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Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System

8.1K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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White Expected Score54.5%Range (90% confident): 53.6% – 55.5%Based on 8.1K games
0%54.5%100%
Range (90% confident): 53.6% – 55.5%
Outcome Distribution
48.6%11.7%39.6%
Win
Draw
Loss
9...Re8
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System
Analyzen=8.1K
Avg Length42 moves
Sharpness88%
Draw Rate11.7%

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 54.5% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 53.6% and 55.5%), based on 8.1K Lichess games.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 8.2% · Rapid best · Bullet worst

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 68% → 28%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 68.0% win rate (11 games)
  • 1000-1199: 68.8% win rate (69 games)
  • 1200-1399: 57.3% win rate (167 games)
  • 1400-1599: 56.1% win rate (472 games)
  • 1600-1799: 54.3% win rate (1,022 games)
  • 1800-1999: 53.7% win rate (1,634 games)
  • 2000-2199: 48.5% win rate (1,977 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.7% win rate (1,670 games)
  • 2500+: 27.6% win rate (1,060 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Rapid (54%), worst in Bullet (46%)

Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • Bullet: 45.9% win rate (1,988 games)
  • Blitz: 48.6% win rate (4,973 games)
  • Rapid: 54.1% win rate (1,046 games)
  • Classical: 50.3% win rate (75 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, Bullet: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 65.3% expected score (41 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 77.3% expected score (26 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.5% expected score (64 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 66.0% expected score (89 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 62.9% expected score (14 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 56.8% expected score (168 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 59.4% expected score (245 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (56 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 56.3% expected score (221 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (639 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 62.2% expected score (154 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 58.6% expected score (256 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (1,046 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.4% expected score (303 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 59.9% expected score (29 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (345 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (1,314 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 59.2% expected score (303 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 56.1% expected score (15 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 59.5% expected score (352 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.6% expected score (1,190 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.4% expected score (121 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 44.1% expected score (7 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (533 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.0% expected score (421 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 54.8% expected score (93 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 67.3% expected score (13 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%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 48.6% (90% CI: 47.7%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 8.1K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System performs best at 1000-1199 Elo with a 68.8% win rate for white (69 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System better in blitz or rapid?

Rapid (54.1%) outperforms Classical (50.3%) by 3.8%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a sharpness score of 88.3 (moderately decisive), meaning 88.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 42 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 57.3% (90% CI: 51.0%-63.5%) win rate for white, based on 167 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 56.1% (90% CI: 52.3%-59.8%) win rate for white, based on 472 Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 54.3% (90% CI: 51.7%-56.8%) win rate for white, based on 1.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 53.7% (90% CI: 51.6%-55.7%) win rate for white, based on 1.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.2% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 48.5% (90% CI: 46.6%-50.3%) win rate for white, based on 2.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 5.5% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 49.7% (90% CI: 47.7%-51.8%) win rate for white, based on 1.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 43 moves with a 7.0% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 27.6% (90% CI: 25.4%-29.9%) win rate for white, based on 1.1K Lichess games. Average game length is 59 moves with a 55.1% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 45.9% (90% CI: 44.1%-47.8%) win rate for white (2.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 18.6%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 48.6% (90% CI: 47.4%-49.7%) win rate for white (5.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 9.1%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System has a 54.1% (90% CI: 51.5%-56.6%) win rate for white (1.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 10.5%.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Closed, Zaitsev System is statistically favors white with a 48.6% (90% CI: 47.7%-49.6%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1000-1199 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.