Center Game: Berger Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
809,942 games: White 51.6% / Draw 4.0% / Black 44.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 472,775473K | ||
| 86,15586K | ||
| 53,12353K | ||
| 31,11831K | ||
| 27,67228K | ||
| 27,16427K | ||
| 26,66627K | ||
| 20,48920K |
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: 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nc3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. Ne2 Bf5
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 51% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up and 54% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1M | |
| 1400–1799 | 779K | |
| 1800–2199 | 393K | |
| 2200 and up | 102K | |
| Masters, over the board | 631 |
Master games
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Ding Liren
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Anand, V.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Karjakin, S.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Karjakin, S.
- Erigaisi, A. – Keymer, V.
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
Center Game: Berger Variation (ECO C22, Open Games) is a variation of the Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 (4 moves).
In 809,942 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 44.4% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nc3, in 58% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Center Game: Kupreichik Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Center Game: Berger Variation
5. Bd2 scores best for White: 57.0%, with White winning 55.0% and Black 41.0% of 86K games. The most played, 5. Nc3, scores 55.5% in 473K games, and 5. e5 scores lowest: 53.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Bd2.
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 Center Game: Berger Variation has stayed between 0.029% and 0.035% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.033% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.035% | 12,533 |
| 2017 | 0.032% | 17,522 |
| 2018 | 0.031% | 24,373 |
| 2019 | 0.029% | 36,724 |
| 2020 | 0.032% | 92,533 |
| 2021 | 0.032% | 123,855 |
| 2022 | 0.03% | 113,668 |
| 2023 | 0.03% | 111,758 |
| 2024 | 0.032% | 115,793 |
| 2025 | 0.033% | 112,806 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.032% | 35,492 |
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)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Center Game: Berger Variation (C22)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-berger-variation