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Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack

61K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

54.5%

45%60%
Floor54.2%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.8%.

Measured over 61K 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 4.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 61K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
61K
Best context
58.3% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
51.4% at 1600-1799 Rapid
Average game length
37 moves
Games that end decisively
95.5%
Draws
4.5%

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: 46.0% at 0-999, 58.4% 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, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (131 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (373 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (245 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (208 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (721 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 56.1% expected score (429 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 24.3% expected score (16 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.0% expected score (492 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (1,000 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.5% expected score (803 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 55.8% expected score (33 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (538 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.5% expected score (1,602 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.3% expected score (873 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 51.1% expected score (88 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 55.4% expected score (1,140 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (2,961 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (1,017 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.1% expected score (92 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.6% expected score (1,773 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (7,819 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (1,951 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.4% expected score (154 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 55.9% expected score (2,614 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (12,033 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.4% expected score (1,927 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.0% expected score (137 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (4,537 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (11,673 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (1,056 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 51.7% expected score (28 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (1,355 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.3% expected score (836 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (50 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% 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%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack scores 54.5% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.2% and 54.8% — from 61K 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
61K+ 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: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate?

Playing the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack, White wins 52.2%, draws 4.5% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 61K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 55.0% (17K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 54.7% in Blitz (39K games) against 53.9% in Rapid (8.4K games).

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack?

The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack has a sharpness score of 95.5 (very decisive), meaning 95.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 37 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 48.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 752 Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 51.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 1.4K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 52.3%, draws 3.7% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.2%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 52.1%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 3.1K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 52.3%, draws 3.4% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 5.2K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 52.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 52.7%, draws 4.5% and loses 42.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 51.7%, draws 5.6% and loses 42.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 51.1%, draws 7.1% and loses 41.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 2.2K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 52.8%, draws 3.0% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 13K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 52.3%, draws 4.8% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 39K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 51.2%, draws 5.3% and loses 43.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 8.4K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 48.8%, draws 7.1% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.4%. It rests on 551 Lichess games.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Wormald Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.2% of its games and loses 43.3%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.