Italian Game: Hungarian Defense, Tartakower Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
70,404 games: White 49.3% / Draw 4.5% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 44,91145K | ||
| 14,31514K | ||
| 5,5935,593 | ||
| 2,5042,504 | ||
| 894894 | ||
| 839839 | ||
| 391391 | ||
| 292292 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.65 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Bd5 f5 8. O-O d6 9. cxd4 dxe5 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Nxe5 Bf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Hungarian Defense, Tartakower Variation (ECO C50, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game: Benima Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 exd4 5. c3 Nf6 6. e5 Ne4 (6 moves).
In 70,404 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 46.2% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. cxd4, in 64% 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: Hungarian Defense, Tartakower Variation
7. Bd5 scores best for White: 63.3%, with White winning 61.3% and Black 34.6% of 14K games. The most played answer, 7. cxd4, scores lowest: 49.2% in 45K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Bd5.
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: Hungarian Defense, Tartakower Variation (C50)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-hungarian-defense-tartakower-variation