King's Pawn Game: Alapin Opening
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Statistics from Lichess
653,980 games: White 49.1% / Draw 4.2% / Black 46.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 265,495265K | ||
| 168,099168K | ||
| 68,41868K | ||
| 65,36465K | ||
| 37,00637K | ||
| 15,32815K | ||
| 7,0697,069 | ||
| 6,3626,362 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... Bc5 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nb3 Nxe4 6. Nxc5 Nxc5 7. Be3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 47% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 405K | |
| 1400–1799 | 558K | |
| 1800–2199 | 327K | |
| 2200 and up | 14K | |
| Masters, over the board | 65 |
Master games
- Ivanchuk, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Rapport, R. – Dominguez Perez, L.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Anand, V.
- Rapport, R. – Bjerre, J. B.
- Aryan, C. – Bluebaum, M.
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
King's Pawn Game: Alapin Opening (ECO C20, Open Games) is a variation of the King's Pawn Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Ne2 (2 moves).
In 653,980 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.1%, Black 46.7% and 4.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nc6, in 41% 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 King's Pawn Game: Alapin Opening
2…Nf6 scores best for Black: 49.3%, with Black winning 47.2% and White 48.6% of 168K games. The most played, 2…Nc6, scores 49.2% in 265K games, and 2…d6 scores lowest: 46.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 2…Bc5.
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 King's Pawn Game: Alapin Opening has gained ground since 2016: 0.03% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.021%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.021% | 7,485 |
| 2017 | 0.024% | 13,134 |
| 2018 | 0.021% | 16,451 |
| 2019 | 0.024% | 30,333 |
| 2020 | 0.022% | 63,209 |
| 2021 | 0.024% | 93,414 |
| 2022 | 0.027% | 100,502 |
| 2023 | 0.025% | 94,055 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 90,714 |
| 2025 | 0.03% | 102,407 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.028% | 31,010 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Pawn Game: Alapin Opening (C20)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-pawn-game-alapin-opening