Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation, Cordel Line
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Statistics from Lichess
89,851 games: White 42.9% / Draw 5.3% / Black 51.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 27,63628K | ||
| 24,08524K | ||
| 19,50420K | ||
| 12,37312K | ||
| 1,9801,980 | ||
| 1,5151,515 | ||
| 953953 | ||
| 598598 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.04 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. Nxe5 Nxc4 8. Nxc4 d5 9. exd5 Qxd5 10. Ne3 Qa5 11. O-O Nf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation, Cordel Line (ECO C51, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Be7 6. d4 Na5 (6 moves).
In 89,851 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.9%, Black 51.7% and 5.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bd3, in 31% 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 Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation, Cordel Line
7. Be2 scores best for White: 48.8%, with White winning 46.0% and Black 48.3% of 12K games. The most played, 7. Bd3, scores 47.5% in 28K games, and 7. Bxf7+ scores lowest: 42.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Nxe5.
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. “Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Anderssen Variation, Cordel Line (C51)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-anderssen-variation-cordel-line