Bird Opening: Schlechter Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
321,331 games: White 50.9% / Draw 3.8% / Black 45.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 255,679256K | ||
| 55,60656K | ||
| 2,4532,453 | ||
| 1,9971,997 | ||
| 1,6891,689 | ||
| 1,2141,214 | ||
| 948948 | ||
| 773773 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.57 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. Nf3 d6 4. exd6 Bxd6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. e3 Qe7 7. d4 Bg4
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% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 89K | |
| 1400–1799 | 220K | |
| 1800–2199 | 177K | |
| 2200 and up | 14K | |
| Masters, over the board | 24 |
Master games
- Karlsson, L. – Tairi, F.
- Vocaturo, D. – Brunello, S.
- Williams, S. K. – Howell, D.
- Piasetski, L. D. – Gormally, D.
- Genocchio, D. – Brunello, 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: Schlechter Gambit (ECO A02, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Bird Opening: From's Gambit, reached after 1. f4 e5 2. fxe5 Nc6 (2 moves).
In 321,331 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.9%, Black 45.3% and 3.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nf3, in 80% 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: Schlechter Gambit
The most played answer, 3. Nf3, also scores best for White: 54.0%, with White winning 52.1% and Black 44.1% of 256K games. Of the main answers, 3. d4 scores lowest: 48.4%. 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
Popularity by year
The Bird Opening: Schlechter Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.014% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0083%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0083% | 2,951 |
| 2017 | 0.0087% | 4,778 |
| 2018 | 0.0093% | 7,299 |
| 2019 | 0.01% | 12,619 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 30,786 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 48,122 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 48,213 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 49,208 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 48,131 |
| 2025 | 0.014% | 47,515 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.015% | 16,325 |
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: Schlechter Gambit (A02)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bird-opening-schlechter-gambit