King's Pawn Game: Tortoise Opening
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Statistics from Lichess
169,782 games: White 45.2% / Draw 3.9% / Black 50.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 66,75567K | ||
| 43,70844K | ||
| 21,08521K | ||
| 18,97819K | ||
| 7,1467,146 | ||
| 2,3552,355 | ||
| 2,2992,299 | ||
| 1,5391,539 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... Nf6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Nf3 O-O 5. O-O Re8 6. Bc4 d6 7. a4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
King's Pawn Game: Tortoise Opening (ECO C20, Open Games) is a variation of the King's Pawn Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Bd3 (2 moves).
In 169,782 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.2%, Black 50.9% and 3.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…Nc6, in 39% 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: Tortoise Opening
2…Nf6 scores best for Black: 54.5%, with Black winning 52.5% and White 43.6% of 44K games. The most played, 2…Nc6, scores 52.7% in 67K games, and 2…d6 scores lowest: 49.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Pawn Game: Tortoise Opening (C20)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-pawn-game-tortoise-opening