Ruy Lopez · Chess.com blitz ·
How the top 10 Chess.com blitz players play the Ruy Lopez
448 blitz games where a top-10 Chess.com player had White and played the Ruy Lopez, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. See how Black answers, what White plays against the Berlin and how it scores. All of the top 10 play it.
Ruy Lopez games
448
Morphy Defense (3…a6)
59%
Top players' score
65%
vs ~3,100 avg opponents
Key findings
- Most games go into the Morphy Defense. 59% of 448 games are Morphy Defense lines. The chart below breaks the rest down by system.
- The top players' usual reply to each system. Morphy Defense (3…a6): 4.Ba4 (90%); Berlin (3…Nf6): 4.O-O (62%); Schliemann (3…f5): 4.d3 (69%); Cozio (3…Nge7): 4.O-O (50%).
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda scores best in the Ruy Lopez. Jan-Krzysztof Duda scores 72% over 50 games, the highest among players with 50 or more games in the Ruy Lopez.
- The top players score lowest against the Berlin. They score 59% over 137 games against it, and 65% over all 448 games.
- Against the Berlin, 4.O-O leads. It was played in 85 of 137 Berlin games (62%), ahead of 4.d3 Anti-Berlin (51 games, 37%). After 4.O-O Nxe4, White plays 5.d4 (towards the Berlin endgame) in 48 of 83 games (58%) and 5.Re1 in 35 (42%).
How Black answers 3.Bb5
Share of each player's games in the Ruy Lopez. Tap or hover a segment for the count and the score.
- Morphy Defense (3…a6)
- Berlin (3…Nf6)
- Schliemann (3…f5)
- Other defenses (incl. Cozio 3…Nge7, Fianchetto 3…g6, Classical 3…Bc5)
Faded rows: fewer than 20 games.
Table view
| Player | Morphy Defense (3…a6) | Berlin (3…Nf6) | Schliemann (3…f5) | Other defenses (incl. Cozio 3…Nge7, Fianchetto 3…g6, Classical 3…Bc5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All 10 players | 264 · 59% · 66%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 26 · 6% · 73%Closed (without the Marshall): 76 · 17% · 61%Open (5…Nxe4): 10 · 2% · 85%Marshall (8…d5): 10 · 2% · 60%Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 33 · 7% · 64%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): 27 · 6% · 67%Møller (5…Bc5): 17 · 4% · 62%Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): 14 · 3% · 71%Other Morphy lines: 51 · 11% · 70% | 137 · 31% · 59% | 16 · 4% · 78% | 31 · 7% · 71% |
| Hikaru Nakamura | 10 · 83% · 65%Exchange (4.Bxc6): –Closed (without the Marshall): 3 · 25% · 33%Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 2 · 17% · 25%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): 4 · 33% · 100%Møller (5…Bc5): –Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 1 · 8% · 100% | 2 · 17% · 75% | – | – |
| Magnus Carlsen | 26 · 84% · 77%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 1 · 3% · 100%Closed (without the Marshall): 9 · 29% · 83%Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 1 · 3% · 100%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): 8 · 26% · 63%Møller (5…Bc5): 3 · 10% · 67%Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 4 · 13% · 87% | 3 · 10% · 67% | 1 · 3% · 100% | 1 · 3% · 100% |
| Nihal Sarin | 28 · 67% · 75%Exchange (4.Bxc6): –Closed (without the Marshall): 10 · 24% · 65%Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 4 · 10% · 63%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): –Møller (5…Bc5): 3 · 7% · 67%Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): 3 · 7% · 100%Other Morphy lines: 8 · 19% · 88% | 6 · 14% · 58% | 6 · 14% · 75% | 2 · 5% · 0% |
| Ediz Gürel | 10 · 38% · 45%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 8 · 31% · 44%Closed (without the Marshall): –Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): –Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): –Møller (5…Bc5): –Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 2 · 8% · 50% | 9 · 35% · 44% | 2 · 8% · 50% | 5 · 19% · 50% |
| Denis Lazavik | 14 · 54% · 89%Exchange (4.Bxc6): –Closed (without the Marshall): 3 · 12% · 100%Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 1 · 4% · 100%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): 4 · 15% · 75%Møller (5…Bc5): –Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 6 · 23% · 92% | 10 · 38% · 70% | – | 2 · 8% · 100% |
| Wesley So | 9 · 39% · 56%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 2 · 9% · 100%Closed (without the Marshall): 3 · 13% · 17%Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): –Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): –Møller (5…Bc5): –Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 4 · 17% · 62% | 13 · 57% · 46% | – | 1 · 4% · 100% |
| Aleksei Sarana | 8 · 80% · 19%Exchange (4.Bxc6): –Closed (without the Marshall): –Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): –Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): –Møller (5…Bc5): 3 · 30% · 17%Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 5 · 50% · 20% | 2 · 20% · 50% | – | – |
