Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Alapin's Defense Deferred
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Statistics from Lichess
5,085 games: White 59.9% / Draw 3.9% / Black 36.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,2363,236 | ||
| 1,5041,504 | ||
| 197197 | ||
| 6161 | ||
| 3737 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1111 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.00 White is better
Best play: 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. d4 d6 8. a4 Bb7 9. c3 Ba5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Alapin's Defense Deferred (ECO C70, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Bb4 (4 moves).
In 5,085 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 59.9%, Black 36.2% and 3.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. c3, in 64% 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: Morphy Defense, Alapin's Defense Deferred
The most played answer, 5. c3, also scores best for White: 61.9%, with White winning 60.1% and Black 36.2% of 3,236 games. Of the main answers, 5. O-O scores lowest: 61.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. O-O.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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: Morphy Defense, Alapin's Defense Deferred (C70)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-morphy-defense-alapins-defense-deferred