Ruy Lopez: Closed, Alekhine Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nf1 Bg4 13. Ne3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Alekhine Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C88, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nf1 Bg4 13. Ne3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3. 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: +0.03 (Stockfish, depth 33; best line 14… cxd4 15. Nf5 dxc3 16. Qxc3 Bd8 17. Qxc7)

ECO

C88

Moves

27 plies

FEN

r4rk1/2q1bppp/p2p1n2/npp1p3/3PP3/2P1NQ2/PPB2PPP/R1B1R1K1 b - - 0 14

PGN

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nf1 Bg4 13. Ne3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3

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

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.