Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Countergambit
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Statistics from Lichess
21,622 games: White 45.1% / Draw 2.3% / Black 52.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 14,05414K | ||
| 4,2514,251 | ||
| 1,3101,310 | ||
| 860860 | ||
| 416416 | ||
| 388388 | ||
| 9494 | ||
| 7474 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+4.74 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 53.8% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 5. Nf7 Qe7 6. Nxh8 d5 7. Be2 Nc6 8. d4 exd3 9. cxd3 Be6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Countergambit (ECO C40, Open Games) is a gambit in the Latvian Gambit: Mayet Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Bc4 fxe4 4. Nxe5 Nf6 (4 moves).
In 21,622 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.1%, Black 52.6% and 2.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nf7, in 65% of those games.
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How to play against the Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Countergambit
5. Bf7+ scores best for White: 59.4%, with White winning 57.9% and Black 39.1% of 4,251 games. The most played answer, 5. Nf7, scores lowest: 41.6% in 14K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Nf7.
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. “Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Countergambit (C40)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/latvian-gambit-corkscrew-countergambit