Englund Gambit: Stockholm Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
615,095 games: White 52.0% / Draw 5.0% / Black 43.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 210,813211K | ||
| 173,684174K | ||
| 108,301108K | ||
| 50,97551K | ||
| 35,22035K | ||
| 10,57211K | ||
| 9,5309,530 | ||
| 4,1104,110 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.81 White is better
Best play: 4... f6 5. Nc3 fxe5 6. e4 Nf6 7. Qd1 d6 8. Be3 Bg4 9. h3
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 White: White scores 50% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 122K | |
| 1400–1799 | 408K | |
| 1800–2199 | 352K | |
| 2200 and up | 21K | |
| Masters, over the board | 10 |
Master games
- Zurek, M. – Karlik, J.
- Grigore, G. G. – Pessi, E. G.
- Lukov, V. – Buecker, S.
- Neuman, P. – Starostits, I.
- Veingold, A. – Kiltti, 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
Englund Gambit: Stockholm Variation (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Englund Gambit: Main Line, reached after 1. d4 e5 2. dxe5 Nc6 3. Nf3 Qe7 4. Qd5 (4 moves).
In 615,095 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.0%, Black 43.0% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nb4, in 34% 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 Englund Gambit: Stockholm Variation
4…b6 scores best for Black: 51.2%, with Black winning 49.4% and White 47.0% of 51K games. The most played answer, 4…Nb4, scores lowest: 42.5% in 211K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4…f6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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 Englund Gambit: Stockholm Variation is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.024% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.009% (its peak: 0.028% in 2022).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.009% | 3,225 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,327 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 11,390 |
| 2019 | 0.019% | 23,492 |
| 2020 | 0.02% | 58,316 |
| 2021 | 0.024% | 94,717 |
| 2022 | 0.028% | 106,152 |
| 2023 | 0.028% | 103,929 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 89,640 |
| 2025 | 0.024% | 83,270 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.024% | 26,400 |
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. “Englund Gambit: Stockholm Variation (A40)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/englund-gambit-stockholm-variation