Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense 5…bxc6 6. d4
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Statistics from Lichess
22,050 games: White 51.9% / Draw 6.5% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 12,47112K | ||
| 4,6684,668 | ||
| 3,5323,532 | ||
| 545545 | ||
| 187187 | ||
| 163163 | ||
| 138138 | ||
| 9797 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... exd4 7. Qxd4 Nf6 8. Nc3 Be7 9. Bf4 c5 10. Qd3 O-O 11. 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 C73, 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. Bxc6+ bxc6 6. d4 (6 moves).
In 22,050 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.9%, Black 41.6% and 6.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…exd4, in 57% 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 6. d4
6…f6 scores best for Black: 52.2%, with Black winning 49.2% and White 44.9% of 4,668 games. The most played, 6…exd4, scores 44.6% in 12K games, and 6…Bg4 scores lowest: 39.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…exd4.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense (C73)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-morphy-defense-modern-steinitz-defense-7