Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer
926 games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
58.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 61.4%.
Measured over 926 games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 926 games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 926
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 38 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.7%
- Draws
- 4.3%
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.
Extra Analysis
Deep-dive datasets for this opening
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 falls away as the rating rises: 61.1% at 1000-1199, 28.1% 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
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (10 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 67.1% expected score (19 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (31 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.9% expected score (67 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 38.3% expected score (7 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.8% expected score (42 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (124 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 64.6% expected score (26 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 60.2% expected score (38 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 59.3% expected score (193 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 69.3% expected score (40 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (36 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 60.4% expected score (143 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (30 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 79.4% expected score (7 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.1% expected score (18 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 59.4% expected score (41 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 26.2% expected score (9 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer scores 58.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.2% and 61.4% — from 926 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
- 926+ 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: Closed, Breyer win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer, White wins 56.7%, draws 4.3% and loses 39.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.8%. It rests on 926 rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 60.9% (278 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 58.4% in Blitz (597 games) against 65.4% in Rapid (119 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer?
The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 50.7%, draws 4.2% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 106 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 55.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 41.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.3%. It rests on 197 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 58.5%, draws 4.8% and loses 36.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.9%. It rests on 278 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 57.7%, draws 5.7% and loses 36.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 60.6%. It rests on 216 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 52.8%, draws 2.4% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 189 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 56.2%, draws 4.3% and loses 39.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.4%. It rests on 597 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 61.8%, draws 7.1% and loses 31.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 65.4%. It rests on 119 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Breyer is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 56.7% of its games and loses 39.1%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.