Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense 5. c3 Bd7
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Statistics from Lichess
108,685 games: White 51.9% / Draw 5.5% / Black 42.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 49,17949K | ||
| 35,62636K | ||
| 10,34610K | ||
| 5,4785,478 | ||
| 4,8744,874 | ||
| 1,6721,672 | ||
| 689689 | ||
| 306306 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.51 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. d4 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Re1 b5 9. Bb3 Nf6 10. Be3 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 C75, 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. c3 Bd7 (5 moves).
In 108,685 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.9%, Black 42.7% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. O-O, in 45% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5…Bd7
6. d4 scores best for White: 55.2%, with White winning 52.5% and Black 42.0% of 36K games. The most played, 6. O-O, scores 54.4% in 49K games, and 6. Bc2 scores lowest: 53.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. d4.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense (C75)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-morphy-defense-modern-steinitz-defense-6