Chess opening · ECO C62
Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense
In the Steinitz Defense, Black answers the Ruy Lopez bishop with 3...d6, putting a pawn behind e5 so the c6 knight is no longer its only guard. The catch is the diagonal from b5 to e8: with the d7 pawn gone, the knight is pinned against Black's king. White can open the center with d4 and lean on e5 while the knight cannot move.
- Rank by weighted share
- #96 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6
- 3... d6The d6 pawn guards e5 and opens a path for the c8 bishop. It also clears d7, so the b5 bishop now pins the c6 knight to the king. That pin shapes the next several moves for both sides.
The pin along b5 to e8
Because the c6 knight cannot legally move, White can capture it with check at any time. 4.Bxc6+ bxc6 doubles Black's c-pawns and hands Black the bishop pair. Black gets the half-open b-file in return, but the queenside pawns are harder to use.
Black's common way out is ...Bd7, putting a piece between the knight and the king. Once the bishop stands on d7, the knight is free to move again.
Giving up the center with ...exd4
After 4.d4, the e5 pawn feels pressure from the d4 pawn and the f3 knight. Black often lets it go with ...exd4, so the game becomes a structure where White has a pawn on e4 and Black has one on d6. White gets more space, while Black sets up compactly with ...Be7, ...Nf6 and castling, and the f6 knight presses on e4.
Top replies by rating
Bxc6+ leads in the three bands under 1600. From 1600 up, d4 takes over, and c3 climbs into the top three from 1800.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | Bxc6+ 39% | O-O 21% | Nc3 18% |
| 1200–1399 | Bxc6+ 42% | d4 19% | O-O 15% |
| 1400–1599 | Bxc6+ 32% | d4 24% | O-O 20% |
| 1600–1799 | d4 32% | O-O 24% | Bxc6+ 18% |
| 1800–1999 | d4 43% | O-O 29% | c3 8% |
| 2000 and up | d4 53% | O-O 24% | c3 12% |
Questions
How does the Steinitz differ from the Morphy Defense?
Against 3...a6, the bishop is asked to decide at once, and Black often adds ...d6 later with the bishop already on a4. Playing ...d6 on move three skips that step and accepts the pin right away.
What does a typical setup for White look like here?
A common plan is d4, Nc3, castling and Re1, adding pressure to e5 piece by piece. One sequence runs 4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.O-O Be7 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 O-O.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.