Latvian Gambit: Greco Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
61,454 games: White 51.9% / Draw 3.7% / Black 44.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 33,48733K | ||
| 21,36421K | ||
| 3,9263,926 | ||
| 1,4331,433 | ||
| 675675 | ||
| 382382 | ||
| 4848 | ||
| 4141 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
+3.46 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 46.3% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 4. Qh5+ g6 5. Nxg6 Qxe4+ 6. Be2 Nf6 7. Qh3 hxg6 8. Qxh8 Qxg2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Latvian Gambit: Greco Variation (ECO C40, Open Games) is a gambit in the Latvian Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qe7 (3 moves).
In 61,454 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.9%, Black 44.5% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d4, in 54% 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: Greco Variation
The most played answer, 4. d4, also scores best for White: 55.3%, with White winning 53.4% and Black 42.7% of 33K games. Of the main answers, 4. Nc4 scores lowest: 45.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Qh5+.
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: Greco Variation (C40)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/latvian-gambit-greco-variation