Center Game: Ross Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
129,800 games: White 50.0% / Draw 3.1% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 64,59765K | ||
| 19,22919K | ||
| 12,25312K | ||
| 11,70112K | ||
| 7,3967,396 | ||
| 6,5206,520 | ||
| 2,7592,759 | ||
| 934934 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.47 Black is slightly better
Best play: 3... Bc5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 dxc3 6. O-O d6 7. Nxc3 Nge7 8. h3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Center Game: Ross Gambit (ECO C21, Open Games) is a gambit in the Center Game Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Bd3 (3 moves).
In 129,800 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.0%, Black 46.9% and 3.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nc6, in 50% of those games.
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: Ross Gambit
3…d5 scores best for Black: 54.6%, with Black winning 53.1% and White 43.9% of 12K games. The most played, 3…Nc6, scores 48.3% in 65K games, and 3…Nf6 scores lowest: 45.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Bc5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Center Game: Ross Gambit (C21)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/center-game-ross-gambit