Danish Gambit Accepted: Svenonius Defense
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
11,797 games: White 53.4% / Draw 4.0% / Black 42.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,8635,863 | ||
| 4,1154,115 | ||
| 1,3991,399 | ||
| 154154 | ||
| 6666 | ||
| 5757 | ||
| 5555 | ||
| 3737 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. cxd4 d5 5. Bd3 Nbc6 6. Ne2 dxe4 7. Bxe4 Bf5 8. f3 Qd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Danish Gambit Accepted: Svenonius Defense (ECO C21, Open Games) is a gambit in the Danish Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 Ne7 (3 moves).
In 11,797 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.4%, Black 42.6% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. cxd4, in 50% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Danish Gambit Accepted: Svenonius Defense
The most played answer, 4. cxd4, also scores best for White: 56.2%, with White winning 54.0% and Black 41.6% of 5,863 games. Of the main answers, 4. Nf3 scores lowest: 54.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. cxd4.
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: Svenonius Defense (C21)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/danish-gambit-accepted-svenonius-defense