Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation, Shropshire Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
4,593 games: White 51.7% / Draw 3.7% / Black 44.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,0352,035 | ||
| 1,0761,076 | ||
| 604604 | ||
| 156156 | ||
| 155155 | ||
| 125125 | ||
| 122122 | ||
| 113113 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.51 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. e4 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg4 6. f3 Bd7 7. Be3 Nf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation, Shropshire Defense (ECO D00, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 h5 (2 moves).
In 4,593 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.7%, Black 44.6% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Bf4, in 44% 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 Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation, Shropshire Defense
3. e4 scores best for White: 56.2%, with White winning 54.2% and Black 41.7% of 1,076 games. The most played answer, 3. Bf4, scores lowest: 52.3% in 2,035 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation, Shropshire Defense (D00)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-pawn-game-chigorin-variation-shropshire-defense