Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
5,599 games: White 44.0% / Draw 3.7% / Black 52.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,5763,576 | ||
| 786786 | ||
| 406406 | ||
| 236236 | ||
| 207207 | ||
| 186186 | ||
| 127127 | ||
| 2020 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.88 White is better
Best play: 3. e4 g4 4. Ne5 h5 5. d4 e6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Nc4 Bg7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit (ECO A02, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Bird Opening, reached after 1. f4 h6 2. Nf3 g5 (2 moves).
In 5,599 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.0%, Black 52.3% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. fxg5, in 64% 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: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit
3. d4 scores best for White: 55.0%, with White winning 52.7% and Black 42.6% of 406 games. The most played answer, 3. fxg5, scores lowest: 44.6% in 3,576 games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. 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. “Bird Opening: Hobbs-Zilbermints Gambit (A02)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bird-opening-hobbs-zilbermints-gambit