Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack
3.8K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
53.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 55.1%.
Measured over 3.8K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 10.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 3.8K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 3.8K
- Best context
- 54.6% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Worst context
- 52.4% at 2000-2199 Blitz
- Average game length
- 39 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 89.3%
- Draws
- 10.7%
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: 50.0% at 1200-1399, 54.7% 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
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 62.0% expected score (11 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 46.3% expected score (39 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 59.9% expected score (59 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (202 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 40.3% expected score (19 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 73.6% expected score (7 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.9% expected score (133 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (814 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 48.6% expected score (106 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 63.1% expected score (10 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.0% expected score (226 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.6% expected score (1,339 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (125 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 42.3% expected score (5 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (197 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.6% expected score (426 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 58.5% expected score (28 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack scores 53.8% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 52.5% and 55.1% — from 3.8K 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
- 3.8K+ 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, Howell Attack win rate?
Playing the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack, White wins 48.5%, draws 10.7% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 3.8K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack perform best?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 54.7% (1.7K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 53.7% in Blitz (2.8K games) against 51.2% in Rapid (289 games).
How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack has a sharpness score of 89.3 (moderately decisive), meaning 89.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 47.3%, draws 7.5% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 287 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 47.6%, draws 9.0% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 1.1K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 49.6%, draws 10.2% and loses 40.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.7%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 47.2%, draws 17.2% and loses 35.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.8%. It rests on 652 Lichess games, which average 45 moves.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.6%, draws 8.7% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 626 Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 48.3%, draws 10.9% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games.
What is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 45.3%, draws 11.9% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.2%. It rests on 289 Lichess games.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack a good opening?
The Ruy Lopez: Open, Howell Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 48.5% of its games and loses 40.9%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.