English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
721,365 games: White 51.8% / Draw 4.8% / Black 43.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 488,809489K | ||
| 58,79959K | ||
| 47,46347K | ||
| 47,27947K | ||
| 35,90736K | ||
| 12,59213K | ||
| 10,09510K | ||
| 5,6615,661 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.56 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. Nf3 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6 5. d3 e5 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. e4 Bg4
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 47% under 1400, 44% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 79K | |
| 1400–1799 | 360K | |
| 1800–2199 | 446K | |
| 2200 and up | 44K | |
| Masters, over the board | 9 |
Master games
- Bakutin, A. – Saulin, D.
- De Vos, N. – Hovhanisian, M.
- Claesen, P. – Hovhanisian, M.
- Chigvintsev, A. – Kagirov, R.
- Gabriel, J. – Campidelli, P.
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
English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit (ECO A10, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, reached after 1. c4 d5 2. cxd5 Nf6 (2 moves).
In 721,365 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.8%, Black 43.3% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nc3, in 68% 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 English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit
3. e4 scores best for White: 64.0%, with White winning 62.1% and Black 34.1% of 59K games. The most played answer, 3. Nc3, scores lowest: 53.0% in 489K games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. Nf3.
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 English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.03% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.019%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,619 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 12,111 |
| 2018 | 0.026% | 20,705 |
| 2019 | 0.028% | 35,349 |
| 2020 | 0.026% | 76,691 |
| 2021 | 0.026% | 103,353 |
| 2022 | 0.028% | 105,443 |
| 2023 | 0.028% | 106,852 |
| 2024 | 0.029% | 103,715 |
| 2025 | 0.03% | 105,272 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.031% | 33,770 |
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. “English Opening: Anglo-Scandinavian Defense, Schulz Gambit (A10)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-anglo-scandinavian-defense-schulz-gambit