Danish Gambit Accepted: Chigorin Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
153,378 games: White 58.8% / Draw 2.6% / Black 38.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 61,57662K | ||
| 46,10646K | ||
| 9,4469,446 | ||
| 8,9538,953 | ||
| 8,1008,100 | ||
| 6,1206,120 | ||
| 5,2455,245 | ||
| 2,7922,792 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.55 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Nge2 d5 8. Nxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxd5 Be6 10. O-O Bxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Danish Gambit Accepted: Chigorin Defense (ECO C21, Open Games) is a gambit in the Danish Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Bc4 cxb2 5. Bxb2 Qe7 (5 moves).
In 153,378 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 58.8%, Black 38.6% and 2.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nc3, in 40% 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 Danish Gambit Accepted: Chigorin Defense
6. Nd2 scores best for White: 62.7%, with White winning 61.3% and Black 36.0% of 46K games. The most played, 6. Nc3, scores 62.6% in 62K games, and 6. e5 scores lowest: 46.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Nc3.
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. “Danish Gambit Accepted: Chigorin Defense (C21)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/danish-gambit-accepted-chigorin-defense