Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3 dxc3

Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3 dxc3 87654321abcdefgh

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C84, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3 dxc3. It is a line of the Ruy Lopez. White is to move.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1 times by this move order. White won 100%, 0% were drawn and Black won 0%. The most popular continuation is 9. Re1 (100% of games).

Engine evaluation: −0.41 (Stockfish, depth 38; best line 9. Nxc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Re1 d6)

ECO
C84
Moves
16 plies
FEN
r1bqk2r/1pppbppp/p1n5/4P3/B3n3/2p2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 9
PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3 dxc3

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

Results by rating

Average ratingGamesWhite / draw / Black
2000+1100%
All1100%

Most played moves

MoveGamesWhite / draw / Black
9. Re11 (100%)100%

Master games

1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:

Search all games of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Comes from

Ruy Lopez: Closed, Basque Gambit 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 exd4 7. e5 Ne4 8. c3

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.