Danish Gambit Accepted: Copenhagen Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
877,065 games: White 56.4% / Draw 3.1% / Black 40.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 488,419488K | ||
| 293,376293K | ||
| 86,74987K | ||
| 7,8267,826 | ||
| 643643 | ||
| 5252 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.27 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Qb3 Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 O-O 9. Nf3 d6 10. O-O Nbd7
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 better this line does for Black: Black scores 41% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 192K | |
| 1400–1799 | 650K | |
| 1800–2199 | 479K | |
| 2200 and up | 12K | |
| Masters, over the board | — | no 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
Danish Gambit Accepted: Copenhagen 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 Bb4+ (5 moves).
In 877,065 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.4%, Black 40.5% and 3.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nc3, in 56% 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: Copenhagen Defense
The most played answer, 6. Nc3, also scores best for White: 58.7%, with White winning 57.2% and Black 39.8% of 488K games. Of the main answers, 6. Kf1 scores lowest: 56.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 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
Popularity by year
The Danish Gambit Accepted: Copenhagen Defense peaked in 2017 at 0.039% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.032% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.036% | 13,032 |
| 2017 | 0.039% | 21,493 |
| 2018 | 0.036% | 28,578 |
| 2019 | 0.036% | 44,494 |
| 2020 | 0.03% | 88,673 |
| 2021 | 0.035% | 136,980 |
| 2022 | 0.034% | 125,836 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 136,206 |
| 2024 | 0.035% | 125,073 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 109,714 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.03% | 32,991 |
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. “Danish Gambit Accepted: Copenhagen Defense (C21)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/danish-gambit-accepted-copenhagen-defense