Australian Defense
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
62,642 games: White 50.4% / Draw 4.6% / Black 45.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 18,83419K | ||
| 16,39816K | ||
| 10,15210K | ||
| 6,6626,662 | ||
| 4,5044,504 | ||
| 1,8641,864 | ||
| 1,0821,082 | ||
| 861861 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.91 White is better
Best play: 2. e4 c6 3. Nf3 g6 4. Bd3 Bg7 5. O-O Nc7 6. Re1 d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Australian Defense (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Queen's Pawn Game, reached after 1. d4 Na6 (1 move).
In 62,642 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.4%, Black 45.1% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. e4, in 30% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Australian Defense
The most played answer, 2. e4, also scores best for White: 53.6%, with White winning 51.2% and Black 44.1% of 19K games. Of the main answers, 2. e3 scores lowest: 50.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2. e4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Australian Defense (A40)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/australian-defense