Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense 4…d6 5. Nc3
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Statistics from Lichess
82,403 games: White 49.5% / Draw 5.0% / Black 45.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 37,28537K | ||
| 15,14415K | ||
| 14,11614K | ||
| 7,9657,965 | ||
| 1,8471,847 | ||
| 1,6391,639 | ||
| 1,5071,507 | ||
| 1,1821,182 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Sep 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.23 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Be7 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. d4 exd4 8. Qxd4 Nf6 9. Bf4 O-O 10. O-O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense (ECO C71, Open Games) is a variation of the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. Nc3 (5 moves).
In 82,403 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.5%, Black 45.5% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…b5, in 45% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5. Nc3
5…Nf6 scores best for Black: 50.2%, with Black winning 47.6% and White 47.1% of 15K games. The most played answer, 5…b5, scores lowest: 46.5% in 37K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Be7.
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: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense (C71)”. Lichess data as of 26 Sep 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-morphy-defense-modern-steinitz-defense-2