Scotch Game: Ghulam-Kassim Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
143,110 games: White 51.2% / Draw 5.6% / Black 43.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 78,13178K | ||
| 27,73628K | ||
| 12,01312K | ||
| 8,4348,434 | ||
| 5,8145,814 | ||
| 2,7592,759 | ||
| 2,4992,499 | ||
| 2,3242,324 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 6... Nf6 7. Nc3 c6 8. Be2 Qb6 9. Qd3 Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. Be3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Scotch Game: Ghulam-Kassim Variation (ECO C45, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 d6 6. Bd3 (6 moves).
In 143,110 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.2%, Black 43.2% and 5.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nf6, in 55% 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 Scotch Game: Ghulam-Kassim Variation
The most played answer, 6…Nf6, also scores best for Black: 47.6%, with Black winning 44.8% and White 49.6% of 78K games. Of the main answers, 6…Be6 scores lowest: 44.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Nf6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Ghulam-Kassim Variation (C45)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-ghulam-kassim-variation