Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Arkhangelsk Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
156,843 games: White 48.7% / Draw 4.7% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 76,54177K | ||
| 29,13929K | ||
| 27,49827K | ||
| 10,60411K | ||
| 6,2246,224 | ||
| 2,4402,440 | ||
| 2,1842,184 | ||
| 846846 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.30 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Re1 Bc5 8. c3 Bb6 9. d4 d6 10. Be3 O-O 11. Nbd2 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Arkhangelsk Variation (ECO C78, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 (6 moves).
In 156,843 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.7%, Black 46.5% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Re1, in 49% 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, Arkhangelsk Variation
7. d3 scores best for White: 55.0%, with White winning 52.1% and Black 42.1% of 27K games. The most played answer, 7. Re1, scores lowest: 48.9% in 77K games. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Re1.
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, Arkhangelsk Variation (C78)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-morphy-defense-arkhangelsk-variation