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C70Opening

Ruy Lopez:Morphy Defense

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6

a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1

White to move

Legal moves
32
Games in the next 4 moves
1,013,312
Different positions among them
337,879
Named lines from here
152

See it on the mapOn the opening map

The most common reply to the Ruy Lopez, named after Paul Morphy. Black questions the bishop at once with 3...a6.

It is reached after 6 moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6. It is a line of the Ruy Lopez.

White is to move and has 32 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,013,312 different games. Those games reach 337,879 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 152 further lines after this position, such as Exchange Variation (4. Bxc6) and Modern Steinitz Defense (4. Ba4 d6).

The same moves can be played in 18 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. Nf3 e5 2. e4 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6, which starts as the Zukertort Opening.

Map of every game of the next four moves after the Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense
Every game of the next four moves from this position, as the map draws it. Each ring is one more move; the outer ring holds all 1,013,312 games.

Move by move

  1. 1. e4King's Pawn Game
  2. 1... e5King's Pawn Game
  3. 2. Nf3King's Knight Opening
  4. 2... Nc6King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation
  5. 3. Bb5Ruy Lopez
  6. 3... a6Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense

Named lines from here

Related openings

FEN

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