Bird Opening: Double Duck Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
110,563 games: White 50.2% / Draw 7.1% / Black 42.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 53,68954K | ||
| 50,82951K | ||
| 1,3811,381 | ||
| 1,0611,061 | ||
| 1,0441,044 | ||
| 784784 | ||
| 324324 | ||
| 261261 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.24 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. c4 e6 5. e3 c5 6. a3 a6 7. Be2 Nc6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bird Opening: Double Duck Formation (ECO A02, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Bird Opening, reached after 1. f4 f5 2. d4 d5 (2 moves).
In 110,563 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 42.7% and 7.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nf3, 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 Bird Opening: Double Duck Formation
The most played answer, 3. Nf3, also scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 50.5% and Black 42.4% of 54K games. Of the main answers, 3. e3 scores lowest: 53.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. Nf3.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bird Opening: Double Duck Formation (A02)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bird-opening-double-duck-formation