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Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation

3.4M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score50.6%Range (90% confident): 50.6% – 50.7%Based on 3.4M games
0%50.6%100%
Range (90% confident): 50.6% – 50.7%
Outcome Distribution
48.7%3.8%47.5%
Win
Draw
Loss
3...Bc5
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation
Analyzen=3.4M
Avg Length33 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate3.8%

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 50.6% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 50.6% and 50.7%), based on 3.4M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 47% → 51%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 47.1% win rate (152,563 games)
  • 1000-1199: 48.9% win rate (367,224 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.7% win rate (586,669 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.6% win rate (701,346 games)
  • 1600-1799: 48.9% win rate (664,988 games)
  • 1800-1999: 48.7% win rate (553,011 games)
  • 2000-2199: 48.9% win rate (282,644 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.0% win rate (92,643 games)
  • 2500+: 50.6% win rate (11,091 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (49%), worst in UltraBullet (42%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 42.2% win rate (1,351 games)
  • Bullet: 49.1% win rate (910,269 games)
  • Blitz: 48.6% win rate (1,834,108 games)
  • Rapid: 48.5% win rate (643,823 games)
  • Classical: 48.0% win rate (22,628 games)

White% 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, UltraBullet: 41.1% expected score (172 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (47,077 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (71,550 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (33,500 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 39.5% expected score (264 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 41.4% expected score (356 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (100,698 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (190,062 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (74,983 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.0% expected score (1,125 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 42.3% expected score (340 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (144,544 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (310,765 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (127,333 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.7% expected score (3,687 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 43.0% expected score (323 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (165,948 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (375,211 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (153,059 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (6,805 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 46.4% expected score (94 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (158,347 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (370,288 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.7% expected score (129,670 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.4% expected score (6,589 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 42.1% expected score (30 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (135,456 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (325,141 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.1% expected score (88,893 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.7% expected score (3,491 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 64.6% expected score (26 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.1% expected score (96,182 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (153,477 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.1% expected score (32,335 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 61.8% expected score (624 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 63.1% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.6% expected score (52,749 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (35,867 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.7% expected score (3,975 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 65.0% expected score (42 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (9,268 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (1,747 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (75 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Ruy Lopez
51.9%
Variations (5)
Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense
55.9%
Ruy Lopez: Alapin Defense, Alapin Gambit
53.0%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense
49.9%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Anderssen Variation
48.6%
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Berlin Wall
12.2%
Continuations (7)
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Central Variation
51.9%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Charousek Variation
50.1%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Cordel Gambit
47.6%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Konikowski Gambit
50.3%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Modern Main Line
43.1%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Spanish Wing Gambit
48.0%
Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation, Zukertort Gambit
56.0%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation win rate?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.6%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 3.4M rated games from Lichess.

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

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 50.6% win rate for white (11K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (49.1%) outperforms UltraBullet (42.2%) by 6.9%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

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

At 0-999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 47.1% (90% CI: 46.8%-47.3%) win rate for white, based on 153K Lichess games. Average game length is 26 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.1%) win rate for white, based on 367K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.6%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 587K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.5%-48.7%) win rate for white, based on 701K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.6% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.0%) win rate for white, based on 665K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.5%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 553K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.0%) win rate for white, based on 283K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.2%) win rate for white, based on 93K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.1% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 50.6% (90% CI: 49.9%-51.4%) win rate for white, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 6.2% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 42.2% (90% CI: 40.0%-44.4%) win rate for white (1.4K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.4%.

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

In Bullet games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 49.1% (90% CI: 49.0%-49.2%) win rate for white (910K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.7%.

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

In Blitz games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.5%-48.6%) win rate for white (1.8M Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.1%.

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

In Rapid games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.5% (90% CI: 48.4%-48.6%) win rate for white (644K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.6%.

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

In Classical games, the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation has a 48.0% (90% CI: 47.5%-48.6%) win rate for white (23K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.3%.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation is statistically balanced with a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.6%-48.7%) 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.