Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
899,019 games: White 45.7% / Draw 3.2% / Black 51.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 513,586514K | ||
| 115,069115K | ||
| 63,78264K | ||
| 53,79654K | ||
| 42,92143K | ||
| 35,36435K | ||
| 22,36322K | ||
| 12,89413K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 20, 2026
Engine evaluation
+2.37 White is clearly better
Even so, Black scores 52.6% here in practice: wins plus half the draws in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500.
Best play: 4. cxb7 Bxb7 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Bc4 Bd6 8. d3 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 52% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 112K | |
| 1400–1799 | 507K | |
| 1800–2199 | 533K | |
| 2200 and up | 41K | |
| Masters, over the board | — | no games |
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: Kloosterboer 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 e5 (3 moves).
In 899,019 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.7%, Black 51.0% and 3.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. cxb7, in 57% 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: Kloosterboer Gambit
4. Nf3 scores best for White: 50.5%, with White winning 48.9% and Black 47.8% of 64K games. The most played answer, 4. cxb7, scores lowest: 46.0% in 514K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4. cxb7.
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: Kloosterboer Gambit dipped to 0.03% of Lichess games in 2020 and has recovered since: 0.037% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.043% | 15,230 |
| 2017 | 0.041% | 22,617 |
| 2018 | 0.032% | 25,168 |
| 2019 | 0.036% | 44,297 |
| 2020 | 0.03% | 87,377 |
| 2021 | 0.032% | 126,690 |
| 2022 | 0.034% | 129,016 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 135,389 |
| 2024 | 0.037% | 130,880 |
| 2025 | 0.037% | 127,300 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.035% | 38,220 |
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: Kloosterboer Gambit (B01)”. Lichess data as of 20 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-kloosterboer-gambit