Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
12,362 games: White 57.2% / Draw 3.4% / Black 39.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,4309,430 | ||
| 1,7581,758 | ||
| 1,0791,079 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.30 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. d4 d6 7. O-O Na5 8. Be2 Nc6 9. Qa4 Bd7 10. Qb3 Na5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense (ECO C51, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Evans Gambit Accepted, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bf8 (5 moves).
In 12,362 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.2%, Black 39.3% and 3.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. d4, in 76% 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, Mayet Defense
6. Qb3 scores best for White: 60.0%, with White winning 58.1% and Black 38.2% of 1,079 games. The most played, 6. d4, scores 59.0% in 9,430 games, and 6. O-O scores lowest: 58.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. 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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Mayet Defense (C51)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-evans-gambit-mayet-defense