Bird Opening: Lasker Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
332,254 games: White 49.6% / Draw 5.2% / Black 45.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 123,008123K | ||
| 67,04967K | ||
| 45,23945K | ||
| 42,22342K | ||
| 29,28829K | ||
| 8,1838,183 | ||
| 6,6126,612 | ||
| 3,3913,391 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. b3 g6 5. Bb2 Bg7 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Ne5 Nxe5
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 49% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 16K | |
| 1400–1799 | 98K | |
| 1800–2199 | 231K | |
| 2200 and up | 30K | |
| Masters, over the board | 107 |
Master games
- Fedoseev, V. – Zhao Jun
- Narciso Dublan, M. – Robson, R.
- Aravindh, C. V. – Mitrabha, G.
- Gleizerov, E. – Al Sayed, M. N.
- Tsoi, D. – Sjugirov, S.
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: Lasker Variation (ECO A03, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Bird Opening: Dutch Variation, reached after 1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c5 (3 moves).
In 332,254 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.6%, Black 45.2% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. b3, in 37% 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: Lasker Variation
The most played answer, 4. b3, also scores best for White: 54.8%, with White winning 52.0% and Black 42.5% of 123K games. Of the main answers, 4. Be2 scores lowest: 49.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. b3.
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: Lasker Variation peaked in 2019 at 0.015% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.013% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 4,896 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,714 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,081 |
| 2019 | 0.015% | 19,282 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 39,493 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 49,340 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 45,596 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 45,201 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,972 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,732 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,421 |
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: Lasker Variation (A03)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bird-opening-lasker-variation