Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Walbrodt-Baird Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
315,733 games: White 55.3% / Draw 4.0% / Black 40.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 143,743144K | ||
| 71,75272K | ||
| 43,54744K | ||
| 19,76320K | ||
| 16,11816K | ||
| 14,06714K | ||
| 1,9961,996 | ||
| 1,7021,702 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Nxe4 7. cxd4 d5 8. dxc5 dxc4 9. Qe2 Qe7 10. Qxc4 Bf5 11. Nc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 56% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 102K | |
| 1400–1799 | 244K | |
| 1800–2199 | 164K | |
| 2200 and up | 23K | |
| Masters, over the board | 134 |
Master games
- Petrosian, T. L. – Grischuk, A.
- Karjakin, S. – Smirin, I.
- Karjakin, S. – Nielsen, P. H.
- Vykouk, J. – Navara, D.
- Babujian, L. – Sargissian, G.
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
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Walbrodt-Baird Gambit (ECO C56, Open Games) is a gambit in the Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. O-O (6 moves).
In 315,733 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.3%, Black 40.7% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…dxc3, in 46% 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: Scotch Gambit, Walbrodt-Baird Gambit
6…Nxe4 scores best for Black: 53.2%, with Black winning 50.2% and White 43.8% of 44K games. The most played answer, 6…dxc3, scores lowest: 38.9% in 144K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Nxe4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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 Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Walbrodt-Baird Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.011% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0088% (its peak: 0.014% in 2021).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0088% | 3,156 |
| 2017 | 0.0094% | 5,169 |
| 2018 | 0.0092% | 7,202 |
| 2019 | 0.0083% | 10,293 |
| 2020 | 0.012% | 36,547 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 53,955 |
| 2022 | 0.014% | 51,349 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 47,847 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,348 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 39,894 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,488 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Walbrodt-Baird Gambit (C56)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-scotch-gambit-walbrodt-baird-gambit