Danish Gambit Accepted: Schlechter Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
250,938 games: White 46.2% / Draw 5.4% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 174,808175K | ||
| 69,73370K | ||
| 2,8542,854 | ||
| 1,7161,716 | ||
| 743743 | ||
| 316316 | ||
| 270270 | ||
| 114114 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Bxd5 Nf6 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qxd8 Bb4+ 9. Qd2 Bxd2+ 10. Nxd2 Na6
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 47% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 14K | |
| 1400–1799 | 91K | |
| 1800–2199 | 172K | |
| 2200 and up | 15K | |
| Masters, over the board | 14 |
Master games
- Kaczur, F. – Bagi, M.
- Köhl, R. – Böhnke, H.
- Kritz, L. – Pilgaard, K.
- Lendwai, R. – Zoebisch, H.
- Thomas, I. L. – Yeo, M. J.
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: Schlechter 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 d5 (5 moves).
In 250,938 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.2%, Black 48.4% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bxd5, in 70% 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: Schlechter Defense
The most played answer, 6. Bxd5, also scores best for White: 49.2%, with White winning 46.2% and Black 47.8% of 175K games. Of the main answers, 6. exd5 scores lowest: 49.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Bxd5.
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: Schlechter Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.0078% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.012% (its peak: 0.016% in 2017).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,414 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,751 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 11,832 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 15,768 |
| 2020 | 0.01% | 29,356 |
| 2021 | 0.0099% | 38,737 |
| 2022 | 0.0094% | 35,411 |
| 2023 | 0.0094% | 35,328 |
| 2024 | 0.0087% | 31,319 |
| 2025 | 0.0078% | 26,972 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0075% | 8,262 |
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: Schlechter Defense (C21)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/danish-gambit-accepted-schlechter-defense