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Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack

17K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

56.2%

45%60%
Floor55.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.9%.

Measured over 17K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 17K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
17K
Best context
63.5% at 2200-2499 Blitz
Worst context
53.7% at 1200-1399 Blitz
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
95.4%
Draws
4.6%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 46.4% at 0-999, 55.2% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999—
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599—
1600-1799
1800-1999—
2000-2199—
2200-2499—
2500+—

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 58.6% expected score (98 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 56.7% expected score (149 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (94 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (432 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.9% expected score (323 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (154 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (383 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (669 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (297 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (535 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (831 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (309 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 60.6% expected score (46 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (605 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.3% expected score (1,036 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.4% expected score (281 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (21 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (878 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.5% expected score (1,652 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (243 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.3% expected score (14 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (1,199 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 58.6% expected score (2,419 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (275 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 72.3% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.8% expected score (1,470 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 63.5% expected score (1,359 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 63.5% expected score (191 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (480 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 65.8% expected score (179 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Ruy Lopez
51.9%
Variations (5)
Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense
51.2%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense
49.9%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation
48.7%
Ruy Lopez: Bird Variation
49.9%
Ruy Lopez: Cozio Defense
49.9%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack scores 56.2% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 55.6% and 56.9% — from 17K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
17K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate?

Playing the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack, White wins 53.9%, draws 4.6% and loses 41.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.2%. It rests on 17K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 60.3% (3.0K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 57.5% in Blitz (8.6K games) against 54.5% in Rapid (1.9K games).

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack?

The Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack has a sharpness score of 95.4 (very decisive), meaning 95.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 54.6%, draws 2.7% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.0%. It rests on 344 Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.6%, draws 2.6% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.9%. It rests on 912 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 51.3%, draws 3.1% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 53.7%, draws 2.5% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.7% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 53.1%, draws 3.5% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 55.1%, draws 4.6% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.4%. It rests on 3.9K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 57.7%, draws 5.2% and loses 37.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.3%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 47.4%, draws 20.9% and loses 31.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.9%. It rests on 666 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.7%, draws 4.3% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 6.1K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 55.1%, draws 4.7% and loses 40.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 8.6K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 52.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 53.6%, draws 9.0% and loses 37.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.1%. It rests on 104 Lichess games.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Nyholm Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 53.9% of its games and loses 41.5%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.