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 32 · 64% · 72%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 5 · 10% · 90%Closed (without the Marshall): 13 · 26% · 69%Open (5…Nxe4): –Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 1 · 2% · 100%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): 4 · 8% · 38%Møller (5…Bc5): –Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 9 · 18% · 78% | 14 · 28% · 64% | 2 · 4% · 100% | 2 · 4% · 100% |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 80 · 56% · 61%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 1 · 1% · 100%Closed (without the Marshall): 28 · 20% · 50%Open (5…Nxe4): 3 · 2% · 100%Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 20 · 14% · 57%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): 3 · 2% · 83%Møller (5…Bc5): 3 · 2% · 50%Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): –Other Morphy lines: 22 · 15% · 70% | 48 · 34% · 68% | 4 · 3% · 75% | 11 · 8% · 82% |
| Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 47 · 55% · 67%Exchange (4.Bxc6): 9 · 11% · 78%Closed (without the Marshall): 14 · 16% · 75%Open (5…Nxe4): 5 · 6% · 70%Marshall (8…d5): –Modern Steinitz (4…d6): 4 · 5% · 87%Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3): –Møller (5…Bc5): –Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3): 4 · 5% · 50%Other Morphy lines: 11 · 13% · 45% | 30 · 35% · 50% | 1 · 1% · 100% | 7 · 8% · 64% |
| System | Games | Share | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morphy Defense (3…a6) | 264 | 59% | 66% |
| Exchange (4.Bxc6) | 26 | 6% | 73% |
| Closed (without the Marshall) | 76 | 17% | 61% |
| Open (5…Nxe4) | 10 | 2% | 85% |
| Marshall (8…d5) | 10 | 2% | 60% |
| Modern Steinitz (4…d6) | 33 | 7% | 64% |
| Anderssen (4…Nf6 5.d3) | 27 | 6% | 67% |
| Møller (5…Bc5) | 17 | 4% | 62% |
| Arkhangelsk lines (5…b5 6.Bb3) | 14 | 3% | 71% |
| Other Morphy lines | 51 | 11% | 70% |
| Berlin (3…Nf6) | 137 | 31% | 59% |
| Schliemann (3…f5) | 16 | 4% | 78% |
| Cozio (3…Nge7) | 12 | 3% | 67% |
| Fianchetto (3…g6) | 12 | 3% | 83% |
| Classical (3…Bc5) | 5 | 1% | 50% |
| Other defenses | 2 | <1% | 75% |
Player by player
The defense each player met most often, and how they handle the Berlin.
Hikaru Nakamura
12 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 67%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 10 games (83%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 2 games (17%)
Magnus Carlsen
31 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 77%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 26 games (84%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 3 games (10%)
Nihal Sarin
42 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 69%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 28 games (67%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 6 games (14%)
Meets the Berlin in 6 games; most often 4.O-O (5 games)
Also meets the Schliemann (3…f5), 6 games
Ediz Gürel
26 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 46%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 10 games (38%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 9 games (35%)
Meets the Berlin in 9 games; always 4.O-O
Denis Lazavik
26 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 83%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 14 games (54%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 10 games (38%)
Prefers 4.d3 (Anti-Berlin): all 10 games after 3…Nf6
Wesley So
23 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 52%
Faced most: Berlin (3…Nf6), 13 games (57%)
Next: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 9 games (39%)
Prefers 4.d3 (Anti-Berlin): 8 of 13 games after 3…Nf6
Aleksei Sarana
10 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 25%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 8 games (80%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 2 games (20%)
Jan-Krzysztof Duda
50 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 72%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 32 games (64%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 14 games (28%)
Meets the Berlin in 14 games; most often 4.O-O (10 games)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
143 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 65%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 80 games (56%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 48 games (34%)
Meets the Berlin in 48 games; most often 4.O-O (43 games)
Also meets the Cozio Defense (3…Nge7), 5 games
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
85 games in the Ruy Lopez · score 61%
Faced most: Morphy Defense (3…a6), 47 games (55%)
Next: Berlin (3…Nf6), 30 games (35%)
Prefers 4.d3 (Anti-Berlin): 19 of 30 games after 3…Nf6
Also meets the Fianchetto Defense (3…g6), 5 games
Against the Berlin: move 4
137 games reached the Berlin (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6). White's fourth move, player by player.
