Chess opening · ECO C68
Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation
The Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation starts 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6. It ranks #107 of the 174 openings on this site by how often rated players on Lichess reach it.
Move by move
- 1. e4White pushes the e-pawn two squares to e4, staking a claim in the center.
- 1... e5Black pushes the e-pawn two squares to e5, staking a claim in the center.
- 2. Nf3White develops the kingside knight to f3.
- 2... Nc6Black develops the queenside knight to c6.
- 3. Bb5White develops the light-squared bishop to b5. It now attacks the knight on c6.
- 3... a6Black advances the a-pawn to a6. It now attacks the bishop on b5.
- 4. Bxc6White takes the knight on c6 with the bishop.
At the end of the line White is 3 points of material up. Black can take back on c6 at once.
What players choose next, by rating
The three most common Black moves from this position in rated Lichess games, grouped by the rating of the player making the move. dxc6 is the most popular next move in every rating band.
| Rating | Most common | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | dxc6 79% | bxc6 21% | – |
| 1200–1399 | dxc6 74% | bxc6 26% | – |
| 1400–1599 | dxc6 85% | bxc6 15% | – |
| 1600–1799 | dxc6 91% | bxc6 9% | – |
| 1800–1999 | dxc6 97% | bxc6 3% | – |
| 2000 and up | dxc6 100% | – | – |
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