Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Zukertort Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. c4

The Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Zukertort Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C67, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. c4. It is a line of the Ruy Lopez. Black is to move.

This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.

Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 33; best line 9… O-O 10. Re1 f6 11. Nc3 fxe5 12. Nxe5)

ECO: C67
Moves: 17 plies
FEN: r1bqk2r/pnppbppp/2p5/4P3/2P5/5N2/PP2QPPP/RNB2RK1 b kq - 0 9
PGN: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. c4

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Master games

8 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 13%, draw 49%, Black 38%). The strongest:

GM Hans Tikkanen (2535) – GM Axel Smith (2513) 1/2-1/2 · ch-SWE 2016 · 2016-07-16
IM Jaroslav Bures (2392) – GM Robert Hess (2639) 0-1 · 23rd Czech Open Rapid · 2012-07-18
Rafael Bakunts (2397) – GM Dmitry Kryakvin (2572) 1/2-1/2 · 21st Voronezh Master Open · 2017-06-18
IM Polina Shuvalova (2509) – IM Evgenija Ovod (2331) 1/2-1/2 · 71st ch-RUS w 2021 · 2021-10-09
Nicolas Duport (2234) – GM Alexander Cherniaev (2441) 0-1 · e2e4 Brighton Masters 2013 · 2013-02-17

Search all games of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Zukertort Variation and its sub-variations

Comes from

Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio de Janeiro Variation (5. d4 Be7) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7

More Ruy Lopez lines (all)

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.