Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
13,376 games: White 38.2% / Draw 1.9% / Black 59.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,9767,976 | ||
| 3,4213,421 | ||
| 1,1281,128 | ||
| 748748 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 1010 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+4.54 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 60.8% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 7. Be2 Nc6 8. d3 exd3 9. Qxd3 Nb4 10. Qd1 Bf5 11. Na3 O-O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit (ECO C40, Open Games) is a gambit in the Latvian Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Nf6 4. Bc4 fxe4 5. Nf7 Qe7 6. Nxh8 d5 (6 moves).
In 13,376 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 38.2%, Black 59.9% and 1.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bb3, in 60% 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 Latvian Gambit: Corkscrew Gambit
7. Be2 scores best for White: 62.5%, with White winning 61.2% and Black 36.1% of 3,421 games. The most played answer, 7. Bb3, scores lowest: 26.1% in 7,976 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Be2.
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 Gambit (C40)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/latvian-gambit-corkscrew-gambit