Skip to content
TrueEloPlay what wins.
Score a position

Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack

White Gambit

Source Lichess

You play
Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level
All Ratings
Edge at worst−24.8%

White isn't shown winning more often than losing at this level

how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident

Rating TrendPeak: −22.3% at 1200-1399
0-9992000-2199
Win%36.9%
Games15K
Breakpoint0-999first rating it isn't shown winning more than losing
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
4.Nxe5
Rating
Rating
Time Control
Time

Does Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack work for White at All Ratings?

Snapshot

At All Ratings, Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack keeps White's wins running −24.8% ahead of its losses at worst, 90% confident, from 15K Lichess games. The games don't show this gambit paying at this level. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

RatingEdge at worstWhite WinDrawWhite LossGames
0-999−27.5%35.7%3.7%60.7%4.0K
1000-1199−25.0%37.5%2.7%59.9%3.8K
1200-1399−22.3%39.2%2.3%58.5%3.1K
1400-1599−30.1%35.3%2.5%62.1%2.3K
1600-1799−30.6%35.8%2.1%62.1%1.3K
1800-1999−28.9%37.6%1.9%60.5%708
2000-2199−41.3%32.5%3.4%64.0%246
Full Opening StatsSee rating/time-control breakdowns for White on the opening stats page
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack sound?

Not shown to be. White does not come out ahead at any rating we can see: its best Edge at worst, at 1200-1399, is −22.3%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack win rate?

White wins 36.9% of Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack games, draws 2.8% and loses 60.4%. That rests on 15K games from Lichess.

What is the best rating to play the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack?

No rating in these games shows it paying. White's Edge at worst is highest at 1200-1399: −22.3%, how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack better in blitz or rapid?

Blitz. For White, the Edge at worst — how far wins run ahead of losses, 90% confident — is −29.6% in Blitz (6.7K games) and −32.5% in Rapid (3.6K games). In neither do the games show White winning more than losing.

Does the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack breakpoint vary by time control?

No. The first rating where the games do not show White coming out ahead is 0-999 in Bullet, 0-999 in Blitz and 0-999 in Rapid.

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack?

The Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack is extremely sharp: 2.8% of its games are drawn, so 97.2% end with a winner.

Should I play the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack?

Not for the results: White does not come out ahead at any rating we can see.

How do I defend against the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack?

As Black, take the material, then develop fast, castle early, and trade pieces. Give the material back when doing so kills the attack. White does not come out ahead with it at any rating we can see.

How reliable is the Ruy Lopez: Halloween Attack data?

This rests on 15K games from Lichess. Every figure carries the range it is in, 90% confident, and the table above shows how many games sit behind each rating and each clock — the fewer there are, the wider that range.