Ruy Lopez: Closed, Morphy Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
60,282 games: White 46.1% / Draw 5.6% / Black 48.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 40,83241K | ||
| 10,12210K | ||
| 8,9678,967 | ||
| 104104 | ||
| 9090 | ||
| 4848 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 2121 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nd4 11. Qd1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Closed, Morphy Attack (ECO C84, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Closed, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Nc3 (6 moves).
In 60,282 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.1%, Black 48.3% and 5.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…b5, in 68% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Closed, Morphy Attack
The most played answer, 6…b5, also scores best for Black: 52.1%, with Black winning 49.3% and White 45.1% of 41K games. Of the main answers, 6…O-O scores lowest: 48.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…b5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Closed, Morphy Attack (C84)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-closed-morphy-attack