Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Fianchetto Deferred

Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense

Definition

The Morphy Defense is the most popular branch of the Ruy Lopez, arising after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6. By interposing …a6 before …Nf6, Black both questions White’s bishop and prevents the pin 4.Bxc6. The line carries Paul Morphy’s name because he employed the scheme of …a6/…Nf6 with great success in the mid-19th century, decades before opening theory caught up with him.

Typical Move Order

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 (From this tabiya, the main branching points are 5.O-O, 5.d3, and 5.Bxc6.)

Strategic Themes

• King-side development vs. counter-punch: White hopes to castle quickly, place a rook on e1, and build central pressure with c3 and d4. Black delays the clash in the centre, aiming for …Be7, …b5, and …d6 or …d5, depending on the chosen sub-variation.
• The fight for the e4-pawn: The move …Nf6 immediately attacks e4, provoking 5.O-O (defending it) or 5.d3 (stabilising the centre).
• Bishop pair vs. structure: If White ever captures Bxc6, the doubled c-pawns give White the bishop pair at the cost of conceding structural targets.

Historical Significance

Although all modern world champions have used the Morphy Defense, it was initially criticised in the 19th century for “losing a tempo” with …a6. Morphy’s energetic play and his legendary Duke-Count brilliancy (Paris 1858) showed that the extra move can repay itself handsomely by forcing White’s bishop to a less active square while retaining flexibility.

Illustrative Games

1. Paul Morphy – The Duke of Brunswick & Count Isouard, Paris 1858
   Morphy follows the Morphy Defense with 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 and stages a legendary sacrificial attack ending in 17.Qb8#.
2. Fischer – Spassky, World Championship 1972, Game 6
   Fischer’s 6.d3 ≤“Anti-Marshall”≥ plan scored a celebrated positional win that popularised quieter systems against the Morphy Defense.
3. Kasparov – Deep Blue, New York 1997, Game 1
   Kasparov played 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6, underlining the opening’s staying power even in man-vs-machine contests.

Interesting Facts

• Approximately half of all games that start 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 eventually transpose to the Morphy Defense.
• The ECO codes C77–C99 are devoted almost exclusively to Morphy Defense branches.
• Engines rate the starting position after 4…Nf6 as close to perfectly balanced (≈ 0.20 – 0.30 centipawns for White at depth 40).

Fianchetto Defense Deferred (Ruy Lopez — Morphy Defense Variation)

Definition

The Fianchetto Defense Deferred is a sub-variation of the Morphy Defense in which Black postpones …g6 until after developing the king’s knight: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O g6. Black’s idea is to complete a king-side fianchetto with …Bg7, challenging White’s centre from a distance while keeping traditional Morphy Defense flexibility.

Typical Move Order & Tabiya

After 5…g6, the most common continuation is 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 (or Ng4) 8.Re1. Both sides have castled, pieces are developed, and the struggle revolves around whether Black can undermine White’s advanced e-pawn without concession.

PGN snapshot of the basic position:

Strategic Themes

• Hyper-modern pressure on the centre: The bishop on g7 targets the e5-pawn and the long diagonal a1–h8.
• Space vs. solidity: White gains space with e5 and often d4; Black relies on piece activity and pawn breaks …d6 or …f6 to erode White’s centre.
• Minor-piece imbalance: Black keeps the light-squared bishop (often traded early in other Ruy Lopez lines) and may aim for …Na5 …c5 to activate the queen-side.

Historical & Practical Context

The immediate Fianchetto (4…g6) received ECO code C70, while the Deferred version (5…g6 after 4…Nf6) belongs to C78 lines. Grandmasters such as Bent Larsen in the 1960s and Nigel Short in the 1990s revived the system as a surprise weapon. In modern engine practice, it scores slightly below main-line Morphy Defense choices but remains theoretically sound.

Model Game

Carlsen – Aronian, Bilbao Masters 2012
The players followed the Deferred Fianchetto: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O g6 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.Re1 Nc5 9.Bg5 Be7 10.Bxe7 Qxe7, leading to a dynamically balanced middlegame that eventually fizzled into a draw.

Interesting Tidbits

• Because the move …g6 eliminates the natural square for Black’s knight after …h6 and …Nh7 ideas, many practitioners avoid …h6 altogether in this variation.
• Engines recommend the counter-intuitive 8…Nc5! in the main line, temporarily ignoring the e-pawn to maximise piece activity.
• The Deferred Fianchetto can transpose to King’s Indian Defence-like structures if White refrains from the central push d4.