Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5
The Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO C63, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5. It is a line of the Ruy Lopez. White is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6,217 times by this move order. White won 46%, 4% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 4. d3 (32% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.49 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4. d3 fxe4 5. dxe4 Nf6 6. O-O Bc5)
- ECO
- C63
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp2pp/2n5/1B2pp2/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,364 | |
| 1500-1999 | 3,042 | |
| 2000+ | 1,811 | |
| All | 6,217 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. d3 | 1,998 (32%) | |
| 4. Bxc6 Schliemann Defense, Exchange Variation | 1,617 (26%) | |
| 4. exf5 Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted | 1,264 (20%) | |
| 4. Nc3 Schliemann Defense, Dyckhoff Variation | 710 (11%) | |
| 4. d4 Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack | 359 (6%) | |
| 4. O-O | 171 (3%) | |
| 4. Qe2 | 62 (1%) | |
| 4. Nxe5 | 13 (0%) |
Master games
2,610 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 20%, Black 36%). The strongest:
- KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) – Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-14
- Stockfish dev15_20220401 (3617) – KomodoDragon 2894.00 (3600) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 22 Superfinal 2022 · 2022-04-14
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2818) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2882) 1-0 · Saint Louis Blitz 2019 · 2019-08-14
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2832) – GM Levon Aronian (2765) 0-1 · 10th London Classic 2018 · 2018-12-17
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2772) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2793) 1-0 · Renova FIDE GP Zug · 2013-04-18
Search all games of the Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM Squoznyak (2878) – Kruciatos (2740) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- GM TimofeevAr (2846) – Kruciatos (2739) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- IM wLh26 (2823) – Kruciatos (2730) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Ruy Lopez 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
Continuations
- Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Dyckhoff Variation C63 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. Nc3
- Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Exchange Variation C63 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. Bxc6
- Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted C63 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. exf5
- Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack C63 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5 4. d4
More Ruy Lopez lines (all)
- Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense C60
- Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense, Alapin Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Brentano Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Bulgarian Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense C60
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Paulsen Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense, Tartakower Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Fianchetto Defense C60
- Ruy Lopez: Fianchetto Defense, Kevitz Gambit C60
- Ruy Lopez: Lucena Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Nürnberg Variation C60
- Ruy Lopez: Pollock Defense C60
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.