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Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit

181K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

44.0%

40%55%
Floor43.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 44.2%.

Measured over 181K games at this level and clock.

Tough Sellloses more often than it wins at this level

Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 181K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
181K
Best context
49.0% at 2200-2499 Bullet
Worst context
37.8% at 1400-1599 Classical
Average game length
29 moves
Games that end decisively
96.2%
Draws
3.8%

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.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Gambit BreakpointBlack

Peak: +1.9% · Breakpoint: 0-999

Traps & Chaos

Complexity: 94.4 · Trap factor: +8.4 · 181K games

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 47.4% at 0-999, 37.1% 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: 50.0% expected score (23 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 44.4% expected score (4,615 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (16,456 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (8,745 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (77 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.2% expected score (64 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 42.7% expected score (5,048 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 44.3% expected score (23,066 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 43.8% expected score (16,997 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 43.7% expected score (314 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 34.0% expected score (64 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 44.7% expected score (4,679 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 44.0% expected score (17,983 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (18,086 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 40.8% expected score (809 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 56.7% expected score (51 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.3% expected score (4,204 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 44.8% expected score (12,713 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 41.4% expected score (11,296 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 37.8% expected score (1,110 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 45.3% expected score (9 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (3,441 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 44.2% expected score (8,520 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 39.8% expected score (4,891 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 36.2% expected score (468 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 60.6% expected score (8 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 46.4% expected score (2,465 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 45.2% expected score (6,698 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 42.6% expected score (2,064 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 27.9% expected score (109 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (10 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 47.1% expected score (1,745 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 41.8% expected score (2,226 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 38.7% expected score (787 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 18.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (783 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 37.4% expected score (362 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 36.0% expected score (84 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 49.4% expected score (236 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 31.9% expected score (4 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 30.0% 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%
Continuations (1)
Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit, Harding Gambit
43.3%
Analyze Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit scores 44.0% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 43.8% and 44.2% — from 181K 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
181K+ 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: Spanish Countergambit win rate?

Playing the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit, Black wins 42.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 54.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.0%. It rests on 181K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit perform best?

The Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 46.0% (30K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 44.6% in Blitz (88K games) against 42.9% in Rapid (63K games).

How sharp is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit?

The Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 29 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 44.0%, draws 4.0% and loses 52.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 30K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 42.0%, draws 3.8% and loses 54.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.9%. It rests on 45K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 41.4%, draws 3.8% and loses 54.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.3%. It rests on 42K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 41.6%, draws 3.4% and loses 55.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.3%. It rests on 29K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 41.5%, draws 3.6% and loses 54.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.3%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 42.8%, draws 4.0% and loses 53.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.8%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 41.0%, draws 4.3% and loses 54.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 43.2%. It rests on 4.8K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 42.1%, draws 5.0% and loses 52.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.6%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 45.6%, draws 6.4% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 241 Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 45.2%, draws 1.5% and loses 53.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.0%. It rests on 232 Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 44.0%, draws 2.4% and loses 53.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.2%. It rests on 27K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 42.6%, draws 4.0% and loses 53.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.6%. It rests on 88K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 40.9%, draws 4.1% and loses 55.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 42.9%. It rests on 63K Lichess games.

What is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 37.2%, draws 3.4% and loses 59.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 38.9%. It rests on 2.9K Lichess games.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit a good opening?

The Ruy Lopez: Spanish Countergambit is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 42.1% of its games and loses 54.1%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.