Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
385,110 games: White 46.0% / Draw 7.1% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 313,156313K | ||
| 31,86232K | ||
| 18,98119K | ||
| 12,99813K | ||
| 1,9171,917 | ||
| 1,8021,802 | ||
| 1,1491,149 | ||
| 918918 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.53 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Qxe4 d6 6. d4 dxe5 7. dxe5 Nc6 8. Nc3 Qxe5 9. Qxe5+ Nxe5
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 37% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 41% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 421K | |
| 1400–1799 | 328K | |
| 1800–2199 | 179K | |
| 2200 and up | 63K | |
| Masters, over the board | 333 |
Master games
- Caruana, F. – Nakamura, H.
- Caruana, F. – Nakamura, H.
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Nakamura, H.
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
Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit (ECO C42, Open Games) is a gambit in Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Qe7 (4 moves).
In 385,110 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 46.9% and 7.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Qxe4, in 81% 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 Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit
5. d4 scores best for White: 49.6%, with White winning 46.4% and Black 47.3% of 32K games. The most played answer, 5. Qxe4, scores lowest: 49.5% in 313K games. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Qxe4.
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
Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.016% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.012%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,193 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,005 |
| 2018 | 0.012% | 9,594 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 15,475 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 42,992 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 55,703 |
| 2022 | 0.014% | 54,291 |
| 2023 | 0.016% | 58,440 |
| 2024 | 0.016% | 58,938 |
| 2025 | 0.016% | 54,190 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.017% | 18,711 |
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. “Petrov's Defense: Damiano Variation, Kholmov Gambit (C42)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/petrovs-defense-damiano-variation-kholmov-gambit