Grob Opening: Grob Gambit Declined
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Statistics from Lichess
719,152 games: White 46.1% / Draw 4.4% / Black 49.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 309,894310K | ||
| 195,237195K | ||
| Grob Opening: Spike Attack | 145,489145K | |
| 26,27926K | ||
| 12,40612K | ||
| 10,21110K | ||
| 7,8937,893 | ||
| 3,2563,256 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.87 Black is better
Best play: 3. g5 h6 4. d4 hxg5 5. Bxg5 Qb6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Qc1 Nd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 52% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 111K | |
| 1400–1799 | 310K | |
| 1800–2199 | 466K | |
| 2200 and up | 53K | |
| Masters, over the board | 45 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Sarana, A.
- Fontaine, R. – Ghosh, D.
- Lagarde, M. – Stefansson, H.
- Reprintsev, A. – Rozentalis, E.
- Reprintsev, A. – Miton, K.
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
Grob Opening: Grob Gambit Declined (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a declined gambit in the Grob Opening: Grob Gambit, reached after 1. g4 d5 2. Bg2 c6 (2 moves).
In 719,152 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.1%, Black 49.5% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. c4, in 43% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Grob Opening: Spike Attack and Grob Opening: Grob Gambit, Richter-Grob Gambit.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Grob Opening: Grob Gambit Declined
The most played answer, 3. c4, also scores best for White: 49.2%, with White winning 47.2% and Black 48.8% of 310K games. Of the main answers, 3. h3 scores lowest: 47.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. g5.
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 Grob Opening: Grob Gambit Declined has gained ground since 2016: 0.032% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.023%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.023% | 8,165 |
| 2017 | 0.029% | 15,809 |
| 2018 | 0.028% | 22,147 |
| 2019 | 0.026% | 32,251 |
| 2020 | 0.023% | 67,492 |
| 2021 | 0.022% | 84,583 |
| 2022 | 0.027% | 102,983 |
| 2023 | 0.031% | 114,737 |
| 2024 | 0.032% | 113,096 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 110,116 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.033% | 35,780 |
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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Grob Opening: Grob Gambit Declined (A00)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grob-opening-grob-gambit-declined