Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Netherlands Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
513,546 games: White 55.4% / Draw 3.4% / Black 41.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 362,329362K | ||
| 37,28537K | ||
| 36,36136K | ||
| 34,72135K | ||
| 8,0008,000 | ||
| 6,7676,767 | ||
| 6,7216,721 | ||
| 4,4854,485 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Bg5 Nc6 5. Bb5 Nf6 6. d5 a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. Nxb5 axb5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 47% under 1400, 41% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 406K | |
| 1400–1799 | 436K | |
| 1800–2199 | 274K | |
| 2200 and up | 11K | |
| Masters, over the board | 67 |
Master games
- Gelfand, B. – Nikolic, P.
- Benjamin, J. – Malaniuk, V. P.
- Hertneck, G. – Hjartarson, J.
- Lobron, E. – Bauer, C.
- Miralles, G. – Gurevich, M.
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
Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Netherlands Variation (ECO D00, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. e4 dxe4 3. Nc3 f5 (3 moves).
In 513,546 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.4%, Black 41.2% and 3.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. f3, in 71% 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 Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Netherlands Variation
4. Bg5 scores best for White: 61.4%, with White winning 59.8% and Black 36.9% of 37K games. The most played, 4. f3, scores 58.0% in 362K games, and 4. Bf4 scores lowest: 52.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Bg5.
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 Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Netherlands Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.027% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.02%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.02% | 7,056 |
| 2017 | 0.017% | 9,552 |
| 2018 | 0.016% | 12,270 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 21,039 |
| 2020 | 0.016% | 47,133 |
| 2021 | 0.017% | 64,858 |
| 2022 | 0.017% | 62,712 |
| 2023 | 0.018% | 67,890 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 88,285 |
| 2025 | 0.027% | 92,107 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.028% | 30,300 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Blackmar-Diemer Gambit: Netherlands Variation (D00)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/blackmar-diemer-gambit-netherlands-variation