Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation
1.9K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
40.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 42.7%.
Measured over 1.9K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 3.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.9K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.9K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 33 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.5%
- Draws
- 3.5%
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 · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 51.8% at 0-999, 26.5% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: 55.7% expected score (25 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.0% expected score (59 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (20 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (52 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 39.7% expected score (159 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 33.0% expected score (69 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 32.4% expected score (7 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 41.2% expected score (72 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 44.2% expected score (197 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 38.9% expected score (106 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.3% expected score (60 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 37.4% expected score (173 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 39.2% expected score (119 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 30.7% expected score (14 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 39.9% expected score (43 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 41.0% expected score (142 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 39.4% expected score (97 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (8 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 58.0% expected score (36 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 44.9% expected score (105 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 30.6% expected score (63 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (6 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 40.2% expected score (29 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 45.3% expected score (72 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 35.1% expected score (22 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (23 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 32.9% expected score (54 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (15 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 26.2% expected score (9 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation scores 40.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 38.9% and 42.7% — from 1.9K 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
- 1.9K+ 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: Brix Variation win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation, Black wins 39.1%, draws 3.5% and loses 57.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.8%. It rests on 1.9K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 49.6% (104 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 41.1% in Blitz (967 games) against 37.8% in Rapid (512 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation?
The Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation has a sharpness score of 96.5 (very decisive), meaning 96.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, Black wins 47.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 104 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, Black wins 36.9%, draws 4.3% and loses 58.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 39.1%. It rests on 287 Lichess games, which average 30 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, Black wins 41.2%, draws 2.0% and loses 56.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.2%. It rests on 378 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, Black wins 36.3%, draws 4.8% and loses 58.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.7%. It rests on 366 Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, Black wins 38.6%, draws 3.6% and loses 57.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.4%. It rests on 290 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 40.4%, draws 3.5% and loses 56.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.2%. It rests on 210 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 39.9%, draws 4.3% and loses 55.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.1%. It rests on 125 Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 43.8%, draws 2.4% and loses 53.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.0%. It rests on 349 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 39.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 57.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.1%. It rests on 967 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 35.5%, draws 4.6% and loses 59.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 37.8%. It rests on 512 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Brix Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 39.1% of its games and loses 57.5%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.