Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
1,915,058 games: White 47.5% / Draw 4.2% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 859,772860K | ||
| 399,863400K | ||
| 352,774353K | ||
| 55,14055K | ||
| 50,08050K | ||
| 48,70549K | ||
| 47,04147K | ||
| 25,48825K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.69 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nf3 e5 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. d4 e4 8. Ne5 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 628K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.3M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1M | |
| 2200 and up | 122K | |
| Masters, over the board | 22 |
Master games
- Nikitenko, M. – Rakhmanov, A.
- Adams, M. – Pert, R.
- Nigmatov, O. – Rakhmanov, A.
- Petrov, M. – Pert, R.
- Lupulescu, C. – Bakalarz, M.
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
Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6 3. dxc6 Nxc6 (3 moves).
In 1,915,058 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.5%, Black 48.4% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nf3, in 45% 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 Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit
The most played answer, 4. Nf3, also scores best for White: 50.6%, with White winning 48.5% and Black 47.3% of 860K games. Of the main answers, 4. Nc3 scores lowest: 48.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. 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 Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit has stayed between 0.069% and 0.078% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.077% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.073% | 26,110 |
| 2017 | 0.069% | 38,062 |
| 2018 | 0.078% | 61,346 |
| 2019 | 0.075% | 93,631 |
| 2020 | 0.071% | 207,168 |
| 2021 | 0.071% | 277,804 |
| 2022 | 0.073% | 274,095 |
| 2023 | 0.074% | 279,647 |
| 2024 | 0.075% | 269,578 |
| 2025 | 0.077% | 267,389 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.078% | 85,143 |
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. “Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit (B01)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-blackburne-gambit