Ruy Lopez: Rabinovich Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 d6 7. Ng5 d5 8. exd5 Nd4 9. Re1 Bc5 10. Rxe5+ Kf8

The Ruy Lopez: Rabinovich Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C78, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 d6 7. Ng5 d5 8. exd5 Nd4 9. Re1 Bc5 10. Rxe5+ Kf8. 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: −0.29 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 11. c3 Nxb3 12. Qxb3 Bxf2+ 13. Kh1 Ng4)

ECO

C78

Moves

20 plies

FEN

r1bq1k1r/2p2ppp/p4n2/1pbPR1N1/3n4/1B6/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ2K1 w - - 1 11

PGN

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 d6 7. Ng5 d5 8. exd5 Nd4 9. Re1 Bc5 10. Rxe5+ Kf8

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.