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Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense

88K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

46.8%

40%55%
Floor46.5%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 47.0%.

Measured over 88K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 5.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 88K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
88K
Best context
49.5% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
39.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
42 moves
Games that end decisively
94.1%
Draws
5.9%

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 · 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: 49.7% at 0-999, 37.5% 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: 42.7% expected score (26 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 56.5% expected score (14 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 41.4% expected score (131 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.3% expected score (85 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 60.2% expected score (38 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 47.9% expected score (353 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.7% expected score (357 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (93 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.6% expected score (1,076 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 45.0% expected score (1,557 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (290 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 31.7% expected score (34 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.5% expected score (2,019 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.9% expected score (5,851 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 46.5% expected score (1,085 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.7% expected score (108 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (3,669 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (14,968 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 47.8% expected score (3,158 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 47.2% expected score (298 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (4,294 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.0% expected score (19,440 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (4,642 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (227 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (4,235 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (12,962 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 42.8% expected score (2,448 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (71 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 42.2% expected score (1,938 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 39.0% expected score (1,875 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 33.5% expected score (317 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 35.3% expected score (29 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 (2)
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Panov System
45.6%
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Gajewski Gambit
46.4%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense scores 46.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 46.5% and 47.0% — from 88K 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
88K+ 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, Chigorin Defense win rate?

Playing the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense, Black wins 43.8%, draws 5.9% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 88K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 47.8% (22K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 46.8% in Blitz (57K games) against 46.1% in Rapid (12K games).

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense has a sharpness score of 94.1 (decisive), meaning 94.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 42 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 44.2%, draws 1.8% and loses 54.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.1%. It rests on 255 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 47.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 804 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 44.1%, draws 3.2% and loses 52.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 3.0K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 44.7%, draws 3.8% and loses 51.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.6%. It rests on 9.1K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 45.4%, draws 4.8% and loses 49.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.8%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 44.6%, draws 5.5% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.7%, draws 7.2% and loses 50.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.3%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 45 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 32.0%, draws 16.1% and loses 51.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 40.1%. It rests on 4.2K Lichess games, which average 56 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 44.8%, draws 5.0% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.3%. It rests on 18K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 43.9%, draws 5.7% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 57K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 42.2%, draws 7.8% and loses 50.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.1%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 38.5%, draws 12.5% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 769 Lichess games.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 43.8% of its games and loses 50.3%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.