Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation 3. Nf3 c5
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Statistics from Lichess
889,346 games: White 59.0% / Draw 3.2% / Black 37.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 560,670561K | ||
| 246,460246K | ||
| 22,83023K | ||
| 13,07713K | ||
| 10,89711K | ||
| 7,2667,266 | ||
| 5,7585,758 | ||
| 5,1765,176 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Bc4 Nc6 5. O-O Be7 6. c3 Nf6 7. cxd4 cxd4 8. Re1 O-O
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 45% under 1400, 41% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 294K | |
| 1400–1799 | 691K | |
| 1800–2199 | 478K | |
| 2200 and up | 15K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3 |
Master games
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: Kieseritzky Variation (ECO C21, Open Games) is a variation of the Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 c5 (3 moves).
In 889,346 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 59.0%, Black 37.8% and 3.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Bc4, in 63% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3…c5
4. c3 scores best for White: 63.2%, with White winning 61.4% and Black 35.1% of 246K games. The most played answer, 4. Bc4, scores lowest: 61.1% in 561K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Bc4.
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
This line dipped to 0.029% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.038% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.036% | 13,009 |
| 2017 | 0.035% | 19,089 |
| 2018 | 0.032% | 25,339 |
| 2019 | 0.032% | 40,171 |
| 2020 | 0.029% | 85,083 |
| 2021 | 0.031% | 122,363 |
| 2022 | 0.034% | 127,346 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 134,455 |
| 2024 | 0.037% | 132,191 |
| 2025 | 0.038% | 132,417 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.037% | 40,528 |
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: Kieseritzky Variation (C21)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-kieseritzky-variation-2