C70 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense
C70 holds 12 named lines, all under the name Ruy Lopez. It leaves C60 (Ruy Lopez) with 3...a6. Lines of 30 other codes continue from its position, the second-widest spread of the 40 Ruy Lopez codes. With 12 named lines it is the fifth-largest code of the 40 Ruy Lopez codes. Material is no longer level at the end of two of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in White’s favour, comes in Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Norwegian Variation, Nightingale Gambit.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3 | Bb5 | a6 |
The move that completes C70
The reference line of C68 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C70 is the position reached at 3...a6.
- 3...a6 The a-pawn advances to a6, covering b5, opening a line for the rook on a8, attacking the bishop on b5.
Lines filed under C70
All 12 share their first six plies, the whole reference line.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense | (the shared start itself) | 6 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Bird’s Defense Deferred | 4.Ba4 Nd4 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Alapin’s Defense Deferred | 4.Ba4 Bb4 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Caro Variation | 4.Ba4 b5 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Classical Defense Deferred | 4.Ba4 Bc5 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Cozio Defense | 4.Ba4 Nge7 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Fianchetto Defense Deferred | 4.Ba4 g6 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Schliemann Defense Deferred | 4.Ba4 f5 | 8 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Schliemann Defense Deferred, Jaenisch Gambit Deferred | 4.Ba4 f5 5.exf5 | 9 | White +1 |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Graz Variation | 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Bc5 | 10 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Norwegian Variation | 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5 | 10 | |
| Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Norwegian Variation, Nightingale Gambit | 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 Na5 6.Bxf7+ | 11 | White +1, check |
The road to C70
- 1.e4 … 2.Nf3three earlier stops: B00, C20, C40
- 2...Nc6C44 Normal Variation
- 3.Bb5C60 Ruy Lopez
- 3...a6C70
The position after 3...a6
White has brought out the knight on f3 and bishop on b5; Black the knight on c6. White could capture with Bxa6, Bxc6, Nxe5. White is to move and has 32 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from C70
The reference lines of four other codes leave C70 from the position after 3...a6, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| C68 | 4.Bxc6 | Ruy Lopez: Exchange Variation |
| C71 | 4.Ba4 d6 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense |
| C77 | 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Anderssen Variation |
| C78 | 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O | Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C44 | King’s Knight Opening: Normal Variation | four squares: f1, b5, a6, a7 |
| C50 | Italian Game | four squares: c4, b5, a6, a7 |
| C61 | Ruy Lopez: Bird Variation | four squares: d4, a6, c6, a7 |
| C62 | Ruy Lopez: Steinitz Defense | four squares: a6, d6, a7, d7 |
| C63 | Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense | four squares: f5, a6, a7, f7 |
| C64 | Ruy Lopez: Classical Variation | four squares: c5, a6, a7, f8 |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | four squares: a6, f6, a7, g8 |
Where lines continue from here
Besides the codes above, they belong to C69, C72, C73, C74, C75, C79, C80, C81, C82, C83, C84, C85, C86, C87, C88, C89, C90, C91, C92, C93, C94, C95, C96, C97, C98, C99.