Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Beverwijk Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5
The Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Beverwijk Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C65, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5. It is a line of the Ruy Lopez. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 4,469 times by this move order. White won 56%, 3% were drawn and Black won 41%. The most popular continuation is 5. c3 (38% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.36 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 5. c3 O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. a4 a6)
- ECO
- C65
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/1Bb1p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 6 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,821 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2,244 | |
| 2000+ | 404 | |
| All | 4,469 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. c3 Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit | 1,699 (38%) | |
| 5. Re1 | 890 (20%) | |
| 5. d3 | 488 (11%) | |
| 5. Bxc6 | 457 (10%) | |
| 5. Nxe5 | 455 (10%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 201 (4%) | |
| 5. h3 | 170 (4%) | |
| 5. d4 | 63 (1%) |
Master games
300 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 60%, draw 15%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM So, W. (2753) 1/2-1/2 · chess.com SpeedChess 2023 · 2023-09-19
- GM Pentala Harikrishna (2763) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) 1-0 · chess.com QF Blitz 3m+2spm 2016 · 2016-05-04
- GM David W L Howell (2676) – GM Luke J McShane (2640) 1/2-1/2 · ch-GBR KO 2017 · 2017-12-09
- GM David W L Howell (2676) – GM Luke J McShane (2640) 1/2-1/2 · ch-GBR KO 2017 · 2017-12-09
- GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (2598) – GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2678) 1-0 · Tetraktys Concept Mgmt Bl · 2021-06-06
Search all games of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Beverwijk Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- apollothedog (2691) – Beth_Harmon1958 (2495) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- SnoopyDoggy (2636) – TCromwell (2531) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- FM AdamCollins (2596) – Beth_Harmon1958 (2512) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (3… Nf6 4. O-O) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O
Continuations
- Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit C65 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. c3
More Ruy Lopez lines (all)
- Ruy Lopez C60
- Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense C60
- Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense, Alapin Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Brentano Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Bulgarian Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense C60
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Tartakower Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Fianchetto Defense C60
- Ruy Lopez: Fianchetto Defense, Kevitz Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Lucena Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Nürnberg Variation C60
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.