- 4.O-O
- Anti-Berlin (4.d3)
- 4.Qe2
- Other fourth moves
Faded rows: fewer than 20 Berlin games.
Table view
| Player | 4.O-O | Anti-Berlin (4.d3) | 4.Qe2 | Other fourth moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All 10 players | 85 · 62% · 65% | 51 · 37% · 50% | 1 · 1% · 100% | – |
| Nihal Sarin | 5 · 83% · 60% | 1 · 17% · 50% | – | – |
| Ediz Gürel | 9 · 100% · 44% | – | – | – |
| Denis Lazavik | – | 10 · 100% · 70% | – | – |
| Wesley So | 5 · 38% · 60% | 8 · 62% · 38% | – | – |
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 10 · 71% · 65% | 3 · 21% · 50% | 1 · 7% · 100% | – |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 43 · 90% · 69% | 5 · 10% · 60% | – | – |
| Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 11 · 37% · 64% | 19 · 63% · 42% | – | – |
Move explorer
Starts after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. Pick all 10 players or one of them, then click a move to go deeper. Rarer moves are grouped as other moves.
- 1.e4
- e5
- 2.Nf3
- Nc6
- 3.Bb5
Ruy Lopez
448 games · top players scored 65%
Other moves: 2 games
Questions people ask
- What do Black players play against the Ruy Lopez?
- In Chess.com blitz, the top 10 players meet the Morphy Defense in 59% of 448 games. Here the Morphy Defense means 3…a6. The rest: the Berlin 31%, the Schliemann 4%, the Cozio Defense 3%, the Fianchetto Defense 3%, the Classical Defense 1%.
- What is the second most common defense to the Ruy Lopez?
- After the Morphy Defense, the most played defense is the Berlin, in 31% of games. Here that means 3…Nf6. Next: the Schliemann at 4%, the Cozio Defense at 3%, the Fianchetto Defense at 3%, the Classical Defense at 1%.
- What does Magnus Carlsen play in the Ruy Lopez?
- In 31 blitz games as White in the Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5), Magnus Carlsen faced the Morphy Defense most (26 games, 84%), then the Berlin (3, 10%).
- What do top players play against the Berlin?
- In the 137 games that reached the Berlin (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6), the most common fourth move is 4.O-O (85 games, 62%), followed by 4.d3 Anti-Berlin (51 games, 37%). After 4.O-O Nxe4, White plays 5.d4 (towards the Berlin endgame) in 48 of 83 games (58%) and 5.Re1 in 35 (42%).
- Does a high score mean the opening is good?
- Not by itself. Scores also reflect the rating gap between the top players and their opponents. Compare lines by how often the top players choose them, and use the scores as context.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- From up to 1,000 Chess.com blitz games as White of each of the top 10 players on the leaderboard. 448 of them start 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. A win counts as 1 and a draw as ½, from the top player's side. The games were last refreshed on 18 Oct 2026.
How we counted
We took the Chess.com blitz games as White of each of the top 10 players on the leaderboard, up to 1,000 each, and kept the ones that started 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. Each game counts under the first rule below that fits it:
- Morphy Defense (3…a6): 3…a6.
- Berlin (3…Nf6): 3…Nf6.
- Schliemann (3…f5): 3…f5.
- Cozio (3…Nge7): 3…Nge7.
- Fianchetto (3…g6): 3…g6.
- Classical (3…Bc5): 3…Bc5.
- Other defenses: everything else: Black's rarer third moves, such as 3…Nd4 and 3…Bb4.
A win counts as 1 and a draw as ½, from the top player's side. Scores also reflect the rating gap: opponents average about 3,100.
The parts of the Morphy Defense are told apart by position, so each move order of the Closed (5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3, or 5…b5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.Re1), the Open (5.O-O Nxe4) and the Marshall (8…d5) counts together. A row or a card built on fewer than 20 games is faded. Players with fewer than 10 games in the opening have no card or row; their games count in the totals.
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