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Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation

14K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
Black Expected Score44.8%Range (90% confident): 44.1% – 45.5%Based on 14K games
0%44.8%100%
Range (90% confident): 44.1% – 45.5%
Outcome Distribution
43.2%3.1%53.7%
Win
Draw
Loss
4...Qe7
Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation
Analyzen=14K
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness97%
Draw Rate3.1%

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation expected score for Black?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 44.8% expected score for Black (we're 90% confident it's between 44.1% and 45.5%), based on 14K Lichess games.

Black Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 49% → 29%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 48.9% win rate (108 games)
  • 1000-1199: 41.4% win rate (268 games)
  • 1200-1399: 45.9% win rate (627 games)
  • 1400-1599: 43.4% win rate (1,268 games)
  • 1600-1799: 43.5% win rate (2,494 games)
  • 1800-1999: 43.6% win rate (3,578 games)
  • 2000-2199: 43.7% win rate (3,839 games)
  • 2200-2499: 39.1% win rate (1,354 games)
  • 2500+: 28.5% win rate (60 games)

Black Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (44%), worst in Rapid (41%)

Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • Bullet: 44.2% win rate (3,056 games)
  • Blitz: 43.5% win rate (8,043 games)
  • Rapid: 40.6% win rate (2,387 games)
  • Classical: 42.6% win rate (110 games)

Black% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: 61.3% expected score (34 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (50 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 28.5% expected score (24 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 42.4% expected score (97 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (123 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 35.6% expected score (47 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 44.5% expected score (205 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (305 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 47.4% expected score (112 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 44.4% expected score (266 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 43.7% expected score (760 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.4% expected score (223 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 28.1% expected score (19 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 44.5% expected score (415 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 45.0% expected score (1,605 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 43.7% expected score (437 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 65.6% expected score (37 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (569 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.6% expected score (2,256 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (717 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 40.7% expected score (36 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (725 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (2,430 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 41.4% expected score (674 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 23.9% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 43.0% expected score (694 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 38.7% expected score (506 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 38.3% expected score (152 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 32.9% expected score (51 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 23.7% expected score (8 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% 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: Classical Defense, Boden Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 53.7% (90% CI: 53.0%-54.4%) win rate for white, based on 14K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 67.5% win rate for white (60 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (55.5%) outperforms Classical (51.6%) by 3.9%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a sharpness score of 96.9 (very decisive), meaning 96.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 49.8% (90% CI: 41.9%-57.6%) win rate for white, based on 108 Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 1.4% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 56.6% (90% CI: 51.6%-61.5%) win rate for white, based on 268 Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.0% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 52.4% (90% CI: 49.1%-55.7%) win rate for white, based on 627 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 1.7% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 54.2% (90% CI: 51.9%-56.5%) win rate for white, based on 1.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.4% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 53.6% (90% CI: 52.0%-55.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.5K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 2.9% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 53.2% (90% CI: 51.8%-54.6%) win rate for white, based on 3.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.2% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 52.5% (90% CI: 51.2%-53.8%) win rate for white, based on 3.8K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 57.6% (90% CI: 55.4%-59.8%) win rate for white, based on 1.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 54.3% (90% CI: 52.8%-55.8%) win rate for white (3.1K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.5%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 52.9% (90% CI: 52.0%-53.9%) win rate for white (8.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.5%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 55.5% (90% CI: 53.8%-57.2%) win rate for white (2.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.9%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation has a 51.6% (90% CI: 43.8%-59.3%) win rate for white (110 Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.8%.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Defense, Boden Variation is statistically favors white with a 53.7% (90% CI: 53.0%-54.4%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.