Center Game 2…exd4 3. Qxd4
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Statistics from Lichess
6,444,776 games: White 49.3% / Draw 4.1% / Black 46.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Variation | 5,433,0435.4M | |
| 365,018365K | ||
| 233,879234K | ||
| 161,978162K | ||
| 109,761110K | ||
| 32,59033K | ||
| 27,31427K | ||
| 18,25018K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.07 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nf6 4. Bd2 Be7 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Qe3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5
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 better this line does for White: White scores 47% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 48% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 11.5M | |
| 1400–1799 | 9.5M | |
| 1800–2199 | 2.5M | |
| 2200 and up | 212K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,064 |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Ding Liren
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Anand, V.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Karjakin, S.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Karjakin, 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 26, 2026
Overview
Center Game (ECO C21, Open Games) is a variation of the Center Game Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 (3 moves).
In 6,444,776 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 46.5% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nc6, in 84% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Center Game: Normal Variation. In all, 7 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3. Qxd4
The most played answer, 3…Nc6 (Normal Variation), also scores best for Black: 49.0%, with Black winning 46.9% and White 49.0% of 5.4M games. Of the main answers, 3…d6 scores lowest: 46.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Nf6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.24% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.33%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.33% | 116,760 |
| 2017 | 0.26% | 141,348 |
| 2018 | 0.22% | 171,057 |
| 2019 | 0.22% | 278,269 |
| 2020 | 0.25% | 736,111 |
| 2021 | 0.28% | 1,083,077 |
| 2022 | 0.26% | 965,090 |
| 2023 | 0.24% | 919,760 |
| 2024 | 0.24% | 870,555 |
| 2025 | 0.24% | 818,828 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.23% | 248,556 |
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
Variations (1)
All 7 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Center Game (C21)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-2