Tree path 7 levels King's Pawn Game › King's Knight Opening › Normal Variation › Ruy Lopez › Morphy Defense › Modern Steinitz Defense › Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense
- Chess Codex
- King's Pawn Game C20
- King's Knight Opening C40
- Normal Variation C44
- Ruy Lopez C60
- Morphy Defense C70
- Modern Steinitz Defense C71
- Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense C71 you are here
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense is a specific line in the Open Games family (ECO C71), arising from a recognised theoretical position.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
It is reached after 9 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. Nc3.
The line refines Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense, which traces back to the root opening King's Pawn Game.
Explore the position on the interactive board, study its real-world results from Lichess, and challenge the engine when you are ready.
- ECO code
- C71
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 9
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
82,403 games · White 49.5% / Draw 5.0% / Black 45.5%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| b5 | 37,285 | |
| Nf6 | 15,144 | |
| Bd7 | 14,116 | |
| Bg4 | 7,965 | |
| Be6 | 1,847 | |
| f5 | 1,639 | |
| Be7 | 1,507 | |
| h6 | 1,182 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:07:10
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Submissions are reviewed before publishing.