Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag
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Statistics from Lichess
104,041 games: White 45.5% / Draw 4.1% / Black 50.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 50,56251K | ||
| 16,69617K | ||
| 9,2079,207 | ||
| 7,8347,834 | ||
| 7,7227,722 | ||
| 3,1803,180 | ||
| 2,6682,668 | ||
| 2,1622,162 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−1.91 Black is clearly better
Even so, White scores 47.6% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 2... d5 3. e3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. exd4 Qh4+ 6. g3 Qxd4+ 7. Qxd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Barnes Opening, reached after 1. f3 e5 2. Kf2 (2 moves).
In 104,041 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.5%, Black 50.4% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 49% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag
The most played answer, 2…d5, also scores best for Black: 54.9%, with Black winning 52.8% and White 43.0% of 51K games. Of the main answers, 2…Bc5+ scores lowest: 49.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…d5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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. “Barnes Opening: Hammerschlag (A00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/barnes-opening-hammerschlag