- ECO code
- C71
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 552
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1871–2026
Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense is the opening filed under ECO code C71, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 552 games on this line — the 197th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1871 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 140 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 37% of those games, 37% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 5.O-O, played in 230 games, followed by 5.c3 (198) and 5.Bxc6+ (57). After 5.O-O White scores 40% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Shirov,A (25 games); on the Black side, Keres, Paul (48).
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Results in master games
- White 37% (203)
- Draws 37% (203)
- Black 26% (146)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.O-O | 230 | 40/34/26 | — |
| 5.c3 | 198 | 38/41/21 | — |
| 5.Bxc6+ | 57 | 30/33/37 | — |
| 5.d4 | 36 | 22/36/42 | — |
| 5.c4 | 25 | 36/40/24 | — |
| 5.Nc3 | 5 | 40/20/40 | — |
| 5.d3 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Ruy Lopez · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · 12,516 games
- Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 · 8,064 games
Played most often by
As White
- Shirov,A 25
- Vachier Lagrave,M 23
- Keres, Paul 21
As Black
- Keres, Paul 48
- Mamedyarov,S 40
- Nakamura,Hi 26
Games per decade
- 1870s 1
- 1890s 14
- 1900s 5
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 19
- 1930s 33
- 1940s 28
- 1950s 63
- 1960s 53
- 1970s 32
- 1980s 11
- 1990s 24
- 2000s 58
- 2010s 68
- 2020s 140
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Sindarov,Javokhir | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| Grischuk,A | Tsaruk,Maksim | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Grischuk,A | Sheehan,Ethan | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 23rd Jun 2026 |
| Grischuk,A | Sek,K | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 2nd Jul 2026 |
| Svidler,P | Aronian,L | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Nakamura,Hi | Sheehan,Ethan | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code C71, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense good for White or for Black?
In 552 master games on this line White wins 37%, 37% are drawn and Black wins 26%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense?
5.O-O — played in 230 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense?
On the White side Shirov,A (25), Vachier Lagrave,M (23), Keres, Paul (21); on the Black side Keres, Paul (48), Mamedyarov,S (40), Nakamura,Hi (26).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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