Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line
1.5K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
52.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.1%.
Measured over 1.5K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 9.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.5K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.5K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 90.2%
- Draws
- 9.8%
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: 30.0% at 0-999, 56.2% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 40.9% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.8% expected score (45 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (9 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 59.1% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 68.7% expected score (36 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 56.1% expected score (211 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 59.0% expected score (32 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 34.7% expected score (5 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (40 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.2% expected score (336 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 60.7% expected score (64 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 47.6% expected score (80 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (396 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.9% expected score (60 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (70 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (97 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (13 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line scores 52.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.9% and 54.1% — from 1.5K 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
- 1.5K+ 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: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line, White wins 47.1%, draws 9.8% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.0%. It rests on 1.5K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line performs best for White at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 57.7% (284 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.0% in Blitz (1.1K games) against 57.5% in Rapid (180 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line has a sharpness score of 90.2 (decisive), meaning 90.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 40 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 54.1%, draws 7.2% and loses 38.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.7%. It rests on 284 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 45.8%, draws 8.7% and loses 45.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 443 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 46.1%, draws 9.7% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 537 Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 43.0%, draws 18.9% and loses 38.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 181 Lichess games, which average 50 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 47.9%, draws 9.1% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 246 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 46.2%, draws 9.5% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 51.0%, draws 12.9% and loses 36.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.5%. It rests on 180 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Classical Defense, Main Line is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 47.1% of its games and loses 43.1%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.