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Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack

22K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

52.8%

45%60%
Floor52.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 53.3%.

Measured over 22K 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 4.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 22K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
22K
Best context
56.4% at 2500+ Bullet
Worst context
48.5% at 1400-1599 Blitz
Average game length
34 moves
Games that end decisively
95.1%
Draws
4.9%

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: 45.7% at 0-999, 54.5% 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: 56.5% expected score (37 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 40.9% expected score (26 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 39.7% expected score (13 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (92 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.7% expected score (109 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (33 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (222 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (385 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 46.1% expected score (101 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (346 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (893 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (301 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 66.3% expected score (20 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (605 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (1,736 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (514 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 54.6% expected score (42 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (910 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.8% expected score (3,363 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (852 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.2% expected score (47 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.8% expected score (1,117 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (3,860 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (910 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (34 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (1,344 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (2,512 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (436 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.4% expected score (610 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 63.0% expected score (318 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 48.5% expected score (32 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%
Continuations (1)
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, Basque Gambit
51.3%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack scores 52.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.2% and 53.3% — from 22K 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
22K+ 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, Center Attack win rate?

Playing the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack, White wins 50.3%, draws 4.9% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 22K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 58.3% (961 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 52.9% in Blitz (13K games) against 51.6% in Rapid (3.2K games).

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack has a sharpness score of 95.1 (very decisive), meaning 95.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 50.3%, draws 3.6% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 234 Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 48.1%, draws 1.9% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 711 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 47.4%, draws 3.4% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 1.6K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 48.2%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 51.2%, draws 4.0% and loses 44.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 50.9%, draws 5.0% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 5.9K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 50.1%, draws 7.0% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 54.4%, draws 7.8% and loses 37.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.3%. It rests on 961 Lichess games, which average 44 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 51.0%, draws 3.7% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 5.3K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 50.3%, draws 5.1% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 48.6%, draws 5.8% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 50.5%, draws 8.8% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 152 Lichess games.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Center Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 50.3% of its games and loses 44.8%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.