Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
310,915 games: White 52.9% / Draw 4.6% / Black 42.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 110,906111K | ||
| Nimzo-Indian Defense | 69,20369K | |
| 28,36628K | ||
| 15,66116K | ||
| 13,36513K | ||
| 11,98812K | ||
| 11,93112K | ||
| 11,49511K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nf6 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O b6 8. Qe2
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 58% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 169K | |
| 1400–1799 | 323K | |
| 1800–2199 | 131K | |
| 2200 and up | 19K | |
| Masters, over the board | 763 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Movsesian, S.
- Bluebaum, M. – Praggnanandhaa, R.
- Sarana, A. – Kramnik, V.
- Gelfand, B. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Gelfand, B. – Andersson, U.
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
Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Kangaroo Defense, reached after 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Nc3 (3 moves).
In 310,915 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.9%, Black 42.5% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Bxc3+, in 36% 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 Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation
3…c5 scores best for Black: 49.3%, with Black winning 46.5% and White 48.0% of 28K games. The most played, 3…Bxc3+, scores 43.8% in 111K games, and 3…d5 scores lowest: 42.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Nf6.
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 Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0098% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.019%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,965 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,978 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 11,868 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 16,792 |
| 2020 | 0.014% | 39,538 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 50,818 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 46,263 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 42,163 |
| 2024 | 0.01% | 35,971 |
| 2025 | 0.0098% | 34,009 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 11,691 |
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. “Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation (A40)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kangaroo-defense-keres-defense-transpositional-variation