Montevideo Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
77,708 games: White 53.6% / Draw 4.5% / Black 42.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 36,60937K | ||
| 29,95230K | ||
| 4,7804,780 | ||
| 3,1273,127 | ||
| 919919 | ||
| 643643 | ||
| 637637 | ||
| 334334 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 20, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.80 White is better
Best play: 3. e4 e6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Qe2 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. dxe6 dxe6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Montevideo Defense (ECO A40, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Mikenas Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Nb8 (2 moves).
In 77,708 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.6%, Black 42.0% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. e4, in 47% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Zaire Defense.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Montevideo Defense
3. Nf3 scores best for White: 56.9%, with White winning 54.5% and Black 40.7% of 4,780 games. The most played, 3. e4, scores 56.1% in 37K games, and 3. c4 scores lowest: 55.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. e4.
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
Variations (1)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Montevideo Defense (A40)”. Lichess data as of 20 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/montevideo-defense