Fried Fox Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
149,300 games: White 54.4% / Draw 4.2% / Black 41.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 38,63439K | ||
| 25,36525K | ||
| 22,21422K | ||
| 22,12322K | ||
| 11,01911K | ||
| 9,2799,279 | ||
| 8,5358,535 | ||
| 3,4333,433 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.51 White is clearly better
Best play: 3. Nc3 e6 4. Nh3 g6 5. Bc4 Kg7 6. Nf4 Nc6 7. a3 Bd6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Fried Fox Defense (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Barnes Defense, reached after 1. e4 f6 2. d4 Kf7 (2 moves).
In 149,300 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.4%, Black 41.4% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Bc4+, in 26% 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 Fried Fox Defense
3. Nc3 scores best for White: 58.3%, with White winning 56.3% and Black 39.6% of 22K games. The most played, 3. Bc4+, scores 56.9% in 39K games, and 3. e5 scores lowest: 55.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. Nc3.
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. “Fried Fox Defense (B00)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/fried-fox-defense