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Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation

5.6K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score49.4%Range (90% confident): 48.3% – 50.5%Based on 5.6K games
0%49.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 48.3% – 50.5%
Outcome Distribution
46.8%5.2%48.0%
Win
Draw
Loss
6.Ba4
Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation
Analyzen=5.6K
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate5.2%

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 49.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 48.3% and 50.5%), based on 5.6K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 66% → 49%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 66.0% win rate (22 games)
  • 1000-1199: 40.9% win rate (56 games)
  • 1200-1399: 51.6% win rate (108 games)
  • 1400-1599: 50.1% win rate (247 games)
  • 1600-1799: 45.6% win rate (609 games)
  • 1800-1999: 44.5% win rate (1,360 games)
  • 2000-2199: 45.3% win rate (1,729 games)
  • 2200-2499: 50.9% win rate (986 games)
  • 2500+: 48.8% win rate (528 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (49%), worst in Classical (37%)

Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • Bullet: 49.2% win rate (1,174 games)
  • Blitz: 46.6% win rate (3,503 games)
  • Rapid: 45.1% win rate (927 games)
  • Classical: 36.5% win rate (41 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: 67.7% expected score (7 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 55.9% expected score (7 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 71.1% expected score (8 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (15 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 46.5% expected score (27 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 30.7% expected score (14 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 59.9% expected score (29 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (56 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 56.7% expected score (21 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 61.0% expected score (53 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 44.8% expected score (132 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 58.2% expected score (60 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.5% expected score (118 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (373 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 45.6% expected score (112 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 47.5% expected score (173 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (905 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.1% expected score (264 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (18 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 50.4% expected score (259 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (1,153 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (310 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 44.1% expected score (7 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (303 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.7% expected score (563 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (118 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (217 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.2% expected score (287 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 57.0% expected score (20 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 40.9% expected score (4 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: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate?

The Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 46.8% (90% CI: 45.7%-47.9%) win rate for white, based on 5.6K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 50.9% win rate for white (986 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (49.2%) outperforms Rapid (45.1%) by 4.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation?

The Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a sharpness score of 94.8 (decisive), meaning 94.8% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 51.6% (90% CI: 43.8%-59.4%) win rate for white, based on 108 Lichess games. Average game length is 25 moves with a 5.0% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 50.1% (90% CI: 44.9%-55.3%) win rate for white, based on 247 Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 2.2% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 45.6% (90% CI: 42.3%-48.9%) win rate for white, based on 609 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.5% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 44.5% (90% CI: 42.3%-46.7%) win rate for white, based on 1.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 5.0% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 45.3% (90% CI: 43.3%-47.2%) win rate for white, based on 1.7K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.6% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 50.9% (90% CI: 48.3%-53.5%) win rate for white, based on 986 Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 4.9% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 48.8% (90% CI: 45.3%-52.4%) win rate for white, based on 528 Lichess games. Average game length is 44 moves with a 13.5% draw rate.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 49.2% (90% CI: 46.8%-51.6%) win rate for white (1.2K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.8%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 46.6% (90% CI: 45.2%-48.0%) win rate for white (3.5K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.6%.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation has a 45.1% (90% CI: 42.4%-47.8%) win rate for white (927 Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.0%.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Open Berlin Defense, Showalter Variation is statistically balanced with a 46.8% (90% CI: 45.7%-47.9%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.