Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Leonhardt Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
884,030 games: White 54.8% / Draw 3.5% / Black 41.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 636,240636K | ||
| 102,372102K | ||
| 96,18496K | ||
| 20,33520K | ||
| 15,29515K | ||
| 4,5884,588 | ||
| 2,1992,199 | ||
| 1,5961,596 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.04 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Qxb4 5. Rb1 Qd6 6. d4 Nf6 7. Nf3 g6 8. g3 Bg7 9. Bg2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 56% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 173K | |
| 1400–1799 | 440K | |
| 1800–2199 | 552K | |
| 2200 and up | 68K | |
| Masters, over the board | 34 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Firouzja, A.
- Nakamura, H. – Har Zvi, R.
- Ali Marandi, C. – Hungaski, R.
- Pancevski, F. – Stojanovski, D.
- Hansson, D. – Hjartarson, J.
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: Main Line, Leonhardt Gambit (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4 (4 moves).
In 884,030 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.8%, Black 41.8% and 3.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Qxb4, in 72% 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: Main Line, Leonhardt Gambit
4…Qb6 scores best for Black: 48.7%, with Black winning 46.6% and White 49.2% of 102K games. The most played, 4…Qxb4, scores 45.4% in 636K games, and 4…Qe5+ scores lowest: 45.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Qxb4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Main Line, Leonhardt Gambit is played more than three times as often as in 2016: 0.049% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.014%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 4,853 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,767 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,292 |
| 2019 | 0.02% | 24,710 |
| 2020 | 0.024% | 69,842 |
| 2021 | 0.025% | 97,956 |
| 2022 | 0.033% | 124,807 |
| 2023 | 0.038% | 143,693 |
| 2024 | 0.044% | 157,959 |
| 2025 | 0.049% | 168,507 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.05% | 55,086 |
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: Main Line, Leonhardt Gambit (B01)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-main-line-leonhardt-gambit