Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit
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Statistics from Lichess
284,134 games: White 49.6% / Draw 3.8% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 209,270209K | ||
| 38,82439K | ||
| 16,41416K | ||
| Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit | 8,6068,606 | |
| 6,6046,604 | ||
| 2,2902,290 | ||
| 827827 | ||
| 269269 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.43 White is slightly better
Best play: 3... fxe4 4. Nxe5 Nf6 5. Be2 Be7 6. c4 Bb4+ 7. Nd2 O-O 8. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 56% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 65K | |
| 1400–1799 | 129K | |
| 1800–2199 | 180K | |
| 2200 and up | 26K | |
| Masters, over the board | 29 |
Master games
- Romanishin, O. M. – Van Riemsdijk, H. C.
- Rombaldoni, A. – Bonafede, A.
- Almasi, I. – Varga, Z.
- Drozdov, I. – Nadanian, A.
- Reefschlaeger, H. – Pirrot, D.
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
Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit (ECO C40, Open Games) is a gambit in the Latvian Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. d4 (3 moves).
In 284,134 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.6%, Black 46.6% and 3.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…fxe4, in 74% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3. d4
The most played answer, 3…fxe4, also scores best for Black: 50.7%, with Black winning 48.7% and White 47.3% of 209K games. Of the main answers, 3…exd4 scores lowest: 43.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…fxe4.
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 Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0089%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0089% | 3,164 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 5,842 |
| 2018 | 0.01% | 8,126 |
| 2019 | 0.01% | 12,750 |
| 2020 | 0.01% | 29,574 |
| 2021 | 0.0096% | 37,382 |
| 2022 | 0.0095% | 35,760 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 39,599 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,564 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 45,916 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.015% | 16,812 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Latvian Gambit: Mason Countergambit (C40)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/latvian-gambit-mason-countergambit