French Defense: Alapin Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
251,490 games: White 51.8% / Draw 4.0% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 158,695159K | ||
| 49,71450K | ||
| 13,38713K | ||
| 9,4919,491 | ||
| 5,6015,601 | ||
| 2,1772,177 | ||
| 1,9121,912 | ||
| 1,8431,843 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.35 Black is slightly better
Best play: 3... dxe4 4. Nd2 Nf6 5. c3 Be7 6. Qc2 Nd5 7. Nxe4 f5 8. Ng3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 51% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 26K | |
| 1400–1799 | 107K | |
| 1800–2199 | 160K | |
| 2200 and up | 21K | |
| Masters, over the board | 30 |
Master games
- Li, R. – Priyadharshan, K.
- Halwick Jr, F. J. – Neven, K. G.
- Rooms, T. – Corfield, J.
- Halwick Jr, F. J. – Mrugala, A.
- Gervasio, R. – Roos, L.
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
French Defense: Alapin Gambit (ECO C00, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Be3 (3 moves).
In 251,490 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.8%, Black 44.2% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…dxe4, in 63% 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 French Defense: Alapin Gambit
The most played answer, 3…dxe4, also scores best for Black: 46.6%, with Black winning 44.6% and White 51.4% of 159K games. Of the main answers, 3…Nf6 scores lowest: 45.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…dxe4.
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 French Defense: Alapin Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.017% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.011%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,766 |
| 2017 | 0.0089% | 4,871 |
| 2018 | 0.0087% | 6,859 |
| 2019 | 0.0096% | 12,026 |
| 2020 | 0.0071% | 20,752 |
| 2021 | 0.0061% | 23,968 |
| 2022 | 0.006% | 22,696 |
| 2023 | 0.0073% | 27,562 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 40,633 |
| 2025 | 0.017% | 59,590 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.02% | 22,314 |
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. “French Defense: Alapin Gambit (C00)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-alapin-gambit