Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
126,543 games: White 56.2% / Draw 4.1% / Black 39.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 81,64382K | ||
| 17,35217K | ||
| 10,63711K | ||
| 8,3618,361 | ||
| 4,6144,614 | ||
| 758758 | ||
| 620620 | ||
| 588588 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.56 White is clearly better
Best play: 4... fxe4 5. Nxe4 Nf6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Ng3 O-O 9. Bd3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation (ECO C41, Open Games) is a gambit in the Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 f5 4. Nc3 (4 moves).
In 126,543 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.2%, Black 39.7% and 4.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…fxe4, in 65% 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 Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation
The most played answer, 4…fxe4, also scores best for Black: 44.0%, with Black winning 41.9% and White 53.9% of 82K games. Of the main answers, 4…Nc6 scores lowest: 38.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Philidor Defense: Philidor Countergambit, Zukertort Variation (C41)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/philidor-defense-philidor-countergambit-zukertort-variation