Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
233,663 games: White 41.7% / Draw 3.6% / Black 54.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 134,278134K | ||
| 90,37790K | ||
| 4,7954,795 | ||
| 1,8441,844 | ||
| 1,1871,187 | ||
| 351351 | ||
| 222222 | ||
| 203203 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.44 Black is slightly better
Best play: 4. Ne5 g6 5. Nc3 Nd7 6. Bb5 Nf6 7. d3 exd3 8. Qxd3 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 53% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 9,210 | |
| 1400–1799 | 92K | |
| 1800–2199 | 154K | |
| 2200 and up | 12K | |
| Masters, over the board | 45 |
Master games
- Pechac, J. – Vogel, R.
- Król, W. – Schuster, P.
- Prorok, M. – Grigoriants, S. R.
- Król, W. – Figlio, G. F.
- Prorok, M. – Kozul, Z.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit (ECO B21, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Sicilian Defense: McDonnell Attack, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 (3 moves).
In 233,663 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.7%, Black 54.6% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Ng5, in 57% 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: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit
The most played answer, 4. Ng5, also scores best for White: 44.6%, with White winning 42.7% and Black 53.5% of 134K games. Of the main answers, 4. Ne5 scores lowest: 43.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Ne5.
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
Popularity by year
The Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit has stayed between 0.0078% and 0.0094% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.0093% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0078% | 2,784 |
| 2017 | 0.0087% | 4,768 |
| 2018 | 0.0093% | 7,276 |
| 2019 | 0.0092% | 11,482 |
| 2020 | 0.0084% | 24,647 |
| 2021 | 0.0085% | 33,131 |
| 2022 | 0.0093% | 34,895 |
| 2023 | 0.0093% | 34,864 |
| 2024 | 0.0094% | 33,642 |
| 2025 | 0.0093% | 32,183 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0093% | 10,211 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, Batavo Gambit (B21)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bird-opening-dutch-variation-batavo-gambit