Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Bronstein Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Qd6

Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Bronstein Variation after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Qd6 87654321abcdefgh

The Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Bronstein Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C69, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Qd6. 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 118 times by this move order. White won 43%, 6% were drawn and Black won 51%. The most popular continuation is 6. d4 (42% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.21 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 6. Na3 Be6 7. Qe2 c5 8. Nc4 Bxc4)

ECO
C69
Moves
10 plies
FEN
r1b1kbnr/1pp2ppp/p1pq4/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 2 6
PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Qd6

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

Results by rating

Average ratingGamesWhite / draw / Black
0-14991225%75%
1500-19994844%52%
2000+5847%45%
All11843%51%

Most played moves

MoveGamesWhite / draw / Black
6. d450 (42%)44%50%
6. c315 (13%)47%13%40%
6. Nc313 (11%)38%62%
6. d310 (8%)30%60%
6. Na310 (8%)60%30%
6. Re19 (8%)22%78%
6. h35 (4%)20%80%
6. b35 (4%)80%20%

Master games

319 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 26%, Black 41%). The strongest:

Search all games of the Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Bronstein Variation and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

Comes from

Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation, Normal Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O

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.