Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense 6. d4 f6
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Statistics from Lichess
4,804 games: White 44.9% / Draw 5.9% / Black 49.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2641,264 | ||
| 1,0811,081 | ||
| 992992 | ||
| 490490 | ||
| 442442 | ||
| 275275 | ||
| 8888 | ||
| 5757 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.28 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. Nc3 Ne7 8. Be3 a5 9. h4 Qd7 10. dxe5 fxe5 11. Qe2 Ba6
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 f6 (6 moves).
In 4,804 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.9%, Black 49.2% and 5.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Nc3, in 26% 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 6…f6
7. Be3 scores best for White: 55.5%, with White winning 51.3% and Black 40.4% of 275 games. The most played, 7. Nc3, scores 52.4% in 1,264 games, and 7. dxe5 scores lowest: 40.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Nc3.
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, Modern Steinitz Defense (C73)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-morphy-defense-modern-steinitz-defense-8