Grob Opening: Keene Defense, Main Line
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Statistics from Lichess
1,823 games: White 41.9% / Draw 5.0% / Black 53.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 768768 | ||
| 533533 | ||
| 232232 | ||
| 9393 | ||
| 6161 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 2222 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−1.40 Black is better
Best play: 7. Bd2 a5 8. e3 Na6 9. a3 O-O 10. Nge2 f5 11. cxd5 cxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Grob Opening: Keene Defense, Main Line (ECO A00, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Grob Opening: Keene Defense, reached after 1. g4 d5 2. h3 e5 3. Bg2 c6 4. d4 e4 5. c4 Bd6 6. Nc3 Ne7 (6 moves).
In 1,823 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.9%, Black 53.1% and 5.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bg5, in 42% 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 Grob Opening: Keene Defense, Main Line
The most played answer, 7. Bg5, also scores best for White: 48.6%, with White winning 46.6% and Black 49.5% of 768 games. Of the main answers, 7. cxd5 scores lowest: 41.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Bd2.
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. “Grob Opening: Keene Defense, Main Line (A00)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grob-opening-keene-defense-main-line