Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense
The Steinitz Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6), also called the Old Steinitz Defence, is a solid but passive and cramped way to meet the Ruy Lopez. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
12,935,014 games: White 53.2% / Draw 5.1% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,699,0803.7M | ||
| 3,220,5373.2M | ||
| 2,199,6762.2M | ||
| 1,533,0731.5M | ||
| 1,137,9021.1M | ||
| 629,749630K | ||
| 410,516411K | ||
| 23,74324K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 21, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.66 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Bd7 7. O-O Be7 8. Nxc6 Bxc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 47% under 1400, 41% at 2200 and up and 40% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 6.6M | |
| 1400–1799 | 14.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 5.5M | |
| 2200 and up | 137K | |
| Masters, over the board | 668 |
Master games
- Karjakin, S. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Grischuk, A. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Leko, P. – Aronian, L.
- Bologan, V. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Duda, J. – Nakamura, H.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Description
The Steinitz Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6), also called the Old Steinitz Defence, is a solid but passive and cramped way to meet the Ruy Lopez. Black supports the e5-pawn with ...d6 instead of asking the bishop a question with 3...a6.
Origins
It was the favourite defence of the first world champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, and was often played by Emanuel Lasker and José Raúl Capablanca, and occasionally by Vasily Smyslov. It largely fell out of use after the First World War, as its passivity led players to look for more active ways of defending the Ruy Lopez.
The idea
Black keeps a firm point on e5, but the pin on the c6-knight makes this hard to maintain. White's most direct approach is 4.d4, challenging e5 at once; 4.c3 and 4.O-O are also good. After 4.d4 Bd7, breaking the pin and parrying the threat of 5.Bxc6 and 6.dxe5, White plays 5.Nc3, protecting e4 and renewing the threat. After 5...Nf6 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1 Black has to give up the centre with 7...exd4, since 7...O-O? walks into the Tarrasch Trap.
Main lines
- 4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6, the main line described above; 6.Bxc6 is the Nimzowitsch Attack.
- 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O, the Center Gambit.
- 4.d4 Bd7 5.c4, the Semi-Duras Variation.
- The Modern Steinitz Defense (3...a6 4.Ba4 d6) gives Black a freer position and is more popular.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Solid, with a firm hold on e5 for as long as Black can keep it.
- It was the choice of defensive world champions such as Steinitz, Lasker and Capablanca.
Weaknesses
- Passive and cramped; Black usually has to give up the centre with ...exd4.
- Tactical traps, such as the Tarrasch Trap, punish natural moves.
Who should play it
The Steinitz Defense suits patient, defensive players who are happy with a cramped but solid position; most Black players prefer the Modern Steinitz with 3...a6 4.Ba4 d6.
The numbers
On Lichess White's lead grows with rating: 50.4% against 44.9% under 1400, 51.5% against 43.7% at 1400–1799, 54.6% against 40.1% at 1800–2199 and 56.0% against 37.2% from 2200 up. There are fewer than 700 master games, too few to draw firm conclusions.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense
The most played answer, 4. d4, also scores best for White: 57.9%, with White winning 55.1% and Black 39.4% of 3.7M games. Of the main answers, 4. Bxc6+ scores lowest: 52.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. 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
Popularity by year
The Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.44% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.64%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.64% | 229,634 |
| 2017 | 0.59% | 325,672 |
| 2018 | 0.53% | 414,967 |
| 2019 | 0.53% | 665,409 |
| 2020 | 0.53% | 1,546,606 |
| 2021 | 0.53% | 2,060,378 |
| 2022 | 0.51% | 1,916,713 |
| 2023 | 0.5% | 1,874,139 |
| 2024 | 0.47% | 1,686,798 |
| 2025 | 0.44% | 1,535,669 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.43% | 475,207 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
All 5 named lines that continue from here
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Ruy Lopez, version of 26 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense (C62)”. Lichess data as of 21 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/ruy-lopez-steinitz-defense