Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation 3…c5 4. Bc4
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Statistics from Lichess
619,114 games: White 59.5% / Draw 3.1% / Black 37.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 163,326163K | ||
| 115,109115K | ||
| 88,58289K | ||
| 81,77282K | ||
| 78,89279K | ||
| 34,38734K | ||
| 9,5349,534 | ||
| 9,0159,015 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nc6 5. O-O Be7 6. c3 Nf6 7. cxd4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 O-O 9. Re1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 59% under 1400, 58% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 133K | |
| 1400–1799 | 450K | |
| 1800–2199 | 340K | |
| 2200 and up | 7,605 | |
| Masters, over the board | 2 |
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 4. Bc4 (4 moves).
In 619,114 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 59.5%, Black 37.4% and 3.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nc6, in 26% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 4. Bc4
The most played answer, 4…Nc6, also scores best for Black: 42.6%, with Black winning 41.0% and White 55.8% of 163K games. Of the main answers, 4…f6 scores lowest: 32.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…Nc6.
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 dipped to 0.021% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.026% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.026% | 9,429 |
| 2017 | 0.024% | 13,454 |
| 2018 | 0.022% | 17,456 |
| 2019 | 0.023% | 28,156 |
| 2020 | 0.021% | 60,435 |
| 2021 | 0.022% | 86,127 |
| 2022 | 0.024% | 89,062 |
| 2023 | 0.025% | 93,395 |
| 2024 | 0.026% | 92,097 |
| 2025 | 0.026% | 90,351 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.025% | 27,169 |
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. “Center Game: Kieseritzky Variation (C21)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-kieseritzky-variation-3