Ruy Lopez: Closed, Leonhardt Variation

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. h3 Nc6 12. d5 Nb8 13. Nbd2 g5

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Leonhardt Variation 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. h3 Nc6 12. d5 Nb8 13. Nbd2 g5. It is a line of the Ruy Lopez. White 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: +1.87 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 14. a4 Ra7 15. axb5 axb5 16. Rxa7 Qxa7)

ECO

C88

Moves

26 plies

FEN

rnb1k2r/2q1bp1p/p2p1n2/1ppPp1p1/4P3/2P2N1P/PPBN1PP1/R1BQR1K1 w kq - 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. h3 Nc6 12. d5 Nb8 13. Nbd2 g5

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.