Goldsmith Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
818,012 games: White 53.3% / Draw 3.7% / Black 43.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 375,267375K | ||
| 181,275181K | ||
| 77,25577K | ||
| 52,15652K | ||
| 48,37748K | ||
| 15,99816K | ||
| 14,65215K | ||
| 14,30814K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.22 White is better
Best play: 2. d4 c6 3. Bd3 d5 4. Nd2 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bf5 6. Ng5 e6
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 Black: Black scores 42% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.4M | |
| 1400–1799 | 954K | |
| 1800–2199 | 357K | |
| 2200 and up | 31K | |
| Masters, over the board | 8 |
Master games
- So, W. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- Tsoi, D. – Lugovskoy, M.
- Tekeyev, Z. – Dzhumagaliev, Y.
- Meribanov, V. – Dzhumagaliev, Y.
- Kubacsny, L. – Kadas, G.
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
Goldsmith Defense (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the King's Pawn Game, reached after 1. e4 h5 (1 move).
In 818,012 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.3%, Black 43.0% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. d4, in 46% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Goldsmith Defense: Picklepuss Defense.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Goldsmith Defense
The most played answer, 2. d4, also scores best for White: 56.4%, with White winning 54.6% and Black 41.8% of 375K games. Of the main answers, 2. f4 scores lowest: 53.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2. d4.
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 Goldsmith Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.032% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.041%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.041% | 14,732 |
| 2017 | 0.032% | 17,645 |
| 2018 | 0.03% | 23,425 |
| 2019 | 0.026% | 32,958 |
| 2020 | 0.027% | 79,942 |
| 2021 | 0.034% | 131,348 |
| 2022 | 0.032% | 120,101 |
| 2023 | 0.032% | 119,902 |
| 2024 | 0.032% | 114,013 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 111,226 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.031% | 33,887 |
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Goldsmith Defense (B00)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/goldsmith-defense