Rat Defense: English Rat, Lisbon Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
169,851 games: White 44.3% / Draw 3.7% / Black 51.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 140,455140K | ||
| 18,62719K | ||
| 5,6125,612 | ||
| 1,0631,063 | ||
| 940940 | ||
| 651651 | ||
| 607607 | ||
| 483483 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.39 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. exd6 Bxd6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. a3 Ne5 8. e3 Bf5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Rat Defense: English Rat, Lisbon Gambit (ECO A41, Flank Openings) is a gambit in the Rat Defense: English Rat, reached after 1. d4 d6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Nc6 (3 moves).
In 169,851 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.3%, Black 51.9% and 3.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd6, in 83% 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: English Rat, Lisbon Gambit
4. Nf3 scores best for White: 51.1%, with White winning 48.9% and Black 46.6% of 19K games. The most played answer, 4. exd6, scores lowest: 45.2% in 140K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. exd6.
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. “Rat Defense: English Rat, Lisbon Gambit (A41)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/rat-defense-english-rat-lisbon-gambit