Chess Openings Lab
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Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted

The Rio Gambit Accepted is 4.O-O Nxe4 in the Berlin, where Black takes the e4 pawn after White castles. White aims to win the pawn back fast with Re1 or d4, while Black retreats the knight to d6 and tries to stay solid.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4
ECO
C67
Engine
+0.22 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
1,421 games in our lichess sample
White scores
52.6%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play Re1 and after ...Nd6, take on e5 with Nxe5, regaining the pawn as in the main engine line.
  • d4 opens the center quickly; after ...Nd6 retreat with Ba4 and meet ...e4 with Ne5.
  • Qe2 pins along the e-file and hits the e4 knight, another way to regain the pawn.

Black

  • Retreat the knight to d6, hitting the b5 bishop and keeping it near the center.
  • Develop with ...Be7 and castle quickly; the extra pawn is less important than safety.
  • After Rxe5, the knight can come to f6 or the bishop can cover the e-file.

Plans and pawn structure

White gets the pawn back in most lines and keeps a slight lead in development. In the Re1 line, Black ends with knights traded and a solid but slightly cramped position, needing ...Re8 and ...d5 to free it. In the d4 line, Black's pawn on e4 cramps White but can become a target. In all lines, the open e-file is key: White's rook uses it, while Black must cover it with ...Be7 and ...Re8.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.22: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.22 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5
  2. +0.12 5.d4 Nd6 6.Ba4 e4 7.Ne5 g6
  3. −0.02 5.Qe2 Nf6 6.d4 e4 7.Nc3 d5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

1,421 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.6%.

under 120059.3%
1200–159963.4%
1600–199945.7%
2000 and up48.5%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

  • Berlin Defense, Rio de Janeiro Variation5.d4 · rare

How to play against it

As White, do not chase the pawn with risky moves. Re1 and Nxe5 regain it calmly, and Bf1 keeps the bishop safe. As Black, retreat the knight to d6 and castle quickly. Leaving the king in the center against a rook on the open e-file is the main danger here.

Questions

What are the moves of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted?

The Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4. Its ECO code is C67.

Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.22 at depth 20, which is level. In 1,421 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.6%. A solid main-line choice for Black who knows the knight retreat to d6; White gets a small, lasting pull.

What is the main idea of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted?

Black takes the e4 pawn, and White wins it back with Re1 and Nxe5 or with d4. The game becomes open and White has a small initiative.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Re1, with d4 and Qe2 close behind. 5.Re1 pins the knight on the e-file and prepares Nxe5 to regain the pawn.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.