.Bb3) and why did Bacrot reject it?

Aug-01-05  acirce: I'd suggest 16..Nxb3 17.axb3! opening the a-file is good for White.

After 16.. Nc6 17.Qd1, pawn sac 17..d5 came quickly from Bacrot, so he seems to have prepared it.

Aug-01-05  Montreal1666: <acirce> Yes Bacrot seems prepared. A very nice game. I hope they don't agree on a fast draw!!
Aug-01-05  gambitfan: what is the name of this variation ?
Aug-01-05  arifattar: They just did
Aug-01-05  Montreal1666: Well draw agreed!!! too bad. I would have not played Bb3 on my own thinking!

<gambitfan> I don't know.

Aug-01-05  acirce: Impressive game by Bacrot, equalizing seemingly without effort. 17..d5! great novelty.
Aug-01-05  Montreal1666: Svidler probably smelled trouble and tricked Bacrot with a fast draw offer. Considering the huge time advantage, Bacrot had the upper hand.

The rest of the moves:

17. Qd1 17... d5 18. exd5 18... Nxd4 19. Qxd4 19... Bc5 20. Qd3 20... Qb6 21. Qf3 21... a5 22. Nc3 (0:38:10 / 1:28:02) 1/2-1/2

Aug-04-05  Montreal1666: Today Gelfand did not play the 16.Bb3 but the quieter 16.Qd1
Sep-18-05  bomb the bishop: how is this variation of the Ruy lopez considered overall?
Sep-19-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: This is the Yates Variation. Chances are assessed as about equal but White has many interesting lines, including a gambit from Romanishin. If cuaght unawares Black can quickly fall into a bad position, but if prepared, the line is not too hard to meet. Overall, I find it more interesting than the standard moves. I haven't been too successful with the line. Here's one game not in the database:

[Event "Hammond"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986"]
[Round ""]
[White "Schiller Eric"]
[Black "Bain, Robert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "C91"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]

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.d4 Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 c6 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 h6 14.Nd2 Qc7 15.Nf1 Nc4 16.Ng3 Rfe8 17.Nf5 Bf8 18.Nxh6+ gxh6 19.Qxf6 Bg7 20.Qh4 Kh7 21.b3 Nb6 22.Re3 Rh8 23.Rg3 Qd8 24.Qh5 Qe7 25.Be3 Nd7 26.dxc6 Nf8 27.Qf5+ Ng6 28.a4 Rac8 29.axb5 axb5 30.Bd3 Rxc6 31.Bxb5 Rxc3 32.Bc4 Rf8 33.Ra7 Qf6 34.Qxf6 Bxf6 35.Bxf7 Ne7 36.Be6 h5 37.Rf3 Kg6 38.b4 Rb8 39.Rg3+ Kh7 40.Bf5+ Kh8 41.Bg5 1-0

Sep-28-05  bomb the bishop: <Eric Schiller> Nice game, I'll try my chances on this line, hope to make good games out of it
Dec-13-05  TheKid: An excellent example of this opening variation can be seen by the game Bronstein vs Keres, 1950

White has a pretty mate at the end.

Apr-14-07  gambitfan: GOD Sa 14/04/2007
Apr-14-07  e4Newman: careful <gambitfan>

the worral and the 9.d4 closed are very different openings, both fun though :)

Apr-14-07  gambitfan: Dear <e4Newman>,

GOD is Game of the Day and not OPOD (Opening of the Day!)

On Saturday the 14th of April 2007, the GOD was Hydra vs Adams, 2005 ; with 9. d4

Apr-14-07  e4Newman: woops, my mistake.
need to brush up on my acronyms.
you play this one much?
Feb-28-09  WhiteRook48: isn't game of the day GOTD?
search thread:   
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