Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense

ECO C63intermediate

The Schliemann Defense answers the Ruy Lopez with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5, a move that violates every opening principle and is entirely playable. Black opens the f-file toward their own king, weakens the a2-g8 diagonal, and in return gets immediate, unbalanced play against an opponent expecting a slow Spanish manoeuvring game. The line here, 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5, is one of White's most sensible answers.

Train as White Train as Black Explore all variations

Main line

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5 7.Qd3 d6

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.e4 Right away White pushes the king's pawn to e4, planting it proudly in the middle of the board. This is a friendly opening move that grabs space in the center and opens a path for the pieces behind it to come out and play.
1...e5 Black answers boldly by stepping the pawn to e5, standing nose to nose with White's pawn on e4. Both sides now share the center fairly, and the game feels balanced and ready for an exciting fight ahead.
2.Nf3 White moves their knight from g1 to f3. This is a good developing move that helps get your pieces into the game!
2...Nc6 Black moves their knight from b8 to c6. This is a good developing move, bringing a piece into the game.
3.Bb5 White moves their bishop out from the starting spot and into play. This is called development, and it's a strong way to get your army ready for the game!
3...f5 Black moves a pawn from f7 to f5. This is a good, bold move! It pushes the pawn forward to control more space in the middle of the board.
4.d3 You moved your pawn from d2 to d3. This solid move supports your e4 pawn and prepares the thematic advance c2-c4 to challenge Black's center.
4...fxe4 Black's pawn slides from f5 over to e4 and takes White's pawn there. Now a black pawn sits proudly on e4 in the middle, while the bishop on b5 keeps an eye on the knight that came to c6. Nicely done!
5.dxe4 Your pawn moves from d3 to e4 and takes the enemy pawn! This is a great move because it helps you control the key squares in the middle of the board.
5...Nf6 Black moves their knight from g8 to f6. This is a good developing move, bringing a piece into the game and closer to the middle of the board.
6.O-O White moves the king from e1 to g1. This is called castling on the king's side. It's a great move because it gets your king to a safer spot and develops a piece all at once!
6...Bc5 Black moves their bishop from its starting square to a new spot. This is a good developing move, getting a strong piece into the game.

Open the full annotated variation tree — free account

Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	1,153	47.2%	6.8%	46%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
600-800	118	48.3%	1.7%	50%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6
800-1000	31	54.8%	3.2%	41.9%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5
1000-1200	206	54.4%	2.4%	43.2%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6
1200-1400	245	55.9%	2%	42%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5
1400-1600	508	48.4%	2.6%	49%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5
1600-1800	113	45.1%	3.5%	51.3%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5
1800-2000	266	45.5%	2.6%	51.9%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5
2000-2200	467	46.7%	4.7%	48.6%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5
2200-2400	417	46.8%	7%	46.3%	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.O-O Bc5

Most played continuations (400-600 rating)

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5:

Nf6 — played 33.7% of the time (White wins 49.2%, draws 6.7%, Black wins 44.1%)
a6 — played 23.9% of the time (White wins 44.2%, draws 6.9%, Black wins 48.9%)
Bc5 — played 9.2% of the time (White wins 44.3%, draws 5.7%, Black wins 50%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Is the Schliemann actually sound?

It is sound enough to have been played by grandmasters, but it lives on a knife edge. Against the critical 4.Nc3 Black must know a long forcing sequence to hold the balance, and one slip is usually fatal. Below master level it scores very well precisely because most Ruy Lopez players have prepared for the Berlin and the Closed, not for this.

What is White's most testing reply?

4.Nc3, immediately attacking the e4 and f5 pawns and refusing to be provoked. The main alternatives are 4.d3, a solid line that returns the tension in a calmer way, and 4.d4, blowing the centre open at once. Taking on f5 or grabbing material greedily is usually how White ends up worse.

Who should play the Schliemann?

Attacking players who are happy to take real risk for a real fight, and who will put in the work — this is not an opening you can improvise. It is a strong practical choice in faster time controls, where the burden of finding accurate moves falls on the player who did not choose the battlefield.