Center Game: l'Hermet Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
1,749 games: White 46.3% / Draw 4.8% / Black 48.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2181,218 | ||
| 309309 | ||
| 4444 | ||
| 3333 | ||
| 3232 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 2424 | ||
| 1515 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.80 White is better
Best play: 5. exf5+ Be7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. Qh3 d5 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Nb4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Center Game: l'Hermet 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 f5 (4 moves).
In 1,749 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.3%, Black 48.9% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. exf5+, in 70% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Center Game: l'Hermet Variation
5. Nc3 scores best for White: 51.3%, with White winning 48.2% and Black 45.6% of 309 games. The most played answer, 5. exf5+, scores lowest: 48.2% in 1,218 games. Stockfish's first choice is 5. exf5+.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Center Game: l'Hermet Variation (C22)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-lhermet-variation