Ruy Lopez: Open, Zukertort Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Ne7

Ruy Lopez: Open, Zukertort Variation after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Ne7 87654321abcdefgh

The Ruy Lopez: Open, Zukertort Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C80, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Ne7. 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: +1.10 (Stockfish, depth 27; best line 9. a4 Bg4 10. h3 Be6 11. Nbd2 Nc5)

ECO
C80
Moves
16 plies
FEN
r1bqkb1r/2p1nppp/p7/1p1pP3/4n3/1B3N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 1 9
PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Ne7

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

Comes from

Ruy Lopez: Open (7… d5 8. dxe5) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5

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.