Spanish: Modern Steinitz, 5.c3 Bd7 6.O-O

Spanish: Modern Steinitz, 5.c3 Bd7 6.O-O

Definition

The line arises from the Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening) after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. c3 Bd7 6. O-O. It belongs to the Modern Steinitz Defence (ECO codes C71–C76), a solid but somewhat passive system in which Black supports the e5-pawn with …d6 instead of the more combative 4…Nf6 (Berlin/Marshall paths) or 4…b5 (Chigorin/Archangel branches). The specific move 5…Bd7 – instead of the older 5…Nf6 or the immediate 5…g6 – is designed to untangle Black’s queenside and break the pin on the c6-knight without committing the dark-squared bishop too early.

Typical Move Order

The critical position after 6.O-O can be reached by several transpositions, but the most common sequence is:

From here White’s main continuations are 7.d4 or 7.Re1 followed by 8.d4, while Black chooses among 7…Nf6, 7…g6, or 7…exd4 with a later …g6/…Bg7. The resulting middlegames usually feature a locked centre (pawns on e4 and e5) and manoeuvring play reminiscent of an Old Master struggle.

Strategic Themes

• Central Tension: After 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4, both sides must decide when—or if—to resolve the pawn tension with …d5, …c5, or d5 by White.
• Bishop Placement: Black’s 5…Bd7 sidesteps the Bb5-pin, freeing the c6-knight to jump to a5 or b4 later, or to support …c5.
• Kingside Fianchetto: Many modern practitioners add …g6 and …Bg7, echoing a King’s Indian setup but with the light-squared bishop outside the pawn chain.
• Slow Manoeuvres: Since pawn breaks are delayed, pieces are often redeployed: White’s Nb1–d2–f1–g3, Black’s Ng8–e7–g6, etc. The side that times its break (d4–d5 or …c5/…d5) best usually seizes the initiative.

Historical Notes

Wilhelm Steinitz championed 3…d6 in the 1870s, but later preferred delaying …d6 until move 4, giving rise to the “Modern” or “Steinitz Deferred” Defence. Although eclipsed by the more dynamic Breyer, Zaitsev, and Marshall Systems in top-level practice, the line enjoyed a renaissance in the 1990s thanks to players like Nigel Short and Loek van Wely, who used it as a surprise weapon to avoid heavy Ruy Lopez theory.

Illustrative Games

1. Short – van Wely, Wijk aan Zee 1997
   White adopted 7.Re1 and later sacrificed a pawn with d4–d5, but Black’s precise manoeuvring (…Nf6, …Be7, …0-0, …Re8, …Bf8) neutralised the attack and the game was eventually drawn.
2. Spassky – Fischer, Buenos Aires 1970
   A rapid game in which Fischer employed 5…Bd7 and quickly broke in the centre with …c5, catching Spassky off guard and winning a model game that foreshadowed their 1972 title clash.
3. Carlsen – Karjakin, World Blitz 2019
   Carlsen chose the quiet 5.c3 line; Karjakin responded with 5…Bd7 and headed for a manoeuvring middlegame. The World Champion gradually outplayed his opponent using the typical knight tour Nf3–d2–f1–e3–d5.

Practical Tips

• As White, be patient: rapid pawn storms rarely succeed. Aim for space with d4 and consider the central pawn sacrifice e4-e5 in conjunction with a rook lift Re1–e3–g3.
• As Black, avoid passivity. Timely breaks with …c5 or …d5 are essential to free your position.
• Remember that 5…Bd7 does not commit Black’s king, so queenside castling remains a positional option in some sidelines.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Steinitz devised 3…d6 largely to prove that “the king is a fighting piece”; he would sometimes not castle at all, defending his monarch in the centre long into the middlegame.
• In pre-computer days, analysts criticised the Modern Steinitz as “cramped.” Engines, however, assign it a perfectly acceptable evaluation (≈ 0.20) and show multiple ways for Black to equalise.
• The line is a favourite of club players who wish to avoid the dense Marshall and Berlin trees; after move 6 the database thins out dramatically.

Key Evaluation

Modern theory regards the position after 6.O-O as balanced. White enjoys slightly more space and the bishop pair, but Black’s solid pawn chain and flexible piece play offer full counter-chances.

Further Study

• Books: The Ruy Lopez: Move by Move by Neil McDonald – Chapter 4 Play the Ruy Lopez by Andrew Greet – Section on the Steinitz Defence
• Database search term: “Ruy Lopez C73 5.c3 Bd7” for recent GM practice.