Mikenas Defense: Lithuanian Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
416,291 games: White 38.9% / Draw 4.0% / Black 57.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 186,997187K | ||
| 175,365175K | ||
| 21,91622K | ||
| 5,6055,605 | ||
| 4,9384,938 | ||
| 4,4534,453 | ||
| 3,5073,507 | ||
| 2,9132,913 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 20, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.68 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nc3 Ng6 5. Qa4 a5 6. a3 Bc5 7. h4 Nxh4 8. Ne4 Be7
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 better this line does for Black: Black scores 46% under 1400, 56% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 24K | |
| 1400–1799 | 92K | |
| 1800–2199 | 292K | |
| 2200 and up | 61K | |
| Masters, over the board | 211 |
Master games
- Sandipan, C. – Short, N. D.
- Koneru, H. – Short, N. D.
- Batsiashvili, N. – Harikrishna, P.
- Baburin, A. – Miles, A. J.
- Volzhin, A. – Miles, A. J.
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
Mikenas Defense: Lithuanian Variation (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Mikenas Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nc6 2. c4 e5 3. d5 Nce7 (3 moves).
In 416,291 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 38.9%, Black 57.1% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 45% 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 Mikenas Defense: Lithuanian Variation
4. Nf3 scores best for White: 44.3%, with White winning 42.4% and Black 53.8% of 22K games. The most played, 4. Nc3, scores 40.6% in 187K games, and 4. e4 scores lowest: 40.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nc3.
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
Popularity by year
The Mikenas Defense: Lithuanian Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.02% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.015%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.015% | 5,429 |
| 2017 | 0.018% | 9,830 |
| 2018 | 0.019% | 14,799 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 21,414 |
| 2020 | 0.014% | 41,356 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 49,370 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 49,925 |
| 2023 | 0.015% | 55,522 |
| 2024 | 0.019% | 68,961 |
| 2025 | 0.02% | 69,018 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 22,805 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Mikenas Defense: Lithuanian Variation (A40)”. Lichess data as of 20 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/mikenas-defense-lithuanian-variation