Center Game: Normal Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
5,436,725 games: White 49.0% / Draw 4.1% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation | 2,544,7992.5M | |
| 1,593,8881.6M | ||
| 664,136664K | ||
| 228,461228K | ||
| Center Game: Hall Variation | 180,581181K | |
| 85,60086K | ||
| 68,17068K | ||
| 50,17150K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 19, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nc3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5
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 55% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 9.2M | |
| 1400–1799 | 7.9M | |
| 1800–2199 | 2.1M | |
| 2200 and up | 198K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,041 |
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: Normal Variation (ECO C22, Open Games) is a variation of the Center Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 (3 moves).
In 5,436,725 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.0%, Black 46.9% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Qe3, in 47% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation and Center Game: Hall Variation. In all, 6 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 play against the Center Game: Normal Variation
The most played answer, 4. Qe3 (Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation), also scores best for White: 56.2%, with White winning 54.2% and Black 41.9% of 2.5M games. Of the main answers, 4. Qd1 scores lowest: 45.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Qe3.
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: Normal Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.2% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.28%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.28% | 99,720 |
| 2017 | 0.22% | 119,904 |
| 2018 | 0.19% | 146,077 |
| 2019 | 0.19% | 235,441 |
| 2020 | 0.21% | 623,589 |
| 2021 | 0.23% | 915,222 |
| 2022 | 0.22% | 811,437 |
| 2023 | 0.21% | 774,461 |
| 2024 | 0.2% | 731,060 |
| 2025 | 0.2% | 688,622 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.19% | 210,017 |
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 (2)
All 6 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Center Game: Normal Variation (C22)”. Lichess data as of 19 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-normal-variation