Rat Defense: Antal Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
2,157,002 games: White 49.2% / Draw 4.1% / Black 46.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 570,490570K | ||
| 558,118558K | ||
| 335,282335K | ||
| 282,004282K | ||
| 157,740158K | ||
| 71,40471K | ||
| 33,69534K | ||
| 30,43830K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.71 White is better
Best play: 3. Nf3 e5 4. c4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be2 Ngf6 7. O-O O-O
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 49% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 317K | |
| 1400–1799 | 974K | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.4M | |
| 2200 and up | 166K | |
| Masters, over the board | 293 |
Master games
- Nyzhnyk, I. – Barcenilla, R.
- Aleksandrov, A. – El Taher, F.
- Fressinet, L. – Shirazi, K. G.
- Felgaer, R. – Rodriguez Vila, A.
- Delgado Ramirez, N. – Murshed, N.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Rat Defense: Antal Defense (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Pirc Defense, reached after 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nd7 (2 moves).
In 2,157,002 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 46.8% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. Nc3, in 26% 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 Rat Defense: Antal Defense
The most played answer, 3. Nc3, also scores best for White: 53.6%, with White winning 51.5% and Black 44.3% of 570K games. Of the main answers, 3. c4 scores lowest: 49.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. Nf3.
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 Rat Defense: Antal Defense dipped to 0.074% of Lichess games in 2021 and has recovered since: 0.095% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.082% | 29,253 |
| 2017 | 0.087% | 47,941 |
| 2018 | 0.091% | 71,621 |
| 2019 | 0.08% | 99,830 |
| 2020 | 0.076% | 224,014 |
| 2021 | 0.074% | 287,930 |
| 2022 | 0.078% | 293,623 |
| 2023 | 0.086% | 322,245 |
| 2024 | 0.086% | 306,557 |
| 2025 | 0.095% | 329,989 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.096% | 105,783 |
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. “Rat Defense: Antal Defense (B00)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/rat-defense-antal-defense